Jets vs. Vikings preview ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

When: 1 p.m. ET Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis TV: CBS

The last time the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets played each other, the stage was slightly bigger; Brett Favre and Randy Moss were playing their first game together, in a "Monday Night Football" battle of two teams that had lost in their respective conference championship games the season before. The game was delayed by lightning, and the Jets sealed the win by returning a Favre interception for a touchdown.

This year's matchup won't have quite as much sizzle. The Jets are 2-10, trying to win for just the second time since opening day against a 5-7 Vikings team. Former Vikings receiver Percy Harvin will face his old team for the second time -- and University of Minnesota product Eric Decker will return to his old college stadium -- but the matchup is largely a battle of two teams trying to build around young quarterbacks (Geno Smith and Teddy Bridgewater).
 

The Jets' point differential in road games, the third-worst in the league. They're 0-5 on the road, one of three winless teams.

5-2

The Vikings' record this season against teams with losing records. They've yet to beat a team with a winning record, but they have victories against St. Louis, Washington, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Carolina.

ESPN Vikings reporter Ben Goessling and ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini analyze this week's matchup.

Goessling: Rich, there will be plenty of intrigue from Vikings fans this week about Harvin and how he's doing with his new team. How has he fit in so far, and what does his future look like with the Jets?

Cimini: Harvin says he's loving life with the last-place Jets. Go figure, right? Two reasons why he's enjoying life after Seattle and Minnesota: Unlike the Seahawks, the Jets have made him an every-down player. They've also given him a chance to be a traditional wide receiver, not just a gadget guy used on bubble screens and jet sweeps. He does some of that stuff, plus a handful of snaps at running back each week, but he's more of a complete player than in the past. He hasn't been very productive, though. In the five games since the trade, he has only 19 catches for 182 yards and no touchdowns, most of it coming in one game. I can't imagine the Jets bringing him back next year under his current contract, which pays him a non-guaranteed $10.5 million in 2015. They could try to renegotiate. Otherwise, I suspect he'll be playing elsewhere.

How are the Vikings managing without Adrian Peterson in terms of personnel adjustments and X's and O's? What about the off-the-field impact?

Goessling: It's certainly changed things on the field. The Vikings have run the ball well at times with rookie Jerick McKinnon, but now he's nursing a lower back injury and they don't have a running back who is much of a threat for explosive plays. Perhaps the biggest change, though, is how defenses play the Vikings. There's no need to stack the box, like teams did when Peterson was here, and you've got to think Bridgewater would get some more favorable defensive looks if teams were still worried about taking away Peterson. Cordarrelle Patterson hasn't had much of an impact this season, either, and while there are a few factors involved in that, it's worth noting the Vikings haven't used him on the jet sweep without Peterson after he gained 36 yards doing it twice in Week 1. Off the field, the team has done a good job of blocking it out and staying focused, as least as far as we can tell, though players certainly want him back, and several have said they thought he should have been allowed to play. Even if Peterson successfully appeals his suspension, his future in Minnesota is in doubt.

The Vikings had some trouble last week with the Panthers' read-option plays, and gave up some big plays on the ground to both Cam Newton and Jonathan Stewart. How much read-option do you expect to see from the Jets, and what's the key to slowing down their run game?

Cimini: The Vikings should be worried because if there's one thing the Jets do well, it's run the football. They do it in a variety of ways -- read-option, jet sweeps, end around and an occasional wishbone look, if you can believe that. On Monday night, they rushed for 277 yards, becoming only the fifth team in the past 30 years to rush for that many yards and lose. Chris Johnson, coming off a season-high 105 yards, is fresh because he hasn't been used much. Expect another heavy ground attack, in part, because the coaching staff has little confidence in Smith's decision-making and throwing ability.
 

The Vikings are going through what the Jets did last season, playing a rookie quarterback. Is Bridgewater a keeper?

Goessling: I'll give you the old magic-8 ball response: Ask again later. Seriously, it's hard to make a definitive assessment of Bridgewater, because the Vikings weren't planning for him to be on the field this early, and they certainly weren't planning for him to be playing without several key pieces on offense (Peterson, most notably). Bridgewater doesn't seem fazed by what defenses throw at him; he's a student of the game and he has improved as he learns to trust what he's seeing at the line of scrimmage. The question I have is whether he'll be able to consistently make the tough throws he'll need to win at this level. The Vikings believe his arm is good enough, but being able to put the ball in tight spots when he's under duress is still something he needs to improve.

Is this the last we'll see of Rex Ryan in New York? Does he still have the attention of players, or do you see the team starting to check out on the season? What kind of an effort should the Vikings expect on Sunday?

Cimini: Yes, Ryan's days are numbered. There's no way he will survive a season this bad, his fourth straight season out of the playoffs. He's handling it exceptionally well, although there are times when he gets frustrated and emotional. The pulse of the team changes from week to week. You don't run for 277 yards unless the players are focused and determined -- a testament to Ryan's ability to keep them motivated. On the other hand, the Jets were a no-show the previous week against the Bills, losing by 35 points on the road. I have no idea which team will show up. A lot will depend on the first quarter. If they experience early success, it could carry them. But I wouldn't bet on it.

How are the Vikings at stopping the run? Reason I ask is because, based on Monday night's performance, they won't see too many passes from the Jets.

Goessling: They've had trouble with it; Mike Zimmer talked on Wednesday about how he wasn't happy with the run defense as a whole, and how the tackling specifically needs to improve. The Panthers got 50 of their 178 yards after contact last week, and the Vikings will certainly be focused on slowing the Jets' running game down this week. They signed former Giants nose tackle Linval Joseph to plug up the middle of their defensive line, and Joseph has played well at times this season, but the front has been leakier in the past few weeks than Zimmer would like. It suffices to say that'll be the biggest priority for the Vikings' defense this week against the Jets.

 

>  http://espn.go.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/11313/jets-vs-vikings-preview

[kelly]

The NFL Live crew make their picks for the New York Jets at Minnesota

 

video..

> http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11974591

[kelly]

Sad reality: Six years into Rex Ryan era, Jets don't have a QB or a clue

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-- Advice to Rex Ryan: Don't mention the New England Patriots when trying to defend your own strategy. It's akin to "Best Personality" putting himself in the class-valedictorian conversation with "Most Likely to Succeed."

The New York Jets' coach got defensive Wednesday when asked about his unusual game plan Monday night -- you know, the one with all the running plays -- insisting, "I don't feel like apologizing for running for 300 yards (actually 277)." In an attempt to bolster his argument, Ryan mentioned the recent game in which the Patriots ran 44 times for 246 yards against the Indianapolis Colts.

"I remember everybody was praising New England running it how many times they ran it the other week, and you've got a first-ballot, Hall-of-Fame quarterback in Tom Brady," Ryan said.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY SportsRex Ryan denies that a lack of confidence in Geno Smith was the reason the Jets only attempted 13 passes on Monday.

Then came the sarcasm.

"They're a genius, we're not quite there," he said.

Here's the difference: The Patriots won the game. By 22 points.

The Jets blew a lead and lost to the Miami Dolphins, 16-13.

Two days later, we're still talking about the play calling -- hard to believe, considering it's a 2-10 team. But this isn't about one game. This is about the organization's belief in Geno Smith (or lack thereof) and Ryan's fatal flaw, one of the reasons he will be unemployed in a few weeks: His blind spot for offense.

In six seasons as the head coach, Ryan has failed with two quarterbacks and three offensive coordinators. Under him, the Jets haven't drafted and developed any offensive stars. Obviously, the blame doesn't fall entirely on Ryan, but he coaches and sees the game through a defensive lens -- and it impacts in-game strategy. You saw it Monday night, with one of the most bizarre games in recent memory. ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said on the telecast the run-pass imbalance was something you'd see in monsoon-like conditions.

Ryan's run-heavy strategy was founded on his belief that it gave them the best chance to beat the Dolphins. It's funny, because he has no problem saying that about the game plan, yet he can't bring himself to say Smith is the quarterback that gives them the best chance. Translation: I don't trust him. He vehemently denied that, insisting, "It had nothing to do with us not having confidence in Geno Smith. That's completely false."

Smith is a turnover-prone liability whose days as the Jets' starting quarterback will end in four weeks, but playing on a defensive-centric team hasn't helped his development. Look at Mark Sanchez. He's in a quarterback-friendly system with the Philadelphia Eagles, thriving in his second incarnation.

This is the sixth year of the Ryan regime, and really nothing has changed. He's still coaching around his quarterback, employing a play-not-to-lose mentality on offense. What next, a color-coded wristband for Smith?

On Monday night, Smith's game plan was Quarterbacking 101. The most glaring instance came late in the third quarter, after Darrin Walls' interception at the Miami 30-yard line. Instead of going for the end zone on the first play, like some teams do after a sudden change, the Jets ran the ball into a nine-man box. They gained 2 yards.

On second down, they ran into a eight-man box. Loss of 2. On third down, Smith took an 8-yard sack, holding the ball too long and failing to see a wide-open Jeremy Kerley. Instead of extending a seven-point lead, the Jets were forced to punt.

"If you look at the D-Walls pick, that's a crucial moment, a chance for us to put our foot on their throats," guard Willie Colon said. "We weren't able to capitalize and it came back to hurt us."

Ryan refused to second-guess his run-oriented approach, saying there wouldn't be any fuss if they had just made a couple of plays to win the game. He's right about one thing: The conservative approach -- a mere 13 forward passes -- gave them the best chance to win.

And that's sad.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/46810/sad-reality-six-years-into-ryan-era-jets-dont-have-a-qb-or-a-clue

 

[sg3]

Thanks Kelvin ...two worthless pieces of garbage from Dick Semen and the unanimous choice of the Vikings from three other ESPNE retards.

Nice contributions here at the Nation

[Jetlife33]

Road game against a team who beats losing teams. This sounds good for us.

[kelly]

Thanks Kelvin ...two worthless pieces of garbage from Dick Semen and the unanimous choice of the Vikings from three other ESPNE retards.

Nice contributions here at the Nation

 

sg3 !..

 

 

sg3 ! !..  ^   ^   ...you finally woke up !...i've missed u     

[kelly]

— Anyone still think the Jets' secondary hasn't been impacted by John Idzik whiffing on getting a cornerback in free agency and injuries?

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, whose team hosts the Jets on Sunday, has noticed the impact on the Jets' defense this season—specifically in how head coach Rex Ryan has been forced to use his blitz packages.

"I think that he has relied more on his front seven to really try to control the game," Zimmer told New York-area reporters in a conference call Wednesday morning.

Ryan has had to do this, of course, because of the team's precarious situation at cornerback, which has had a ripple effect upon the entire defensive unit. The Jets released Antonio Cromartie during free agency, only to replace him with the journeyman Dimitri Patterson, who went AWOL and got cut before the season even started. To make matters worse, Dee Milliner has missed most of the season with injuries, and Dexter McDougle—a third-round draft pick—has been out since August with a torn ACL.

Ryan has since had to mix and match personnel at the position, and to play more zone that he might have done in the past, when the Jets had outstanding corners.

"I think they were giving up some big plays earlier on in the year, and so it just seems like, I would never call Rex conservative, but he has been more careful with the backend a little more, maybe," Zimmer said.

The Jets' defense ranks 31st in the NFL on third down (46.67 percent conversions by opponents) and 30th in the red zone (65 percent touchdowns by opponents).

 

> http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2014/12/minnesota_vikings_coach_mike_zimmer_rex_ryan_has_been_careful_with_jets_secondary.html

[kelly]

Daily Report: MIN QB Meets Jets' Organized Chaos

Green & White Begin Preparations for Teddy Ballgame & the Vikings Aerial Attack

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/videos/videos/Daily-Report-MIN-QB-Meets-Jets-Organized-Chaos/ee8c2c74-1bda-49f1-b223-f9b1094cd1aa

[GenoandtheJets]

Jets need to definitely lose this game. I want the record to be at 2-14 at the end of the season.

[kelly]

– Former Louisville teammates Teddy Bridgewater and Calvin Pryor will face each other again on Sunday, as they did in countless college practices. This time, Bridgewater will be quarterback of the Vikings, while Pryor tries to respond strong to a brief late-season benching by the New York Jets.

They're on different teams these days, but Bridgewater and Pryor know each other well and have been anticipating this moment for years.
 

“Both of us, out doing what we do best living our dream,” Pryor said. “It’s something we talked about before even coming to the NFL.”

Bilal Powell, another former Louisville player, said both Pryor and Bridgewater stood out even though Powell, a Jets running back, was in the NFL before the rookies played for the Cardinals.

“Outside of football I built some relationships with those guys, and they’re hard workers -- passionate about football,” Powell said.

He can’t wait to see how they respond to each other on the field.

“It’s always a competitive thing; you've got to think they went against each other in camp in college,” Powell said. “You tackle them and get up and pat them on the back.”

Bridgewater alluded to their competitiveness even in practice, where Pryor was known as a guy who went hard — maybe a little too hard — on his own teammates.

“He was just a ball hawk,” Bridgewater said. “He is a great basketball player, so he has those basketball instincts. When the ball is in the air, he can come down with the interception. At the University of Louisville, Coach [Charlie] Strong wasn’t too big on players, teammates taking out teammates. There were times when he had to tone it down a little, but I guess once he gets going, he is a playmaker.”

Pryor smiled when told what Bridgewater said.

“Our defense was built off being tough and being physical,” Pryor said. “They did have to tell me to calm down, chill out sometimes.”

As well as they know each other, Pryor didn’t think it would be easier to get to Bridgewater on the field. Yes, he’s watched Bridgewater with those hawk eyes a hundred times, but there’s more to it. The rookie quarterback for the Vikings has been solid this season and shows promise as he continues to develop.

“But at the same time he’s with a new system. We’re on different teams with a new identity, but at the same time, he can’t change what we see on film.”

And this time, nobody will be telling Pryor to tone it down.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/46856/calvin-pryor-and-teddy-bridgewater-anticipated-this-moment

[kelly]

Inside Edge : Jets-Vikings

 

video...

> http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11979101

[kelly]

-- Each week we will select two players on the New York Jets -- one on offense, one on defense -- who figure to play a key role in the upcoming game. The Jets face the Minnesota Vikings (5-7) Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium.

Chris Ivory, running back -- His partner, Chris Johnson, did most of the damage on Monday night, but this game has Ivory written all over it. He's a power back who makes his living with yards after contact, and the Vikings have struggled with tackling. They rank 19th in YAC allowed, having yielded 551 according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Vikings allowed 178 yards to the Carolina Panthers last week, including 50 after contact. It won't be brutally cold in Minneapolis, but it'll be cold enough to where Ivory's physical style could exact a toll on a defense.

Antonio Allen, safety -- Remember him? He didn't play a single defensive snap against the Miami Dolphins, but Allen will be pulled out of moth balls for this game. "Absolutely, yep, you're going to see his reps go up this week," Rex Ryan said. Of course, there's no place to go but up. Allen could factor into the coverage plan for tight end Kyle Rudolph, who is 6-foot-6 and presents a challenge in the red zone. The Jets struggled against tight ends, having allowed 12 touchdowns. This has been a rollercoaster year for Allen, who has bounced between safety and corner and between starting and riding the bench. Maybe he can redeem himself in a specialized role.

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/46838/under-the-spotlight-chris-ivory-and-antonio-allen

[kelly]

This week's Coordinators' Corner was a tough one because of the difficult, close Monday night loss to the Dolphins.

Even though both OC Marty Mornhinweg and DC Dennis Thurman addressed issues highly topical to our lack of success against our division rival and to the two non-division road foes ahead of us, we'll jump special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey to the leadoff spot this week.

McGaughey took on a range of questions from Jets reporters, from teams kicking away from Percy Harvin to another punt-block situation to special-teams penalties to Nick Folk's semi-aching hip.

For Mornhinweg, not surprisingly, the popular topic was the conservative — meaning run-heavy — game plan against the Dolphins and what that portends for QB Geno Smith and the offense over the final quarter of the season, plus some more queries about Geno's protection going forward.

Thurman took on several questions about rookie safety Calvin Pryor's recent play as well as on game-planning with Quinton Coples playing on the line and Muhammad Wilkerson sitting out with his injured toe and the approach he is taking to working against Vikings rookie QB Teddy Bridgewater.

McGaughey on how tough it was to hear head coach Rex Ryan say that his special teams were a big part of the loss to Miami...

"That’s the truth, when you miss two field goals and have penalties, all the hidden yards that you don’t realize during the course of the game. ... So what he said was the truth and it is my job as a coach to correct it. If you can’t handle the truth, you don’t need to be in this business. Sometimes there will be some games where it is going to be all ice cream and cake and everybody is loving you up, and there will be some games like we had last week where you were living in a world of suck. That is part of this business. You are going to take the good with the bad and try to be as consistent as possible."

Mornhinweg on RB Chris Johnson's recent performance coming off his dynamic showing vs. the Dolphins...

"Chris has played well. He has done everything we asked and more. When you have three backs — and I have had that before — it has worked pretty well when you are running and gunning pretty good. But it’s a little sick like for each back throughout the season. Some cases you come out and you say, ‘Gee, I wish we would have got it to him a few more times.’ Then there are others where Chris Ivory would have gotten it, then Bilal [Powell] has been effective for the past year and a half as well."

Thurman on if he gives Pryor credit for being more disciplined in his play…

"Without question, and that is a big part of it. He is showing discipline, he is showing restraint. And those things are required when you’re playing more deep safety than when you are closer to the line of scrimmage. So he is doing exactly what we’re asking him to do. Is it what everybody has been looking to see? Probably not, but he is doing exactly what we’re asking him to do and he is protecting us. As long as he is doing that and the ball is not flying over our heads, we’re going to be in games."

 

> http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Coordinators-Corner-Pre-Vikings-Edition/7ba909a6-bd18-479f-8522-d04c47a458f7

[sg3]

Vikings 37

GeNO and the Jets 10

[jgb]

Vikings 37

GeNO and the Jets 10

 

yeah because idzik i'm sure has told rex he wants at least 50% throws this game.

 

rex should just tell bitchzik to **** off, he's getting fired anyway

[sg3]

yeah because idzik i'm sure has told rex he wants at least 50% throws this game.

rex should just tell bitchzik to **** off, he's getting fired anyway

Not sure I get your point. Rex is way more responsible for the current mess. It's the same mess that began two years before Idzik arrived.

No offense, crappy QB play,see turnovers by the score..Actially.GeNO was an improvement over Suck last year.

The constant in this debacle...Rex

[jgb]

Not sure I get your point. Rex is way more responsible for the current mess. It's the same mess that began two years before Idzik arrived.

No offense, crappy QB play,see turnovers by the score..Actially.GeNO was an improvement over Suck last year.

The constant in this debacle...Rex

 

sorry was trying to make light of a sad situation--rex is plenty to blame, but only way we win this or any game this season is to hide geno. i'm just betting idzik tries to influence gameplan to make geno throw more this game than last.

 

i think idzik much worse at his job than rex is but we agree though--time to rex to go.

[kelly]

This should be a winnable game for the New York Jets. Key word: Should.

The Minnesota Vikings are offensively challenged, just like the Jets, and they haven’t defeated a team with a winning record. But who are we kidding? The Jets are 2-10 for a reason -- actually, many reasons. One if them is because they’re a lousy road team -- 0-5, with a minus-89 point differential. They’re quite capable of getting blown out.

They can keep it close with another 200-yard rushing day, and the Vikings’ run defense is vulnerable. But the Vikings have young playmakers on all three levels of the defense, and that doesn’t bode well for quarterback Geno Smith -- assuming the Jets allow him to throw the ball. This could be the coldest game of Smith's pro career, and there are questions about his ability to function in the cold. Heck, there are questions about him in every condition.

Prediction: Vikings 24, Jets 13

 

> http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/46877/prediction-vikings-will-beat-jets

[sg3]

Won't be that close..

Suck for the DUCK