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   Sports Network

   NFL Preview - N.Y. Jets (2-4) at Atlanta (4-2)

   By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

   (Sports Network) - After a long struggle, The Atlanta Falcons are finally getting this Monday Night thing down. The franchise, which sports an NFL-worst 7-18 record in Monday night games, will try to move to 2-0 in primetime in their Week 8 matchup against the visiting New York Jets. The Falcons were 14-10 Monday night winners over the Eagles in Week 1, and will have another chance to give the fans at the Georgia Dome something about which to cheer.

   In addition to trying to put on a good show for a national television audience, Atlanta will be attempting to keep pace in the very strong NFC South. Tampa Bay (5-1) and Carolina (4-2) have both been among the elite teams in the NFC through six games, and the Falcons have a chance to move ahead of the Panthers and get within a half-game of the Bucs with a victory on Monday night.

   The Jets, meanwhile, will be trying turn around a 2005 season that has been disappointing thus far. Herman Edwards and company have begun the season with a 2-4 record amid a well-publicized struggle at the quarterback position. Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler are both out indefinitely with shoulder injuries, and 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde will be making his third start of the 2005 season Sunday. Testaverde is 1-1 since taking over starting duties, including a 27-17 loss at Buffalo last week.

   SERIES HISTORY

   The all-time series between the Jets and Falcons is tied, 4-4, and the teams will be meeting for the last time since a 28-3 New York triumph at the Meadowlands during the 1998 season. Atlanta has won the last two home meetings with the Jets, including a 13-3 victory in the last such matchup, in 1995. The Jets last won it Atlanta during the 1986 campaign.

   The Jets' Edwards and Falcons' Jim Mora will be meeting one another, as well as their respective opponents, for the first time as head coaches.

   JETS OFFENSE VS. FALCONS DEFENSE

   Testaverde (324 passing yards, 0 TD, 3 INT) is still looking for his first touchdown toss of the year, and brings a meager 50.6 passer rating with him into Monday's contest. The veteran was 12-of-26 for 161 yards, two interceptions, and a fumble, against the Bills, also suffering five sacks in the game. Testaverde's favorite target in the loss was wideout Justin McCareins (17 receptions), who had five catches for 116 yards in the game. No. 1 receiver Laveranues Coles (26 receptions, 1 TD) had a quiet day against Buffalo, hauling in four passes for 33 yards. Tight end Chris Baker (15 receptions, 1 TD), who is third on the team in catches, was held without a reception against Buffalo. A banged-up Jets line has allowed 21 sacks thus far in 2005, and will be playing without Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae (torn triceps) for the remainder of the season. New York is 26th in the league in passing offense (164.2 yards per game).

   Testaverde will be working against an Atlanta defense that is just 22nd in the league against the pass (222.7 yards per game), and had some trouble with the formerly-moribund Saints passing game last week. New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks rang up 259 passing yards last week, despite the fact that Pro Bowl wideout Joe Horn missed most of the contest with hamstring problems. Cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall (35 tackles, 3 INT) and Jason Webster (32 tackles) will be asked to slow Coles and McCareins this week. Strong safety Bryan Scott (30 tackles, 1 sack) will look to be productive after notching a team-high- tying 10 tackles against the Saints. The Falcons pass rush remains one of the best in the league, having recorded 20 sacks through its first six contests. Tackle Rod Coleman (18 tackles, 6 sacks) and end Patrick Kerney (17 tackles, 3.5 sacks), who each had a sack last Sunday, are currently 1-2 on the team in that category.

   Despite the Jets' loss to the Bills in Week 6, the team did receive an encouraging outing from running back Curtis Martin (433 rushing yards, 3 TD, 12 receptions). The reigning NFL rushing champion carried 18 times for 148 yards and a score, raising his yards per carry to 3.5 for the season. The only other player with a rushing attempt for New York was Testaverde, who scored a touchdown on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter. Rookie Cedric Houston, who is serving as Martin's backup, did not have a carry last Sunday. Fullback Jerald Sowell (7 receptions, 2 TD) did not have a touch in the game either. The Jets were 25th in the league in rushing offense (80.5 yards per game) entering Week 7.

   The Atlanta defense posted a discouraging performance against the New Orleans run last week, allowing former reserves Antowain Smith and Aaron Stecker to combine for 174 ground yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Linebackers Demorrio Williams (50 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT), Keith Brooking (49 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INT) and Michael Boley (14 tackles) will be seeking a bounce-back effort against Martin and company, while Coleman (18 tackles) and Chad Lavalais (15 tackles, 1.5 sacks) look to stop the Jets run at the point of attack. Williams had a team-high-tying 10 tackles last week, Brooking had nine stops and his second interception of the year, and Coleman led all Atlanta linemen with six tackles. The Falcons are a distant 28th in the league in rushing defense (133.5 yards per game) heading into Monday's contest.

   FALCONS OFFENSE VS. JETS DEFENSE

   The Falcons go into Monday night's game sporting the league's top-ranked rushing offense (185.3 yards per game), but could be without one member of their vaunted "DVD" running attack. Running back T.J. Duckett (183 rushing yards, 4 TD) is considered doubtful due to an ankle injury, meaning quarterback Michael Vick (284 rushing yards, 1 TD) and running back Warrick Dunn (577 rushing yards, 2 TD) will have to carry the load. Dunn led the way with 21 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Saints last Sunday, and Vick added 51 yards on eight totes. Fullback Justin Griffith (6 receptions, 2 TD) had a touchdown via the air against New Orleans. For the season, the Falcons are averaging 5.5 yards per rushing attempt.

   Atlanta should be able to find rushing room against a New York defense that ranks 27th in the league against the run (129.8 yards per game). The Jets gave up 177 ground yards to the Bills last week, including 143 yards and a score on 29 carries for Willis McGahee. A run-stopping group featuring linebacker Jonathan Vilma (74 tackles), the NFL leader in tackles as Week 8 began, will be seeking improvement on Monday night. Vilma had a game-high 12 tackles in the contest, and fellow LBs Victor Hobson (41 tackles) and Mark Brown (30 tackles, 1 INT, 0.5 sacks) combined for 14 stops. Brown has been starting on the outside in place of the injured Eric Barton (ankle), who is listed as probable for Monday night. Interior linemen James Reed (23 tackles) and Dewayne Robertson (22 tackles, 2 sacks) have been active against the run in 2005, and combined for seven stops against Buffalo.

   A Falcon passing game that made major changes in the preseason, cutting veteran Peerless Prince and promoting second-year pro Michael Jenkins to the starting lineup, made another shift in the week leading up to Monday night. Mora demoted Dez White (2 receptions, 1 TD) in favor of Brian Finneran (19 receptions, 1 TD). Finneran will start opposite Jenkins (14 receptions, 1 TD), rookie Roddy White (3 receptions) will move up to the No. 3 role, and Jerome Pathon will now serve as the No. 4. The prime target for Vick (607 passing yards, 5 TD, 3 INT) will likely remain tight end Alge Crumpler (23 receptions, 2 TD), who logged a team-best four receptions for 52 yards against the Saints. Jenkins added two catches for 24 yards in the game. The Falcon line has given up 12 sacks on the year, including one of Vick last Sunday. Vick has a 77.4 passer rating in 2005, and the Falcons entered Week 8 ranked 28th in the league in passing offense (144.5 yards per game).

   The Jets rank sixth in NFL passing defense (173 yards per game), and had two interceptions against Buffalo's Kelly Holcomb last Sunday. Cornerback and offseason acquisition Ty Law (29 tackles, 3 INT) had his third interception as a Jet last week, with Brown notching the other pick from his linebacker position. Law and David Barrett (23 tackles, 1 INT) will match up with Jenkins and Finneran, and safeties Erik Coleman (43 tackles, 1 INT) and Kerry Rhodes (40 tackles, 1 INT) will offer support. Coleman had 12 tackles against Buffalo. The Jets pass rush has managed just nine sacks in 2005, including one last week. Shaun Ellis (21 tackles, 2.5 sacks) had that sack, and fellow end John Abraham (23 tackles, 3 sacks) was shut out of that category for the third straight game. Abraham had a sack in each of the team's first three games.

   OVERALL ANALYSIS

   The Falcons have some kinks to work out before they can be considered among the league's top Super Bowl contenders, but should have little trouble finding their way to the win column on Monday night. The Jets offense is too depleted at this stage to be effective, and Atlanta should be able to apply constant pressure to the sitting duck Testaverde. Offensively, the Falcons will ride Vick and Dunn to another strong ground showing, and Mora and company will move to 2-0 on Monday nights this season.

   

   posted by phantom

   Oct. 24 2005 3:27pm
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   The Jets are 7-2 ATS before their bye

   The Jets are 13-3 ATS as a dog on MNF

   The Jets are 7-1 ATS a road dog on MNF

   The Falcons are 2-13 ATS on MNF

   The Falcons are 1-11 ATS at after a SU divisional win

   The Falcons are 5-10 ATS when hosting AFC opponents

   The Falcons are 2-6 ATS after a meeting with the Saints

   MNF trends last 20 years.

   -Jets 13-3 ATS as a dog, 7-1 ATS as a road dog

   -Jets 16-5 ATS facing an opponent over .500

   -Jets 11-3 ATS facing an opponent off a SU and ATS win

   -Falcons 0-5 ATS as a fav, 0-4 ATS as a home fav

   -Falcons 1-13 ATS on Monday night, 0-8 ATS at home

   -Jets are 3-1-1 ATS their last 5 games vs Falcons.

   -Jets are 13-4 ATS as road dogs in October.

   

   posted by phantom

   Oct. 24 2005 3:30pm