(Photo: US Presswire)
By Ryan Alfieri, Editor
Before the season, the Jets would have been heavily favored headed into this game, but a glut injuries to the Jets and the terrific play of Andrew Luck made this game much more of a toss-up.
Here are the ways the Jets can get themselves back to a .500 record.
Block Dwight Freeney
Luckily for the Jets, Robert Mathis will not play on Sunday, making life much easier on the Jets. However, Dwight Freeney is still one of the best pass-rushers in the game, and will be a load for D’Brickashaw Ferguson to handle.
However, the Jets are pay Ferguson elite tackle money for a reason; he needs to be able to keep Freeney in check. He has played well against Freeney in the past, as he shut in down in the 2010 Wildcard game, but he has regressed significantly since then.
If the Jets can get a vintage performance from Ferguson, they will be able to send more receivers in routes and increase the chances of someone being open.
Confuse Andrew Luck
So far, the former first-round pick has lived up to his billing and is one of the most polished prospects to come out of college in recent memory. However, Luck has never seen a defense as multiple and complex as Rex Ryan’s.
The Jets need to ignore the fact that Darrelle Revis is not playing and get as exotic and multiple as possible to throw off the rookie early on. If Andrew Luck is out of rhythm, so is the rest of the Colts offense.
Run
So far, the Jets’ offense has been anything but “Ground and Pound”, and Shonn Greene is starting to take a lot of heat from local media for his inability to make opposing defenders miss.
However, if there was ever to be a “get well” game, this Sunday is it. The Colts are near the bottom of the league in run defense, allowing 4.8 yards per carry. If the Jets are ever going to get back to their running roots, now is the time.
Plus, running the ball will slow down Dwight Freeney and make Mark Sanchez more comfortable and effective in the pocket.
Target Dustin Keller Early
With Dustin Keller returning to the lineup for the first time since Week 5, it is important to get him back in rhythm early on so he can get back into the swing of things. The worst thing the Jets can do is add more to his frustration by not feeding him and letting him get cold.
Plus, from a schematic standpoint, Keller can draw a lot of coverage from Antoine Bethea, which will open things up for the other Jets receivers.
Tags: Dustin Keller, indianapolis colts, new york jets
