GANG GREEN FACES BIG TEST IN BUFFALO By TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online-10-31-08

The Jets have not played consistently in any phase of the game so far in 2008. At 4-3 however, they have given themselves a chance to gel by winning enough games to now sit only one game behind both the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, both at 5-2. Alot has been made about Brett Favre's mediocre play, and the confused playcalling on offense. While much of it may be true, the Jets, an organization that often times has their backs against the wall before Thanksgiving, rolls around to Orchard Park this time with a chance to really get in this AFC East race.

The Bills are led on offense by RB Marshawn Lynch and deep threat WR Lee Evans. QB Trent Edwards has had some good games this year but is not a threat to throw for 300 yards every Sunday. The Buffalo Defense is tied for 5th in TDs given up but ranked somewhere in the middle in most every other defensive category.

For the Jets, the keys will be the same. Favre has to make good decisions, better decisions than it appears ha has in recent weeks, although Eric Mangini on numerous occasions has cited the Jet wideouts for being at fault for some of the picks. The Jet ground game, now including home run threat Leon Washington , has to be part of a balanced offensive game plan and not disappear for a half, as it has a few times.

The Jet defense has struggled yardage wise the past two weeks against struggling offenses in Oakland and Kansas City. Nonetheless, Chris Jenkins , who spearheads the defensive line and has been a big factor in the much improved run stopping will be challenged all day by Lynch and backup Fred Jackson. With Jet corners Dwight Lowry and Darrele Revis facing the difficult task of keeping up with speedster WR's Evans and Roscoe Parrish, the Jets will have to break down Edwards pocket quickly and force long pass routes to be altered.

A win and the Jets will go to 5-3, a record that other Jet teams in the past who've had more talent and have played better for much of 4 quarters, have not been able to grab. It's an opportunity that they have given themselves not by playing great football all year, but by winning.

JETS CHIEFS BETTER BE A NO BRAINER-By TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online

With the painful overtime loss in Oakland now in the Jets rear view
mirror, Gang Green set their sights on a severely hampered old friend.
Former head coach Herm Edwards comes to town with his awful 1-5
Kansas City Chiefs, without star RB Larry Johnson (suspended for team
conduct) and featuring third string QB Bobby Thigpen. This is beyond a
must win. This is a game the Jets need to win as well as start to grow
in. The passing game needs to get on track. Dustin Keller needs to
become a weapon, especially with the apparent injury to Brett Favre's
security blanket Bubba Franks. The defense needs to shut down the
Chiefs second and even third string offense, and take control of a
of game the Jets can't lose if they want to see the playoffs
first hand in January.

After starting 0-2 KC somehow found a way to win at home against
Denver before losing both starting QBs, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard.
They then tried but failed to deal legendary TE Tony Gonzalez at the
trade deadline and now have to live with the emotionally unstable LJ.
To sum it up, they are a complete mess. The only weapon besides
Gonzalez, WR Dwayne Bowe, has not had 100 yard receiving game yet
this season. The club was shut out two weeks ago in Carolina. 30th
total offense in the league this year. Now that 's WITH LJ and their
top two QB’s!


Let's be honest here. Losing to them would be devastating. A pure sign
that the Brett Favre experiment has failed on the field, regardless of
how many number 4 jerseys have been sold off the field. It cant even be
a possibility.

For the Jets, this Sunday cannot be about struggling to beat a team
like the Chiefs. This HAS to be about playing well, and winning well. It
has to be about the passing game finding a rythym. About Dustin Keller
starting to emerge as the first round pass catching threat he's
supposed to be so he can really contribute as the bigger games start
to creep up on the schedule. It has to be about a defense NOT pulling
a traditional Jet move by letting a back up like RB Kolby Smith have a
huge game on the ground. It has to be about making QB Tyler Thigpen
look not like Len Dawson, but like Thigpen. The Jets need to take hold
of this game and not let go.

Otherwise they are no different than a team run by Chad Pennington or
Kellen Clemens, the choices Jet fans had to wish for up until August.
The only difference between the 3-3 the Jets are now with Favre and
the same record they might also have with Pennington or Clemens now,
is that the potential for alot more offensive firepower rests with
Brett's arm and his ability to stretch the field. It's time the Jets start
To show why Favre was brought here. This game against the Chiefs is
the perfect opportunity to start kicking that vison into gear as we head
towards a crucial stretch.

This week we will bring you the first of our NFL Draft Prep Shows at Football Reporters Online. This one will be on Small School Prospects. We will also have Fordham University Rams Head Football Coach Tom Masella Joining us to talk with us about some of his young prospects, Most notably Kicker Adam Danko, who hit the winning Field Goal This past Saturday in the contest against Yale (a 12-10 slugfest), Defensive End Ryan Mehra, OT Justin Sarabaez, and WR Richard Rayborn, as well as an opposing Coach's view of Yale's RB Mike McLeod. The show can be heard live at 9pm eastern at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Football-Reporters
The Show is Hosted By FRO's managing Partner Dr. Bill Chachkes and this week's Co-Hosts are FRO's college football reporter John Kelly, and FRO's Scouting Director and Host of the Popular "Sports MC's" Broadcast on The Black Athlete Sports Network, Mike Ingram.

Photo: a Visibly Dejected Yale RB Mike McLeod during the final moments of Yale's Loss to Fordham