From The Other Side is back. This week, we welcome back former Spectrum Sports Editor Dave Jarka. You may remember that Dave wrote without a doubt the most in-depth comprehensive preview prior to the firsts Jets/Bills game this season. We welcome him back for a second contribution.

Four weeks after winning its first game of the season, the Buffalo Bills set their sights on sweeping the New York Jets in 2007.

Team Overview
There are some differences that exist between the Buffalo team since they last played the Jets. The Bills with Trent Edwards going under center seem to start exerting a better sense of confidence in its play. As Jets fans saw in the first game of the season, Edwards showed a sense of maturity and smarts that you wouldn’t expect out of a rookie and has secured the job away from J.P. Losman. There was a bit of controversy going into last week’s game against a stingy Baltimore defense, but Edwards managed the game well and once again kept rookie mistakes to a minimal in the Bills’ second win of the year and was thus able to secure the job away from Losman with his performance.

Marshawn Lynch has continued to be a workhorse back for Buffalo, which is something that a team with a young starting quarterback needs. Lynch is averaging 76.2 yards a game and leads the team in touchdowns with four with most of this production coming from some very hard running. He still is underutilized in the passing game.

It has taken a bit of time, but Lee Evans is starting to appear again in the Buffalo passing attack. Edwards originally was not throwing the ball as much as a team’s No. 1 wide out would like an openly admitted that he would prefer Losman at quarterback.  However, the duo was able to connect five times against the Ravens and Evans had a season-high 98 yards and now leads the team in total receiving yards with 211.

Edwards spreading the ball around and concentrating on throwing to the open receiver has also seen more production out of the tight end position. Robert Royal and Michael Gaines both have nine receptions this year with Gaines having the lone receiving score for the Bills.

Slowly but surely, it seems the Bills defense is finally starting to recover from injuries. The returns of Keith Ellison and Coy Wire have re-strengthened Buffalo’s linebackers.  Ellison retook his spot on the weak side while Wire becomes the topic back-up across the board. John DiGiorgio has played well enough in Paul Posluszny’s absence to remain the starter in the middle.

The return of Anthony Hargrove has helped add some extra kick to the pass rush. His continuing presence on the field should help opening things up more for Buffalo’s best pass rusher Aaron Schobel, who still only has 1.5 sacks on the year. John McCargo still remains the defensive tackle with the biggest upside.

The situation in the defensive backfield seems to have stabilized itself. Terrence McGee leads the team with nine passes defended while Jabari Greer has turned out to be a bit of a pleasant surprise opposite of him while Ashton Youboty still battles the injury bug. In Jim Leonhard’s absence, George Wilson has stepped up admirably well. The former practice squad wide receiver took an interception for touchdown in his first career start against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

With the team being able to move the ball better offensively, Rian Lindell has had more chances to kick field goals as he is seven for nine on the season. Brian Moorman continues to boom his punts for 45.4 yards per boot and has landed a third of his kicks inside the 20-yard line. McGee and Parrish both are potent on their kick returning abilities.

The Match-Up
Expect to see higher statistics from Edwards this week after putting in a good effort against Baltimore last week. He and Evans are starting to get some chemistry together while maintaining the trend of throwing to the open receiver.

With the loss of Jonathan Vilma for the remainder of the year, look for Lynch to be able to find increased running room in the New York defense although Lynch wasn’t exactly the “Jet Killer” like Willis McGahee is.

If Chad Pennington can avoid the mistakes he made against the Bills earlier this season, we could see another big day out of Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. Buffalo’s pass defense has improved, but they are still no where close to being great.

Thomas Jones will find it harder to run on the Bills with the injury returns after a banged up Buffalo squad held him to just 35 yards earlier this year.

In terms of intangibles, it will be a case of momentum vs. disparity with Buffalo coming off its win over the Ravens and the Jets currently on a four game skid. Coincidentally, the last time these two teams clashed the shoes were on the other feet with the Bills being winless and New York had just come off a victory over Miami. It turned out to be a fairly even match-up with the home team (Buffalo) walking away with the win. Thus in this sense, the Jets will have the advantage which is buffered as well by the fact that this will be Edwards first NFL career start on the road.

However, I think the biggest “X-factor” comes down to Pennington. With Kellen Clemens waiting in the wings, either Pennington will either sink or swim this week as it looks like his job is on the line on a weekly basis. Pennington should be able to swim in the choppy water of the Hudson River as he as proved to have a higher quarterback rating at home than on the road. So thus, it looks as the stars are aligned for a second Jets win.

After a one-week respite, From The Other Side is back. This week’s blogger is current Spectrum Sports Editor Joe Glenn. Joe’s going to be at the game with me tomorrow, so once again, I have to watch the game with an opposing fan. In case you’re keeping score, that’s each home game I’ve managed to bring an opposing fan to. Maybe I’m cursing the Jets. Okay, I’m officially off-task. Enjoy people.

It can only go uphill from here
By Joseph Glenn

The Eagles are coming off a bye week and things can really only get better. For a team that came into the season with Super Bowl dreams, the 1-3 Eagles have struggled offensively, to say the least. With the exception of a 56-point outburst against Detroit, Philadelphia has been held to 13 points or less in each of their other contests.

Philadelphia heads to Giants Stadium to play at the same venue as their last game. The New York Giants held the Eagles to a field goal in a 16-3 victory in Week 4.  Quarterback Donovan McNabb was sacked a ridiculous 12 times. He was also only able to pass for 138 yards, probably because he was on lying on the ground so much. 

McNabb, who was known for his ability to run, cannot be accused of turning to the ground too much this year. He has only run on 13 occasions, gaining a measly 35 yards. He has been sacked more than he has run this year, as opposing defenses have gotten to him 17 times so far this season. 

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis was kept in check by the Giants. A week after he had 221 yards, Curtis had 2 receptions for a total of 21 yards. Despite the low number of receiving yards in Week 4, he is the team leader at 323.

The offense should receive some help as long as they do have the return of Brian Westbrook. The versatile running back was out of their last game with an abdominal strain.  Westbrook returned to practice this week. He is averaging 97 rushing yards a game this season and is known for his ability to contribute to the passing game as well. 

Cornerback Lito Sheppard and tight end L.J. Smith also practiced this week and might be able to return to the lineup as well. Running back Correll Buckhalter did a good job filling in for Westbrook, rushing for 103 yards on 18 against the Giants.

Philadelphia has been penalized for 258 yards this season, compared to 152 by opponents. However, their rushing defense is ranked 6th in the league, allowing only 74.5 yards per game. They have let up 299.0 yards of total offense per game, good for 9th in the NFL.

The Eagles undefeated following a bye-week under head coach Andy Reid, at 8-0. Another factor that helps is that the Jets are also struggling this season. They are 1-4 so far, after reaching the playoffs last season. The good news for both teams is that somebody has to win.

This week’s blogger is former Spectrum Sports Editor Dave Jarka. Dave put a lot of time and work into this column, easily the most of any opposing blogger thus far this season. Enjoy people.

Bills/Jets Preview – Week Four

Pre-season expectations varied widely amongst the Buffalo Bills’ fan base from sleeper playoff contender to cellar dwellers. From the results of the first three weeks of the National Football League season, it’s safe to say that the pessimists have had the more accurate predictions so far. Read the rest of this entry �

For those of you venturing up to Buffalo or those of you who just want to know what it’s like in cold, snowy Western New York, here’s a couple of clues.

The media’s perception

The reality? (Parental Discretion Advised)

Man, sometimes I miss Buffalo.

With J.P. Losman expected to miss at least two weeks with a sprained MCL, the Democrat and Chronicle is reporting that third round pick Trent Edwards will start in his place Sunday when the Bills host the Jets.

“You’re never expecting a situation like this to happen, but you’ve got to prepare for it and be able to adjust to it,” Edwards said Monday. “It’s hard as a rookie to make that adjustment quickly, but that’s something I’m trying to do — try to use the experience that I had in the preseason and the experience I’ll get in practice this week and use the things that I learned from this past week against the Patriots, and just go from there.”

If there was ever a time for the Jets defense to explode, this is it. There’s a rookie QB, a rookie running back, a rookie offensive coordinator,  and a still-developing O-Line. This should be the week where the defense improves the #s and racks up multiple sacks and turnovers.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.:  Thomas has been ruled out for the game by head coach Cam Cameron.

The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Dolphins All-Pro LB Zach Thomas is likely to miss Sunday’s contest due to Migraine headaches that have plagued him during the week.

Thomas told head coach Cam Cameron during the Dallas game last week that he was feeling lightheaded. The migraines have continued through the week and Thomas has been unable to practice. If he misses the game, Channing Crowder would likely switch to Thomas’ customary ILB spot.

“I’m a coach, not a doctor, so you defer to your medical staff,” Cameron said. “As you can imagine in most cases the player wants to play. We’ve got to take a deep breath, and you know what it means to lose a player like Zach Thomas, but there’s a lot bigger picture out there.”

Well, if Thomas is out, this could be big for the Jets defense as it would definitely weaken the Dolphins defense as a whole and specifically in the run game. Crowder is a talented player, but he’s no Zach Thomas. The thing is, this news has to hurt Jets fans on some level, as every Jets fan relishes beating both Thomas and DE/LB Jason Taylor. The hatred between Thomas and Taylor and the Jets organization and fans is well-documented and Sunday won’t feel quite the same without Thomas. However, I know a Jets win will burn Taylor just as much, so maybe that can make up for it.

This week’s guess blogger is Aaron Mensah, my old college roommate. He’ll be going to the game with me on Sunday. We’ve had quite the argument about these games, but this will be the first Jets/Dolphins game we’re going to be watching together, so look for some hilarious  moments as his fantasy QB (Pennington) throws TDs to my fantasy WR (Coles) to beat his Dolphins. Just great stuff. Anyway.. here’s the column.

I’m no optimist. I know the Fins stink.  But don’t let the first 2 games fool you. A loss to the Redskins, I’ll admit, is a little embarrassing, but they were within a touchdown of the Cowboys before their fourth quarter meltdown. Trent Green is still trying to shake the cobwebs out from between his “salt and pepper” locks and the whole team should settle down this week against the very familiar Jets.

            Okay, now let’s be real guys. Neither team can stop the run but I’ll take Ronnie Brown over Thomas Jones any day of the week. And Brown’s legs have to be fresh considering he’s only gotten 22 touches in the first 2 games combined. I’m expecting Cam Cameron to finally feed him the ball after the gun slinging Green gave up four INT’s to the Cowboys. Green will still throw a pick or two this week but he’ll more than likely be joined by Pennington whose already mediocre deep-ball will now be hindered by the injured ankle on his push-off foot. And when Pennington does throw a pick, please prevent the fair-weather fan next to you from chanting for Kellen Clemens. It takes all of my strength to resist puking when I hear the unmistakable slurred version of J-E-T-S which signifies one too many Pabst Blue Ribbons in the parking lot. I don’t think I can stomach the sprays of a drunken lisp during a Clemens chant too.

            All-in-all it is scheduled to be a sunny, dry, 80 degree day in East Rutherford. That sounds just like September on South Beach to me. The Dolphins should feel right at home. So if I were a gambler (which I am), I’d take the Fins over the Jets in a total boo-fest: 17-13.

But Jets fans, don’t be discouraged. If any consolation is required in dealing with this loss to the much hated fins, feel comfort in the fact that we used our first round pick in this years draft on Ted Ginn Jr. That should give you a big enough smile to make it through the week.

I know this link has been all over the place and everyone has been showing it, but I laughed so hard when I saw it that I had to post it.

Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat by Ryan Parker.

(Note: I know I put this in my previous post but I wanted to post it on it’s own so those who don’t want to search for it can have it.)

• Head Coach Bill Belichick fined $500,000
• New England Patriots fined $250,000
• If the Patriots make the playoffs, they lose their first round pick in 2008.
• If the Patriots fail to make the playoffs, they lose their second and third pick in 2008.

(Note: This will be a semi-regular series as I post pieces from a friend of mine who is a fan of the Jets opponent that week.)

This week’s guest blogger is former Managing Editor at The Spectrum, Justin L.W. Haag.

Nothing more than another easy stroll through the Green

Guest Blogger, Justin L.W. Haag         

            If after Sunday’s opening games David Barrett, Andre Dyson, and Kerry Rhodes haven’t lost their minds, or their jobs, that means only one thing - Tom Brady’s two-time superbowl-MVP-winning heart is no longer beating.

            The AFC East matchup between New England Patriots and the New York Jets will be no more than a simple shellacking… Brady to Moss, Brady to Stallworth, and Brady to Welker, Faulk or Watson. The game’s greatest quarterback with a stacked arsenal can only mean defeat for the newly renovated Jets defense.

            The Pat running game is nothing shabby either, with Laurence Maroney taking the brunt of the carries.  Last season Maroney tallied over 700 yards on 145 carries, considerable numbers considering who he was running behind.

            With a weak New York pass rush from their front three, look for Brady to have lots of five-step drops, and for the occasional third down screens to Kevin Faulk, if the Linebackers push in for some pass rushing assistance.

            Unfortunately for the Jets however, even a lackluster performance from Brady and Co. (caused by the possible growing pains of a new wideout lineup) will be at a different level of offense that New York doesn’t have the capacity to match.

            The only bright spot for the Green and White will be the possibility of Asante Samuel’s absence from the Pat secondary.  After his involvement in a contract dispute throughout the preseason, even if Samuel does start, his time will be limited, and his preparedness could be called into question.

            With an above average receiving corps Pennington’s immobility and sack taking prowess will probably still result in a decent day through the air.  But the shrimpy Laverneous Coles in his first game as “team captain” can only handle so much.

            When all is said and done the Jets will realize that Thomas Jones’ wounded calf muscle and untested offensive line won’t be nearly enough to match the offensive onslaught of America’s new team, and future Superbowl champion New England Patriots.

            The Jets will lose the first game of the season, just like they ended last season, outmatched, and outscored, walking away with their tails between their legs.

Thanks for stopping by,

Patriots -  38

Jets       -  17

Key Player Predictions,
NE-     Laurence Maroney – 100+
            Tom Brady – 3 TD Passes 

NYJ-   Chad Pennington – 2 interceptions, <200 yards
            Thomas Jones – 65 yards, 1 TD, 1 Fumble