Starting with Pats, Jets have no margin for error
Photo credit: FREELANCE/Joe Rogate | New York Jets #22 Justin Miller tries to fight off the #58 Pierre Woods, of the Patriots, during the playoffs last year. (January 7, 2009)
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When the teams hooked up two months ago, it was Marques Douglas' initial foray into the bubbling cauldron of intensity that accompanies a typical matchup between the Jets and Patriots.
Douglas' baptism into the feud gave him a different perspective. Now that he's immersed in it, he's already talking as if he's been involved in a dozen matchups of these hated archrivals.
"Their fans don't like us and we don't like them," the Jets defensive end said. "We beat them the first time around and they felt like it was a fluke. So we are going to be ready. You will see an energetic group who is going into a hostile environment that has to grow up and realize that if we are going to go to the playoffs, it starts on Sunday."
Any Jets-Patriots game always has a little extra juice, but that's what makes today's game at Gillette Stadium so intriguing. Aside from the Patriots' attempt to avenge their seven-point loss Sept. 20 at the Meadowlands, it's essentially a playoff game for the Jets (4-5), considering their plight.
The Jets have gone 1-5 in their last six games and fallen way behind in the wild-card standings, so their postseason aspirations largely hinge on being able to knock off the Patriots (6-3). Lose, and they're basically toast.
"We know what this game means. This is pretty much it," wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. "This is a big one right here. So we have to go out there and play with the intensity that we had against Oakland, play with the intensity that we came out against Miami the first game, and just carry it all the way through."
There's also a prevailing thought that the Patriots will be angry, bothered by all the criticism they've taken for Bill Belichick's controversial decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 from the New England 28 rather than punt in the closing minutes against the Colts (the Patriots turned the ball over on downs at the 29, setting up Peyton Manning's winning touchdown pass). Rex Ryan doesn't want to hear it, though.
"They better not be thinking we're not going to be [upset], because we've lost five of six," Ryan told Newsday. "So you talk about being upset, that's us. We all came into the season with that same goal in mind and right now we are not there. But look at the opportunity that we have that faces us. If we are able to win this game - clawing, kicking or whatever it is - we are one game out with six games to go, OK?
"And that's why this football team is going to get everything we've got. There's no doubt about it."
The Patriots already have made it clear they've been waiting for this game since trudging off the Giants Stadium turf more than two months ago. That day the Jets held their high-octane offense - which was minus Wes Welker - to three first-half field goals and took it to their Jerod Mayo-less defense in the second half, outscoring the Pats 13-0 in the final 30 minutes.
The Jets didn't have Edwards on board back then and also were without sack leader Calvin Pace on defense. So they think they have a couple of big pieces who could factor into the outcome this time.
"We've got to win," defensive end Shaun Ellis said. "It really doesn't even matter who we're playing - the Patriots, the '85 Bears, 49ers with Joe Montana or with Steve Young. It really don't matter. We've got to get a win, man."
Especially with Miami's victory over the Panthers Thursday, which certainly didn't help matters. By already collecting two victories over the Jets, the Dolphins hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning Ryan's crew would have to finish at least one game better than the Dolphins in the standings to even entertain postseason thoughts.
But Ryan isn't ready to think that far ahead.
"We can't even look at anybody else," he said. "We have to just look at us, and if we pull a victory off, which I think we will, then we'll start looking around and looking at that scoreboard. But right now, this one's about us. We know the task at hand. We know it's going to be a huge game and a huge challenge.
"But hey, we're going in there to win this thing. We're not tiptoeing in."
