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NFL Preview - N.Y. Jets (2-8) at Dallas (9-1)
Posted on Tue, Nov. 20, 2007
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By Tony Moss, Sports Network
The Sports Network
As they take the field for their traditional Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys need to be sure not to get caught looking ahead.
The clash that most Cowboys fans and NFL observers are awaiting with expectation is next Thursday's battle with the 9-1 Green Bay Packers, not Dallas' holiday duel with the 2-8 New York Jets.
But the Jets, who come into Big D fresh off a stunning 19-16 upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, don't figure to present themselves on a Thanksgiving platter for Wade Phillips' streaking club, thus the need for an appropriate degree of focus for America's Team.
In addition to maintaining their two-game edge over the Giants in the NFC East, and remaining in position to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference portion of the playoffs, Dallas (9-1) will come into Week 12 searching for some consistency in their traditional Turkey Day timeslot.
The Cowboys routed Tampa Bay by a 38-10 margin last Thanksgiving, but haven't won back-to-back games on the holiday since prevailing three years in a row between 1994 and 1996. With a win, Dallas will have achieved a measure of Thanksgiving consistency, extended its current win streak to five games, and notched a 10th regular season win for the first time since 2003.
A win for the Jets wouldn't help the franchise reach any such milestones, but would pull Eric Mangini's club further from the abyss of a 1-8 start. The clouds began to part to an extent in last week's aforementioned win over the Steelers, which gave second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens his first win as an NFL starter.
Clemens' next objective will be winning on the road, something the Jets haven't done since Week 16 of last year, against the Dolphins.
New York will be playing on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since Nov. 28, 1985, when it lost at Detroit, 31-20. The Jets are 0-2 in Thanksgiving games since the then-New York Titans beat the Denver Broncos, 46-45, on Nov. 22, 1962.
SERIES HISTORY
Dallas has a 6-2 edge in its all-time series with the Jets, including a 17-6 win in the last meeting between the teams, at the Meadowlands in 2003. New York won the previous meeting, taking a 22-21 decision at Texas Stadium in 1999. The only other matchup between the teams in Big D was a 52-10 thrashing of the Jets by Dallas in 1971. The road club has won six of the eight all-time clashes between the franchises.
Phillips is 3-5 in his career against the Jets, including a 2-4 mark compiled while with Buffalo from 1998 through 2000. The Jets' Mangini will be meeting both Phillips and the Cowboys for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL
Though Clemens' (750 passing yards, 3 TD, 5 INT) first win was the story of last week's game for the Jets, it was the work of running back Thomas Jones (723 rushing yards, 18 receptions) that truly carried the day for the New York offense. Jones carried 30 times for 117 yards in the win, becoming the first player to rush for 100 yards against Pittsburgh in a whopping 34 games. This week, Jones will be vying for his first touchdown as a Jet, and will also be trying to beat brother and Cowboys running back Julius, who he faced as a member of the Bears in a 2004 Thanksgiving contest. Julius out-rushed Thomas, 150-46, also scoring two touchdowns in that game. Clemens, meanwhile, is expected to be without top wideout Laveranues Coles (43 receptions, 6 TD) due to a high ankle sprain the veteran suffered last week. Receivers Jerricho Cotchery (52 receptions, 1 TD) and Justin McCareins (9 receptions) will have to pick up the slack, and tight end Chris Baker (21 receptions, 3 TD) should also be a factor after scoring the team's only touchdown last Sunday. For the year, the Jets are 24th in passing offense (190.7 yards per game) and 21st in NFL rushing offense (100.2 yards per game).
The injury to Coles comes at a particularly bad time for the Jets, as they prepare to face a Dallas secondary for which covering has been an overall team weakness. The Cowboys allowed Commanders quarterback Jason Campbell to throw for 348 yards last week, and had little answer for wideout Santana Moss (9 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Chris Cooley (8 receptions, 89 yards). Cornerbacks Anthony Henry (17 tackles, 5 INT) and Terence Newman (30 tackles, 2 INT) should have an easier time against the Jets receivers, and safety Roy Williams (63 tackles, 2 INT) should be able to focus most of his attention on stopping the Jets run. Despite their NFL rank of 24th in NFL passing defense (226.7 yards per game), the Cowboys have managed 27 sacks on the year, including a team-best nine from outside linebacker Demarcus Ware (59 tackles). Dallas is an impressive fourth in the league against the run (84.3 yards per game), with Williams, linebacker Bradie James (65 tackles, 2 sacks), and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (18 tackles, 1.5 sacks) ranking among the team's best ground game defenders.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
Chances are, the Jets' scouting report will mention something about stopping the connection between quarterback Tony Romo (2848 passing yards, 27 TD, 12 INT) and wide receiver Terrell Owens (58 receptions, 12 TD). The duo hooked up for four touchdown passes in last week's win over the Commanders, with Owens establishing a career-best for TD catches and matching a long-standing franchise single-game record held by "Bullet" Bob Hayes. Romo has thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine of 10 games this year, including 11 TD tosses in the last three weeks, while Owens has four straight games of better than 100 receiving yards. The rest of the offense has been overshadowed by the quarterback-wideout combo, but running back Marion Barber (612 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 7 TD), tight end Jason Witten (55 receptions, 5 TD), and No. 2 receiver Patrick Crayton (33 receptions, 5 TD) have also done some good things in recent weeks. Witten logged eight catches for 67 yards against the Commanders. As a team, Dallas is second in the league in total offense (393 yards per game), behind only New England.
After having major trouble making big plays for much of the year, the Jets defense came alive in that regard against the Steelers last Sunday. New York, which entered the day with just nine sacks in its first nine games, sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger seven times and forced him into a pair of costly turnovers. Nose tackle Dewayne Robertson (39 tackles, 3 sacks) came up with two-and-a-half of the sacks, while outside linebacker Shaun Ellis (40 tackles, 4 sacks) added two to go with a forced fumble and recovery. A beleaguered Jets secondary was led by safety Kerry Rhodes (50 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack), who ended a drive with a pick, and rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis (63 tackles, 1 INT), who chipped in with six tackles. Mangini's club has been weak against the run all year, ranking 29th in the league with 148.2 ground yards allowed per game, but last week limited the Steelers' Willie Parker to just 52 yards on 21 carries. Rookie inside linebacker David Harris (77 tackles, 2 sacks) led the way with a game-high 11 tackles, and linemen Sione Pouha (19 tackles) and ex-Cowboy Kenyon Coleman (57 tackles, 1.5 sacks) posted six stops each.
FANTASY FOCUS
Fantasy owners of Dallas stars like Romo, Owens, and Witten have won a lot of games thanks to that trio, and complementary pieces like Barber, No. 2 receiver Patrick Crayton, and kicker Nick Folk have been worthwhile starters as well. Against a suspect Jets "D", all of the above Cowboys will be in fantasy lineups from coast to coast. On the New York side, you won't find any sure-fire starters. Thomas Jones has three 100-yard games this year but doesn't score, and the passing game hasn't been nearly consistent enough to merit any starters. If you're desperate to start a Jet, make it kicker Mike Nugent, who booted four field goals in last week's win.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Jets were able to win last week's game by taking away the Steelers' primary strength - running the football - and were also helped out by a weak tackling effort by Pittsburgh against Thomas Jones. Don't expect Mangini and company to be as fortunate this week. New York doesn't have the capability to hold down the Dallas offense for four quarters (few do), and the green Clemens simply isn't equipped to match Romo score-for-score on the other side of the football. Look for Dallas to build an early lead and keep the Jets at arm's length thereafter.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cowboys 34, Jets 17
Posted on Tue, Nov. 20, 2007
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By Tony Moss, Sports Network
The Sports Network
As they take the field for their traditional Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys need to be sure not to get caught looking ahead.
The clash that most Cowboys fans and NFL observers are awaiting with expectation is next Thursday's battle with the 9-1 Green Bay Packers, not Dallas' holiday duel with the 2-8 New York Jets.
But the Jets, who come into Big D fresh off a stunning 19-16 upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, don't figure to present themselves on a Thanksgiving platter for Wade Phillips' streaking club, thus the need for an appropriate degree of focus for America's Team.
In addition to maintaining their two-game edge over the Giants in the NFC East, and remaining in position to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference portion of the playoffs, Dallas (9-1) will come into Week 12 searching for some consistency in their traditional Turkey Day timeslot.
The Cowboys routed Tampa Bay by a 38-10 margin last Thanksgiving, but haven't won back-to-back games on the holiday since prevailing three years in a row between 1994 and 1996. With a win, Dallas will have achieved a measure of Thanksgiving consistency, extended its current win streak to five games, and notched a 10th regular season win for the first time since 2003.
A win for the Jets wouldn't help the franchise reach any such milestones, but would pull Eric Mangini's club further from the abyss of a 1-8 start. The clouds began to part to an extent in last week's aforementioned win over the Steelers, which gave second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens his first win as an NFL starter.
Clemens' next objective will be winning on the road, something the Jets haven't done since Week 16 of last year, against the Dolphins.
New York will be playing on Thanksgiving Day for the first time since Nov. 28, 1985, when it lost at Detroit, 31-20. The Jets are 0-2 in Thanksgiving games since the then-New York Titans beat the Denver Broncos, 46-45, on Nov. 22, 1962.
SERIES HISTORY
Dallas has a 6-2 edge in its all-time series with the Jets, including a 17-6 win in the last meeting between the teams, at the Meadowlands in 2003. New York won the previous meeting, taking a 22-21 decision at Texas Stadium in 1999. The only other matchup between the teams in Big D was a 52-10 thrashing of the Jets by Dallas in 1971. The road club has won six of the eight all-time clashes between the franchises.
Phillips is 3-5 in his career against the Jets, including a 2-4 mark compiled while with Buffalo from 1998 through 2000. The Jets' Mangini will be meeting both Phillips and the Cowboys for the first time as a head coach.
WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL
Though Clemens' (750 passing yards, 3 TD, 5 INT) first win was the story of last week's game for the Jets, it was the work of running back Thomas Jones (723 rushing yards, 18 receptions) that truly carried the day for the New York offense. Jones carried 30 times for 117 yards in the win, becoming the first player to rush for 100 yards against Pittsburgh in a whopping 34 games. This week, Jones will be vying for his first touchdown as a Jet, and will also be trying to beat brother and Cowboys running back Julius, who he faced as a member of the Bears in a 2004 Thanksgiving contest. Julius out-rushed Thomas, 150-46, also scoring two touchdowns in that game. Clemens, meanwhile, is expected to be without top wideout Laveranues Coles (43 receptions, 6 TD) due to a high ankle sprain the veteran suffered last week. Receivers Jerricho Cotchery (52 receptions, 1 TD) and Justin McCareins (9 receptions) will have to pick up the slack, and tight end Chris Baker (21 receptions, 3 TD) should also be a factor after scoring the team's only touchdown last Sunday. For the year, the Jets are 24th in passing offense (190.7 yards per game) and 21st in NFL rushing offense (100.2 yards per game).
The injury to Coles comes at a particularly bad time for the Jets, as they prepare to face a Dallas secondary for which covering has been an overall team weakness. The Cowboys allowed Commanders quarterback Jason Campbell to throw for 348 yards last week, and had little answer for wideout Santana Moss (9 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Chris Cooley (8 receptions, 89 yards). Cornerbacks Anthony Henry (17 tackles, 5 INT) and Terence Newman (30 tackles, 2 INT) should have an easier time against the Jets receivers, and safety Roy Williams (63 tackles, 2 INT) should be able to focus most of his attention on stopping the Jets run. Despite their NFL rank of 24th in NFL passing defense (226.7 yards per game), the Cowboys have managed 27 sacks on the year, including a team-best nine from outside linebacker Demarcus Ware (59 tackles). Dallas is an impressive fourth in the league against the run (84.3 yards per game), with Williams, linebacker Bradie James (65 tackles, 2 sacks), and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (18 tackles, 1.5 sacks) ranking among the team's best ground game defenders.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
Chances are, the Jets' scouting report will mention something about stopping the connection between quarterback Tony Romo (2848 passing yards, 27 TD, 12 INT) and wide receiver Terrell Owens (58 receptions, 12 TD). The duo hooked up for four touchdown passes in last week's win over the Commanders, with Owens establishing a career-best for TD catches and matching a long-standing franchise single-game record held by "Bullet" Bob Hayes. Romo has thrown multiple touchdown passes in nine of 10 games this year, including 11 TD tosses in the last three weeks, while Owens has four straight games of better than 100 receiving yards. The rest of the offense has been overshadowed by the quarterback-wideout combo, but running back Marion Barber (612 rushing yards, 25 receptions, 7 TD), tight end Jason Witten (55 receptions, 5 TD), and No. 2 receiver Patrick Crayton (33 receptions, 5 TD) have also done some good things in recent weeks. Witten logged eight catches for 67 yards against the Commanders. As a team, Dallas is second in the league in total offense (393 yards per game), behind only New England.
After having major trouble making big plays for much of the year, the Jets defense came alive in that regard against the Steelers last Sunday. New York, which entered the day with just nine sacks in its first nine games, sacked Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger seven times and forced him into a pair of costly turnovers. Nose tackle Dewayne Robertson (39 tackles, 3 sacks) came up with two-and-a-half of the sacks, while outside linebacker Shaun Ellis (40 tackles, 4 sacks) added two to go with a forced fumble and recovery. A beleaguered Jets secondary was led by safety Kerry Rhodes (50 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack), who ended a drive with a pick, and rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis (63 tackles, 1 INT), who chipped in with six tackles. Mangini's club has been weak against the run all year, ranking 29th in the league with 148.2 ground yards allowed per game, but last week limited the Steelers' Willie Parker to just 52 yards on 21 carries. Rookie inside linebacker David Harris (77 tackles, 2 sacks) led the way with a game-high 11 tackles, and linemen Sione Pouha (19 tackles) and ex-Cowboy Kenyon Coleman (57 tackles, 1.5 sacks) posted six stops each.
FANTASY FOCUS
Fantasy owners of Dallas stars like Romo, Owens, and Witten have won a lot of games thanks to that trio, and complementary pieces like Barber, No. 2 receiver Patrick Crayton, and kicker Nick Folk have been worthwhile starters as well. Against a suspect Jets "D", all of the above Cowboys will be in fantasy lineups from coast to coast. On the New York side, you won't find any sure-fire starters. Thomas Jones has three 100-yard games this year but doesn't score, and the passing game hasn't been nearly consistent enough to merit any starters. If you're desperate to start a Jet, make it kicker Mike Nugent, who booted four field goals in last week's win.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Jets were able to win last week's game by taking away the Steelers' primary strength - running the football - and were also helped out by a weak tackling effort by Pittsburgh against Thomas Jones. Don't expect Mangini and company to be as fortunate this week. New York doesn't have the capability to hold down the Dallas offense for four quarters (few do), and the green Clemens simply isn't equipped to match Romo score-for-score on the other side of the football. Look for Dallas to build an early lead and keep the Jets at arm's length thereafter.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Cowboys 34, Jets 17