There’s a reason I do my Monday Morning Quarterback on Tuesday: You never know when a Jets player will get arrested.
Jets 28, Patriots 14
Why this team is a Super Bowl contender was obvious Sunday afternoon.
Why this team could be a bust was evident Tuesday morning when Braylon Edwards was arrested for a DWI. The decision Edwards made falls on his shoulders alone, but the effect it can have on the Jets cannot be overlooked. And whether or not this will be the last incident involving a Jets player remains to be seen.
The Jets could keep Edwards inactive for their Sunday night showdown against the Dolphins and leave themselves short-handed at receiver with Santonio Holmes still two weeks away from returning from his suspension. But let’s keep this about the football for now.
And you have to wonder how dangerous this offense can be when Holmes returns in Week 5. The Jets moved up and down the field against the Patriots defense in the second half with Mark Sanchez looking nothing like the quarterback most condemned after the Monday night loss to the Ravens. Dustin Keller was reliable, LaDainian Tomlinson still looks like as dangerous as he did when he was scoring three touchdowns most Sundays with the Chargers, and Edwards looked like a No. 1 receiver. You wake up this morning and now he looks like the No. 1 idiot.
The Jets assembled all these questionable characters with the belief that their performance on the field would overshadow their past mistakes. And at least for 24 hours that was the case. It still could be. I doubt you could find too many Steelers fans who were bothered by Santonio Holmes’ marijuana arrest after he won the Super Bowl MVP months later.
And the potential is there. For the first time you saw it on Sunday, and when Holmes joins the fold Week 5 it should only get better if they can keep their players out of jail and on the field.
(Side note: Imagine what the reaction would be if Jets had lost on Sunday then Edwards got arrested this morning?)
Colts 38, Giants 14
Colts buzzsaw or a return to 2009?
That’s what we’ll find out from the Giants in the next few weeks.
Sunday night’s massacre certainly felt a lot like the embarrassing performances the Giants had in finishing last season 3-8 after a 5-0 start. But it also came against one of the best teams in football, who were at home trying to avoid an 0-2 start.
One thing to worry about would be how awful the Panthers looked in losing at home to the Bucs, 20-7. It sparks memories of how the Giants opened the season with five wins in 2009 against awful opponents and how that turned out to be a mirage.
The next two matchups at home against Titans and Bears — two wild-card contenders like the Giants — will indicate which direction this season is headed.
Best and worst (around the league):
Best: Buccaneers and Chiefs — Because this is probably their last chance to get the honor. But both teams are off to 2-0 starts after winning road games — Bucs in Carolina and the Chiefs in Cleveland. Not exactly world-beaters but let them have their time in the sun.
Worst: Vikings — Is it just me or is it really fun to root against Brett Favre? The 40-year-old gunslinger turned the ball over four times in the Vikings’ 14-10 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. What does the national media do? Blame for Favre for his awful game … of course not. But they blame it on the lack of receiving options and drum up stories about how the Vikings need to acquire Vincent Jackson from the Chargers.