NIAGARA FALLS, NY – Happy, Monday! We had the Mets and Giants on a Sunday night, so I had to wait to get started late. Hence the delay this morning. Anyway, let’s get to today’s topics: Mets Update, More on Jets and Saleh, NFL Recap.
Mets Update
Wow, that was a rough first game!! Since I last posted, the Mets put away the Phillies in dominate fashion. They scored 6 runs in the first 3 games and then Fransisco Lindor, true to his MVP form, hit a grand slam to put the Mets up in the 7th – the and eventual winning runs. The old Mets would lose by 1-0, which was the score before the slam. Its why I am not that worried. I have to give Carlos Mendoza credit. He has gotten this team to succeed in a way no one expected this season. However, this inserting Kodai Senga into the season as a starter, with David Peterson in the bullpen, has me wondering. With Senga missing essentially the whole season, is it worthwhile to bring him out to pitch 2 innings? I am sure Mendoza hoped Senga could give him 3 last night – instead of the 1 and 2/3rd he did give him. I just think this Dodger lineup is a Murderer’s Row of its own right, and a guy still not really back in form may not be the guy you give the game one ball too. The Mets weren’t able to attack the Dodger bullpen like they did vs the Phillies – at least in game 1. The Metsies will have to score earlier in game 2, cause the Dodgers have now pitched 3 straight shut outs. That kind of momentum can be dangerous if not stopped.
More on Jets and Saleh
I know a lot of people have commented but none of them were Jets fans, so all of this felt unfair. It is what happens when you have the Monday beat and news breaks on Tuesday. I have been a Jets fan since roughly 1986. The only time they have had decent QB play is with Ken O’Brien, Boomer Esiason, Vinny Testaverde, Chad Pennington and Mark Sanchez. That is 5 players over 38 years, and that may not sound bad until you realize that O’Brien had the longest tenure with 7 or so seasons. Testaverde was roughly 2 seasons out a three season stint. Pennington had 5 seasons. Sanchez had 3 seasons. The inability to get quality play from the QB position has killed the Jets. Since Sanchez left in 2012, the Jets have use 16 QBs – including Aaron Rodgers. This reason is why Saleh was fired. Its not his fault but the Jets can’t draft QBs, but he takes the blame. Just like Todd Bowles before him, and other coaches. Saleh is a defense guy and he had the Jets defense ahead of schedule but he didn’t have a QB or OC. He tried Mike LeFleur – but he didn’t work with #1 draft pick QB Zach Wilson, so LaFleur left and the offense still struggled. They got Nate Hackett and Rodgers but we all know what happened last season and this season, it was a rough start that is more on an under performing offensive line (free agent signee Morgan Moses has missed two games, so rookie Olu Fashanu has stepped in and struggled). It just seems that maybe management needs to change course for once and make a hot shot offensive coach the head coach – and find a plug-and-play DC.. Saleh was hard done but Woody Johnson wants to see high-flying play and blames Saleh for having the team at 2-3 and not 4-1. (They should have beat Denver and Minnesota). Notice that Jeff Ulbrich was made head coach and his first move was to demote Nate Hackett from play calling duties. He had to let Hackett know that it should be his but fired and not Ulbrich’s buddy Salah.
NY NFL Recap
The Bills take on the aforementioned Jets on Monday night. Both teams have lost two straight in very uninspiring fashions. The likelihood is that Jets will win. Not being a homer, its more the new coach bump. A shake-up like the firing of Salah will have the Jets fired up to defend him and represent their new coach. The Bills are sputtering after starting out in hot fashion. There is no assistant for head coach Sean McDermott to fire this time, least I don’t think, but he will need to find a way to spark the team.
The Giants and Brian Dabol had me ready to apologize to them then they played absolutely terrible at home against the the Bengals. The offense had its moments but couldn’t covert inside the 30 and had to settle for field goals. Unfortunately the Giants kicker left his kicking boots in the locker as he missed two key field goals including a late one the Giants needed to make to even attempt an onside kick. I am not sure he will be around next week.
Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for Ben Whitney, who will tell you why NYC baseball World Series wont happen.
