Posts

Four plays that decided the New York Jets’ Sunday fate vs. Arizona

/0 Comments/in /by

Four plays that decided the New York Jets’ Sunday fate vs. Arizona

Another painful loss awaited the New York Jets in their return to MetLife Stadium. ESM takes a look at the plays that changed the game.

There was a new quarterback and new men on the offensive line thanks to injuries. But the New York Jets were forced to endure the same result.

Kyler Murray tallied 401 yards of offense, with 131 of his passing haul going to DeAndre Hopkins. Their Arizona Cardinals tallied a 30-10 road win over the hapless Jets at MetLife Stadium. The Jets (0-5) earned a nominal bright spot in the form of Jamison Crowder, who reached triple digits in receiving for the third time this season (116 yards on 8 receptions).

As we do each week…someone’s got to do it…ESM looks back on four big plays, one from each quarter, that are shaping the Jets’ present and future for better or worse…

1st Quarter: Chase Hit

The Jets’ defense rose to the occasion in the early going, forcing Arizona into a three-and-out on their opening drive. A Joe Flacco-led offense was struggling to get things rolling, but Braden Mann helped the defense out with a 54-yard punt that situated the Cardinals on their own 11. Alas, it only signaled the start of New York’s demise.

Arizona would embark on a scoring drive, needing only eight plays to go 89 yards. The Cardinals (3-2) faced only one third down on the drive, and that was only when they needed a single yard at the cusp of the Jets’ 30. It also brought forth a 29-yard touchdown run from Chase Edmunds, giving the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish.

Alas for the Jets, long drives and defensive lapses, even if they’re brought forth by short three-and-outs from the offense, have become far too common. When the inevitable purge comes to both the roster and staff, members of the defense should not be exempt.

2nd Quarter: 4th-and-Done

The Jets should be commended for their reckless abandon on fourth down in recent weeks. They know that the playoffs are but a pipe dream and more than likely will be destined for a high draft pick. With all due respect to Mann, a serviceable draft pick to date, he shouldn’t be seeing the field once the Jets cross their own 40. The same could go for Sam Ficken if it’s a long situation, though he continued his perfect streak in the early going with a triple in the first half.

Faced with a single yard to go on the Arizona 13, the Jets opted for an unusual option, handing the ball off to tight end-turned-fullback Trevon Wesco. The intention was pure…Wesco’s brief time in the backfield yielded a couple of first downs last season…but the execution simply wasn’t there. Starting the 6-foot-6-inches Flacco in place of the injured Sam Darnold, the time was perfect for a quarterback sneak. Flacco even showcased some hidden rushing talents to the tune of 20 yards on a quartet of carries. Instead, they tried to force nearly the exact same play, only this time with Le’Veon Bell. The Jets’ willingness to take risks is admirable, but ended a 14-play trek with no points on two failed rushes only adds to their plethora of embarrassment.

3rd Quarter: Manhattan Jam Crowder

The Jets have been through a lot this season, and there’s still a dozen weeks left on the horizon. Their most consistent silver lining has by far been Crowder, who had one of his strongest games of the season. He came up particularly big in the third quarter, first accounting for Flacco’s longest pass of the day at 52 yards, setting the Jets up in Arizona territory. Three plays later, Crowder dodged a pair of Cardinal defenders to earn an 11-yard touchdown that narrowed things to a single possession.

New York has been through a lot this season, much of it showing just how far they are from mere playoff contention, much less a Super Bowl. But the veteran Crowder is making himself essential as a presumed purge lures on the horizon.

4th Quarter: Buried by Kingsbury

Sunday’s second half featured plenty of instances where one could declare “only the Jets!”. For example, an untimed down at the end of the third quarter led to a false start. That duplicated an incident in the second quarter when they took a delay of game after an interception (on a red zone drive that eventually led to Ficken’s field goal). But a neutral zone infraction after Arizona’s final touchdown (a 37-yard hookup between Murray and Hopkins) led to Kliff Kingsbury opting to go for two despite owning a 30-10 led that became the final margin. Who knows what the Jets did to Kingsbury, who pair of NFL passes came in New York, but it was enough to try and help anyone who had Arizona -21.5 out and goes to show how far the Jets have fallen.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags 

 

The post Four plays that decided the New York Jets’ Sunday fate vs. Arizona appeared first on Empire Sports Media.

Empire Sports Media

New York Yankees: Luke Voit’s foot is well-rested, and the slugger is ready for the Rays

/0 Comments/in /by

New York Yankees: Luke Voit’s foot is well-rested, and the slugger is ready for the Rays

New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians and the Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, in the Wild Card round and are now ready to face each other starting today.

For the New York Yankees, it will be the perfect opportunity to seek revenge. The Rays took eight of the ten games they played in the regular season, back when the Bombers were struggling with injuries and dropping game after game.

However, Luke Voit, who led the Yankees and the whole league in home runs this season, those ten games are no indication of how the series that will start tonight will go.

“We’re a lot healthier, and these games are a lot more meaningful,” Voit told MLB.com. “They have good pitching, and they’ve figured ways to score runs against us, so you’ve got to give them credit. But I think we’re a lot different team than when we faced them during the regular season. I feel good about us. We’ve got a really tough lineup, and I think we’re going to do a lot of damage against them.”

The last time the Yankees played against the Rays in the regular season, in a series that started on August 31 and finished on September 2, they were missing Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres, three of the most decorated hitters on the team.

The Yankees are healthier now

But now, they are all ready to rock, and Voit has enormous confidence in what Gerrit Cole, who will be on the mound tonight for the Yankees, can do.

“We paid him to pitch in October. It’s a lock,” Voit said. “Everyone knows that. We need him to go out there to throw seven or eight strong innings and do what he does best.”

On a personal level, the 2020 season was a great one for Voit, who slashed .277/.338/.610 with the league-leading 22 round-trippers. He has been dealing with foot issues in the last few days but is confident that the four off days that the Yankees got after sweeping the Indians will serve him well.

“It’s nice not having to wear cleats right now,” Voit said. “That’s a big thing. I’ve been able to get a lot of treatment done. I haven’t had any pain, but I’m sure it will find a way to come back in this series. It’s something I can keep grinding through.”

The post New York Yankees: Luke Voit’s foot is well-rested, and the slugger is ready for the Rays appeared first on Empire Sports Media.

Empire Sports Media

New York Islanders: The Evolution of Matt Martin

/0 Comments/in /by

New York Islanders: The Evolution of Matt Martin

New York Islanders, Matt Martin

The New York Islanders drafted Matt Martin in the 5th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, Matt Martin has been the staple/identity of Islanders’ hockey. Hard-hitting, physical forechecking, and a lot of chirping. Martin has grown as a player since being drafted. He went from a head-hunting enforcer to a “get in front of the net” grinder. Not only has this change impacted the Islanders positively, but also added years to his career.

Young Matt Martin played a lot like Ross Johnston does. Both of them are big bodies who stuck up for their best players. For Martin, it was John Tavares, for Johnston, it is Mat Barzal. Don’t get me wrong, Martin is still an enforcer, but he’s an offensive enforcer.

Barry Trotz has made Martin an offensive threat for the first time in his whole career. Matt Martin currently has four playoff goals, and all of them were “clutch” goals. Having a 4th liner who can score along with creating opportunities through the forecheck is huge. He can still deliver the big hits too, but not as frequent. My only criticism is that he takes bad penalties at bad times. Too many stick infractions in the closing minutes of the third. Other than that, Martin is a great player.

Sadly, Matt Martin’s contract is over with the Islanders after the season ends. Since the Islanders have to sign Mat Barzal, Devon Toews, and Ryan Pulock, the chance that Martin gets resigned is very slim. I would keep Martin over Johnston, though.

There’s no reason to break up that 4th line chemistry just because there’s a younger version of young Matt Martin. Martin should command $ 2-$ 2.5 million in free agency, close to Johnston’s contract. I’m not saying get rid of Johnston for Martin, but if that’s how it has to happen, that’s how it must happen. The 4th line is crucial to the Islanders’ success, it’s the entire identity of who the Islanders are. The Islanders must keep Martin somehow.

The post New York Islanders: The Evolution of Matt Martin appeared first on Empire Sports Media.

Empire Sports Media

New York Yankees currently sitting on postseason bubble with four weeks left

/0 Comments/in /by

New York Yankees currently sitting on postseason bubble with four weeks left

New York Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton

So far, the 2020 MLB season has not been a memorable one for the New York Yankees. They’ve dealt with an absurd number of injuries, with DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Tommy Kahnle, and now Gio Urshela spending time on the IL.

When players have gone down in previous years, the team has always had the “next man up” mentality. However, that isn’t working in 2020 as the Yankees have lost 11 of their last 16 games.

Right now, they are tied for second in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays and are on the postseason bubble. This season, the top two teams in each division get into the postseason, as well as the top two teams that are in third place or worse in each league.

If the postseason were to begin today, the Yankees would either have the sixth or eighth seed in the AL, dependent on tiebreakers. If they won the tiebreaker, they would be sixth but eighth if they lost it. The team still has 10 games left to play against the Blue Jays.

Right now, it’s the Minnesota Twins that would have the seventh seed in the AL. They are in third place, but just a half a game back of the White Sox along with the Indians in the central division.

Oakland leads the west, with the Astros two games back of them. In third place is the Mariners, seven and a half games back with postseason aspirations running low.

Right now, the Yankees need to turn things around if they want to make a run this year. If any other team passes the Yankees in the American League except for the Blue Jays, the team will fall out of the postseason picture.

The post New York Yankees currently sitting on postseason bubble with four weeks left appeared first on Empire Sports Media.

Empire Sports Media