Know Thy Enemy: Week 10-Jets vs. Seahawks

Nov 4, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles against the Minnesota Vikings during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Minnesota, 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

It’s a back to work week for the New York Jets, so it’s back to game preparation here at the J-E-T Press. The Jets head to Seattle this week to take on Russell Wilson and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks, so in the return to the “Know Thy Enemy” column, we talk to Keith Myers, editor of the fansided Seattle Seahawks website: 12thmanrising.com.  Take a look at our conversation about the upcoming game:

THE JET PRESS:You can say a lot about Rex Ryan’s Jets, but one thing they do is play well against rookie QBs. What does Russell Wilson bring to the table that will give the Jets trouble?

12TH MAN RISING:If you haven’t seen Wilson play since the beginning of the season, than you’ll be surprised at how much better he’s playing right now. He really isn’t playing like a rookie. Ultimately though, what will frustrate the Jets is his ability to negate a pass rush with his feet. Even players coming through untouched seem to come up empty for often than not. Blitzing Wilson may have worked earlier in the season, but now that he’s adjusting better to the NFL, he’s starting to punish teams for blitzing him.

TJP:There is one Seahawks player that the Jets fans wanted to see back in our uniform, but hasn’t seemed to be used much in the downfield passing game, and that is Braylon Edwards. What’s going on with him out there?

12MR:Edwards isn’t the playmaker he used to be. Knee injuries has sapped him of some of his speed and agility. He’s now just a possession receiver and a tall red-zone target. The Seahawks are happy to have him (their WR depth is very poor), but he just isn’t that downfield threat that anymore.

TJP:How great is it to watch the resurgence of the career of Marshawn Lynch? He seemed to have been left for dead before coming out West…

12MR:It’s been great. Lynch is an absolute beast of a runner, and a perfect fit for Seattle’s style. But anyone who left Lynch for dead wasn’t paying paying attention. Lynch has never been short on talent, determination or production. He fell out of a favor in Buffalo because of his off-field transgressions, not because of his play.

Nov 4, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) fights off Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) while carrying the ball during the 2nd half at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated Minnesota 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

TJP:What is your impression of this Jets team? What if any matchups concern you in this game?

12MR:I’m not sure that your readers will want to read my impressions of the Jets. But you asked, so I’ll answer truthfully. The Jets are a joke, and I mean that with full respect to their fans and the the franchise’s storied history. The current version of the team, seems more interested in being in the headlines than winning. Perhaps it’s just the way they are portrayed in the media, but parading their backup QB around in the offseason to play ouT the QB controversy story sure didn’t help.

On the field, the Jets just aren’t that scary. The offensive line isn’t dominant like it was a couple seasons ago. I like Hill on the outside, but the Seahawk’s starting corners are 6-3 and 6-4, so he doesn’t pose a matchup problem like he does for other teams. Plus, the defense just isn’t as scary without Revis.

The only concern I have is Shonn Greene. The Seahawk’s run defense was one of the best in the league for the first 6 games, but over the last 3 they’ve suddenly been fairly awful. Greene an underrated runner, and has the potential to really punish the Seahawks if they can’t figure out what’s been going wrong the past few weeks.

TJP:How about a prediction?

12MR:The Seahawks simply don’t win at home. The 12th Man creates the best home field advantage in the NFL, so picking against the Seahawks at CenturyLink is a fool’s bet. It’ll be close, because all Seahawk games are close, but Seattle will end up on top in the end.

Seahawks 26 – 16 Jets

We thank Keith for his time. Please check out his site: 12thmanrising.com, he and his team do a great job.