Can it Live Up to the Hype?

Isn't that what we are all asking ourselves? Or perhaps should it be? Through all of Rex Ryan's vendettas, Antonio Cromartie's rants, and Tom Brady's annoying shrug off smiles, the question is will the game even be worth all of this? By now if you have watched any coverage of the game you know all about the 45-3 whooping the Patriots gave the Jets in their last meeting. So what is going to be different?

Why the Jets will make this a different game:

I think it is probably on the Jets to make this game different, they are going to have to go and make it different, rather than rely on the Patriots to make mistakes. It all really starts with Mark Sanchez, who has to take care of the ball and lead long drives to keep the defense well rested and the Patriots offense off of the field, much like they did against the Colts.

Sanchez has to play as he did in the game the Jets won at Pittsburgh, where he only threw for 170 yards, but he had zero interceptions and even ran one in for a big score in the 22-17 win. If Sanchez is able to control the ball then the chances of a Jets win increase dramatically, especially given the three interceptions he threw in that romp by the Patriots.

Control the line of scrimmage, it is something that you hear all the time, but with the two styles of play here it is most crucial. Against the Colts the Jets dominated the line of scrimmage, leading to complete control of the clock in the second half, and having both running backs over 70 yards, as well as the offense running 69 plays compared to the Colts 53. It also takes precedence on the defensive side of the ball too, because the more chances the Jets defense gets to go into passing situations, the better chances they have of stopping the Patriots. The element of surprise gone will aid a defense like the Jets drastically.

Finally, it comes down to the Jets secondary. There is no hiding the thrashing that Brady put on the Jets on that Monday night, and in order to stay close enough to continue running the ball the need to not let that passing game just walk all over them. The interesting thing this week will be who Darrelle Revis matches up with. After essentially taking Reggie Wayne out of the Wild Card match up last Saturday (whether it consisted of him getting away with holds or not), it will be on him to cut off either Wes Welker or Deion Branch presumably. I would think that given his quickness and ability to sneak a hold in, and a quick grab here and there (or most plays), Welker would be his mark. Take Welker away and Brady loses his most prized scape goat and first down target.

Why the Patriots will make it seem like deja vu:

Tom Brady has not thrown an interception since week six against the Ravens. He is not giving the ball back to the opposing team, and that ball control has led to the Patriots an 10-1 record since then, including wins over playoff teams in the Colts, Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and of course the Jets (not to mention winning that game against the Ravens in which he threw two). The ball control the Patriots appear to be in line for will cripple the Jets chances at keeping the run game going on the other side of the ball.

The Patriots defense has seemingly turned it around, as in the last five games they have given up a total of 47 points in the five victories. That includes 27 to the Packers in a win. A nine point average, and only an average of five if you were to remove that game against the Packers. The defense has also been stout against the run, finishing in the top 11 in the league against it, giving up just over 100 yards per game.

Injuries to the Jets is a third variable, especially in the secondary. In the previous match up the Jets lost starting safety, and secondary quarterback, Jim Leonhard in the week leading up to the game which was apparent throughout the game, in the midst of Brady having four passing touchdowns. So aside from having an advantage with Eric Smith continuing in the secondary, the Jets also had nickel back Drew Coleman get injured in this week leading up to the game. So while Revis and Cromartie may do a great job in guarding both Welker and Branch, the likelihood of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez having big numbers against the injured secondary increases, with Brady looking to both tight ends frequently. Also, going back to controlling the line of scrimmage, veteran starter Damien Woody has been sidelined this week due to an achilles injury, making it that much tougher on the run game and Sanchez.

In this rubber match it would appear that the Patriots have a huge upper hand, given the injuries, home field advantage, and just the sheer dominance they showed in the previous match up. While the Jets could keep it closer, in fact much closer, it seems that the variables are in the favor of the Patriots once again. But one thing for sure is that in Rex Ryan's revenge tour you can expect it to be a physical and entertaining game in terms of headlines. At this point though, signs seem to point to Foxboro being home to another AFC Championship game.