By Kevin Acee & J.P. Pelzman
For Sporting News
The Jets received a gift postseason berth, but they proved worthy of being in the playoffs with one of their finest all-around performances in last week's wild-card victory at Cincinnati. The Chargers, on the other hand, have won 11 in a row, with victories over the entire NFC East and Cincinnati along the way. Both teams are playing with confidence.
This will be a matchup of strength vs. strength. The Chargers averaged 28.4 points, fourth in the NFL. The Jets allowed 14.8 points, fewest in the league. The Chargers do most of their damage through the air, averaging 271.1 yards passing, fifth in the league. The Jets are the NFL's stingiest pass defense, allowing just 153.7 yards per game. The key matchups in the secondary will be worth the price of admission, with All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis most likely to shadow Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson and the Jets' safeties getting physical with Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates. Chargers Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers loves the game and lets his emotions show. That the Jets' defense does its own talking could only add to the entertainment value. This is also where the game could be won and lost. Rivers won't be stupid going after Revis, but he has yet to shy away from opponents' top cornerback. With the Chargers' slew of tall receivers and Rivers' knack for putting the ball where only they can catch it, the results are sometimes spectacular. Of course, Revis has seven interceptions in 17 games and likely will provide Jackson his stiffest challenge.
Jets Keys For Success
1. Win the turnover battle. Yes, it's repetitious but true. In games in which they have more takeaways than their opponents, the Jets are 9-0, including wins in their last three games. The latest was the playoff victory over Cincinnati in which Revis had an interception and defensive end Shaun Ellis recovered a fumble. The Jets committed no turnovers last week. They are 0-5 in games in which they have more giveaways. San Diego's 17 turnovers were the second-fewest in the NFL this season.
2. Make the Chargers work on offense. San Diego hasn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game this season, so it might not be realistic for even the Jets' No. 1-ranked defense to hold down San Diego for too long. But the Jets can't give up too many big plays to Rivers, Jackson, Gates, etc., or they will find themselves playing catch-up with an offense more suited to play from ahead. 3. Fight fatigue. True, the Jets had an extra day to prepare because they played last Saturday, but this will be their fifth road game in a seven-week span and will be flying cross-country to San Diego. The emotional Jets must not expend too much energy early in the game or else might have little in the tank for the second half.
Chargers Keys For Success
1. Make Sanchez crazy. The Jets' rookie quarterback was as efficient as the Bengals allowed him to be last week. He completed 12-of-15 passes, which is impressive. Even more impressive was that he could get away with attempting that few, as the Jets moved the ball on the ground. The Chargers, who were 20th against the run in the regular season, must stop the Jets' top-ranked rushing attack early and make Sanchez convert on second-and-long and third-and-long. Pressure and coverage are the strengths of the Chargers' defense.
2. Keep playing near-perfect football. For the better part of two months they've been darn good. They ranked sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-8) and finished with the fourth-fewest penalties and third-fewest penalty yardage. While other teams regularly seemed to make crucial mistakes, the Chargers did not. If they are prudent Sunday, the streak will continue. 3. Get an early lead. The Chargers have outscored opponents 83-16 in the first quarter during their 11-game winning streak. It's imperative that they establish early that they will dictate the course of the game; the Jets win with defense and running and presumably would like to play this game at a leisurely pace. Making Sanchez play from behind and making the Jets' defense less aggressive is an almost sure recipe for success.
The Bottom Line
The Chargers might have too many weapons on offense, and their run defense improved greatly over the final month of the season. There is little reason to believe their run won't continue. If they can put Sanchez in uncomfortable positions, they should have success. The Jets have confidence, sure, but being on the road against a good team and down early with a rookie QB could put them in a situation they can't overcome. And the Chargers are playing with a rare assuredness; they've won big games all through November and December, and they've been in the playoffs four seasons in a row.
Scoring prediction: Jets 17 - Chargers 27
For Sporting News
The Jets received a gift postseason berth, but they proved worthy of being in the playoffs with one of their finest all-around performances in last week's wild-card victory at Cincinnati. The Chargers, on the other hand, have won 11 in a row, with victories over the entire NFC East and Cincinnati along the way. Both teams are playing with confidence.
This will be a matchup of strength vs. strength. The Chargers averaged 28.4 points, fourth in the NFL. The Jets allowed 14.8 points, fewest in the league. The Chargers do most of their damage through the air, averaging 271.1 yards passing, fifth in the league. The Jets are the NFL's stingiest pass defense, allowing just 153.7 yards per game. The key matchups in the secondary will be worth the price of admission, with All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis most likely to shadow Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson and the Jets' safeties getting physical with Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates. Chargers Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers loves the game and lets his emotions show. That the Jets' defense does its own talking could only add to the entertainment value. This is also where the game could be won and lost. Rivers won't be stupid going after Revis, but he has yet to shy away from opponents' top cornerback. With the Chargers' slew of tall receivers and Rivers' knack for putting the ball where only they can catch it, the results are sometimes spectacular. Of course, Revis has seven interceptions in 17 games and likely will provide Jackson his stiffest challenge.
Jets Keys For Success
1. Win the turnover battle. Yes, it's repetitious but true. In games in which they have more takeaways than their opponents, the Jets are 9-0, including wins in their last three games. The latest was the playoff victory over Cincinnati in which Revis had an interception and defensive end Shaun Ellis recovered a fumble. The Jets committed no turnovers last week. They are 0-5 in games in which they have more giveaways. San Diego's 17 turnovers were the second-fewest in the NFL this season.
2. Make the Chargers work on offense. San Diego hasn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game this season, so it might not be realistic for even the Jets' No. 1-ranked defense to hold down San Diego for too long. But the Jets can't give up too many big plays to Rivers, Jackson, Gates, etc., or they will find themselves playing catch-up with an offense more suited to play from ahead. 3. Fight fatigue. True, the Jets had an extra day to prepare because they played last Saturday, but this will be their fifth road game in a seven-week span and will be flying cross-country to San Diego. The emotional Jets must not expend too much energy early in the game or else might have little in the tank for the second half.
Chargers Keys For Success
1. Make Sanchez crazy. The Jets' rookie quarterback was as efficient as the Bengals allowed him to be last week. He completed 12-of-15 passes, which is impressive. Even more impressive was that he could get away with attempting that few, as the Jets moved the ball on the ground. The Chargers, who were 20th against the run in the regular season, must stop the Jets' top-ranked rushing attack early and make Sanchez convert on second-and-long and third-and-long. Pressure and coverage are the strengths of the Chargers' defense.
2. Keep playing near-perfect football. For the better part of two months they've been darn good. They ranked sixth in the league in turnover margin (plus-8) and finished with the fourth-fewest penalties and third-fewest penalty yardage. While other teams regularly seemed to make crucial mistakes, the Chargers did not. If they are prudent Sunday, the streak will continue. 3. Get an early lead. The Chargers have outscored opponents 83-16 in the first quarter during their 11-game winning streak. It's imperative that they establish early that they will dictate the course of the game; the Jets win with defense and running and presumably would like to play this game at a leisurely pace. Making Sanchez play from behind and making the Jets' defense less aggressive is an almost sure recipe for success.
The Bottom Line
The Chargers might have too many weapons on offense, and their run defense improved greatly over the final month of the season. There is little reason to believe their run won't continue. If they can put Sanchez in uncomfortable positions, they should have success. The Jets have confidence, sure, but being on the road against a good team and down early with a rookie QB could put them in a situation they can't overcome. And the Chargers are playing with a rare assuredness; they've won big games all through November and December, and they've been in the playoffs four seasons in a row.
Scoring prediction: Jets 17 - Chargers 27
