Jets vs. Rams: Earning Their Wings

Finally I get to write one of these without having to pour over tape to find some kind of glimmer of good in a disaster of a game. There were certain points in the game that I felt like I may be faced with another tough challenge but you know what they say, third time’s a charm. For this, my third go at giving out Wings, I finally have options! Since recapping the game overall isn’t really my part in this wonderful post-game evening, I will just stick to what I’ve been asked to do. But not without saying THANK YOU, JETS, for showing up today. It was nice to see the opposing team’s D gassed by the middle of the 3rd quarter as opposed to our own. The team looked like a cohesive unit and to the naked eye they actually looked like they were having some fun outside of a few miscues on special teams. Can they keep it rolling into Thursday’s Thanksgiving night game against the Patriots? We’ll see. Is this enough to quiet the tremors and outcries until then? It damn well should be.

Sanchez to Powell was something many fans have been wanting to see for some time.

Bilal Powell: Injuries have put quite a dent in the young running back’s 2012 season. A separated shoulder during the blowout of the Colts kept him on the sidelines until week 10, only to have him leave the game in the 4th quarter against the Seahawks with a concussion. There were questions as to whether or not he’d play and with two of the running backs out, the Jets went ahead and signed Kahlil Bell to the active roster for some cushion and hopefully some injection of energy and hope. Instead, we got that from Powell who comes out of today’s game with 11 carries for 42 yards and not only his first NFL touchdown, but his second as well. Both touchdowns were beautifully orchestrated and carried out, fueled by his strong burst and able to get down low. Congrats, Bilal. Now let’s see some more use of him on Thursday against the Patriots.

Chaz Schilens: What? Again? Yes, again. Chaz is proving to be one of very few good offseason decisions. There were questions about his ability to stay healthy. There were questions about his hands (onside kick disaster, anyone?). But in week 11 and most weeks prevous to it, Chaz has been a consistent playmaker. On top of recording a touchdown today he also blocked his butt off and had two tackles on special teams during kick returns, once which prohibited the Rams from getting away with a touchdown as he was the only guy who was able to wrap up the runner and stop him from progressing. He’s proven himself to be a starting WR for the Jets malgined corps and shouldn’t continue to be overlooked as if he’s not a true contributor to the offense.

Mark Sanchez: As a Sanchez fan it’s nice to finally get to put his name in one of these things. Today’s numbers for Mark weren’t overly impressive to the naked eye just glancing at box scores. Seeing how he handled business on the field is what is important here. Today Sanchez was 15 for 20 with 178 passing yards, a few rushing, 1 TD and…NO turnovers. Yes, he fumbled the ball when he failed to pick up pressure coming at him from behind (thank you, Austin Howard), but he got the ball back and avoided chaos. He played with confidence. He felt positive and secure despite defensive lineman Chris Long snacking on him. He got sacked, he got hit, but at the end of the day, Sanchez did exactly what people have asked to see of him and that was carry the offense and get a win. And for the record, his completion percentage was 75%. For those keeping track of that sort of thing.

Honorable mentions:Muhammad Wilkerson: For the second week in a row, Muhammad played an incredibly strong game. It’s hard to not be encouraged by what we’ve seen from Mo this season, and these last couple of weeks especially. It shows growth and more importantly it shows promise.

Shonn Greene: I’m usually very hard on Shonn and rightfully so. Normally I’d say he has one solid game a season but maybe the improper usage of his name and quotes earlier this week placed a large chip on his shoulder and he felt that he needed his play to say a lot more than words that may or may not have come from him. Mission accomplished. He finished the day with 18 carries for 64 yards which, when compared to the performance of Powell may make some question why he’s even getting the mention, but his contribution today was significant enough to warrant it. In fact all of the RBs showed up to play and for a team that’s been starved for a running game that was something we needed to see.

Bart Scott: He’s slow and long in the tooth but he came up with some big plays in these last two games after being practically non-existent in terms of positives for a good chunk of the season. Not to be lost in all of it is that I still feel that he’s a good motivator on the sidelines and rallies for and around his team. In a fanbase that is often screaming for leaders and guys to speak up, Bart’s methods may not be favored but they’re still needed.

Eric Smith also decided to remind us that he’s on the team today and we thank him for that.

✈ SydneyFind me on Twitter at @SydneyKira1; email: confessionsofajetsfan@gmail.com