STEELERS 101

For a quick glance at what the New York Jets look like in 2012, Donald Lappe, the editor at Jets101, swung by to give us a breakdown.

The New York Jets head into week two looking to cement themselves as serious players in the AFC. Many were jumping on the Buffalo Bills bandwagon prior to the season, but the Jets were able to take the wheels off that last week at MetLife Stadium with their 48-28 win. The Jets are back to being the team, Rex Ryan wants them to be: an aggressive, physical defense paired with a grinding offense that takes shots downfield.

While no one was predicting 48 points on the board, the Jets had shown some good signs during the preseason despite the first team being held without a touchdown. The Jets made plays down the field and established themselves as a physical unit, which carried over to week one. A much tougher test awaits with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, but expect the Jets to stick to their guns and try to pound the rock.

Don't expect the Jets to move the ball as well as they did last week, especially on the ground. That will put more on the shoulders of Mark Sanchez, who will be under the microscope once again as he tries to follow up on a strong first game. Watch out for Stephen Hill, the Jets' rookie wide receiver from Georgia Tech who combines size and speed to create matchup problems as a No. 2 wide receiver.

Defensively, the Jets are trying to follow the Baltimore Ravens/Pittsburgh Steelers model. The Jets have a playmaking safety in LaRon Landry, aggressive man-cover cornerbacks and a strong group of linebackers. The defensive line is stout against the run, but the real question is the pass rush. The Jets didn't record a sack last week and letting Ben Roethlisberger stay upright and extend plays can be disastrous.

The other question for the Jets defense is Darrelle Revis. After suffering a concussion last week his status is up in the air for the weekend. Without Darrelle Revis, expect Kyle Wilson to slide outside from his usual nickel spot. Kyle Wilson has improved but obviously doesn't come close to being Revis, which will probably force Rex Ryan to provide more safety help over the top than he normally would.

The "X Factor" for the Jets is always their special teams. Mike Westhoff always does a great job and the Jets made a big play once again last week as Jeremy Kerley returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown.

This is a measuring stick game for the Jets. While this game can't be considered a true must-win this early on, the Jets need to play a solid game and put forth a good showing to solidify themselves as a serious contender. 

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Tags: Ben Roethlisberger, Darrelle Revis, Football, LaRon Landry, Mark Sanchez, NFL, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Stephen Hill

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