I see this thread as similar to playing cards/poker with longtime friends and family. Anything that gets mentioned is usually exaggerated, a little bit cruel, but mostly not meant to be taken as serious or the truth (well maybe a little bit of truth).
Basically, what gets said in the game remains in the game (or thread for this purpose).
Now, if you want to get Joker started on Goodell, that could be quite educational. You should get more details on your #1 fan.
Ha thanks for the heads up. I'll ask him about it during a slow week. Sounds like he really respects and likes the NFL's best commish ever.
This week though, more than enough to keep busy with. Like this article full of fun facts...
New England Patriots offense poses hazards for New York Jets - New York Jets Blog - ESPN
Beware, Jets: Patriots racking up huge numbers on revenge tour 2.0
Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
Ten things to know about the
New England Patriots, the
New York Jets' next opponent:
1. Conjuring up memories of their post-SpyGate vengeance in 2007, the Patriots are in the midst of another revenge tour, thrashing opponents as they attempt to escape the shadows of DeflateGate. They're one of five undefeated teams, the most in Week 7 since the merger in 1970. This marks their third 5-0 start under
Tom Brady and -- this won't surprise you -- they reached the Super Bowl the previous two times (2004, 2007). The Patriots aren't just winning, they're winning big -- an average margin of victory of 16 points. Hell hath no fury like a Patriot scorned.
2. The Patriots have fielded some scary offenses over the years -- who can forget Brady to Randy Moss in 2007? -- but the current group has scored 183 points, a franchise record for the first five games. Think about that for a moment.
3. Brady, who was supposed to be washed up a year ago at this time, is having another MVP-type season. He didn't throw his first interception until last week, and his 118.4 passer rating leads the league. He's had a couple of hiccups against the Jets in recent years (relatively speaking, of course), but his overall record (20-5) speaks for itself. One topic sure to come up this week, especially in the Jets' coaches meetings, is how he handles the blitz. Brady's release versus the blitz (1.83 seconds) is the second-fastest in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information, but he struggled a bit last week against the
Indianapolis Colts. His interception -- a Pick 6 -- came on a blitz.
4. It's worth noting the last Jets-Patriots game at Gillette Stadium (Oct. 16, 2014) became immortalized in the Wells Report on DeflateGate. During the game, Brady "complained angrily" about the inflation level of his footballs, telling staffers the balls were "like bricks," the report states. In fact, there are 25 references to the Jets in the 243-page report. If you believe Brady, his education on PSI level began in the aftermath of that two-point win over the Jets.
5. Obviously, the Patriots have survived the loss of cornerback
Darrelle Revis, although their defense isn't the same without him. They're 16th in total defense and 16th in pass defense -- the very definition of average. Average is okay if your quarterback is Brady and he's averaging 30 points per game. The big concern is the run defense -- 4.84 yards per attempt, 29th in the league. You think
Chris Ivory will appreciate that stat? A lot of factors can be attributed to the porous run defense. Not having a shutdown corner like Revis, whose presence in the secondary allows the defense to commit an extra player to run support, is one of them.
6. Revis has been replaced by Super Bowl hero
Malcolm Butler, who sometimes is matched against the opponents' No. 1 receiver. A year ago, he played only 17 percent of the defensive snaps, and now he's their No. 1 corner. The other cornerback position has been a revolving door. Right now, the job belongs to
Logan Ryan. As for their depth ... what depth? It's the weakness the Jets, no doubt, will try to exploit.
7. It took us to No. 7 before mentioning
Rob Gronkowski, who certainly will be a lot higher on the Jets' priority list. Gronkowski, who reached 60 career touchdowns faster than any tight end in history (70 games), is a matchup nightmare. Interestingly, only five have come against the Jets. Don't read too much into that, though. In his last five games against them, he's had 33 catches for 404 yards. This just in: He's good.
8. The Patriots will introduce some new faces to the rivalry, none bigger than
Dion Lewis, the type of running back that causes problems for the Jets. He's super-quick and explosive, capable of making big plays in the passing game. He has 26 receptions, second to
Julian Edelman's 40, and he averages 5.0 yards per carry. Basically, he's their new
Danny Woodhead. The Patriots' personnel department did a great job of finding Lewis on the NFL scrap heap.
9. For the third straight week, the Jets will face a team missing its starting left tackle.
Nate Solder is on injured reserve, and his backup,
Marcus Cannon, left last week's game with a toe injury. The Patriots were forced to finish the game with right tackle
Sebastian Vollmer on the left side. Could
Muhammad Wilkerson & Co. face a third-string tackle on Sunday? No doubt, the always transparent Belichick will provide up-to-the-minute injury info.
10. The Jets' struggling special teams may want to keep an eye on linebacker
Jamie Collins, who blocked a PAT last week with a
spectacular leap over the long snapper.
