If you've been puffing your chest about the Jets this week, thinking that Gang Green's got no weak spots on their roster, here's a fact that might give you pause. Ty Law started at cornerback opposite Darrelle Revis against the Titans. Law played well enough, as he did in New England, but that an aging veteran signed off the street deep into November is the team's second-best corner should be reason enough to stop thinking that it's an easy road for the rest of the way.
Heck, Matt Cassel's 400 yard night should have kept that thought from entering your head. He piled up those yards by throwing away from Revis and focusing on underneath passes to quick receivers and tight ends. That provided a blueprint for other offenses. Tennessee tried to follow it but they dropped six passes which, coupled with the Jets impenetrable run defense, stopped them in their tracks. You can expect the Broncos, with Tony Scheffler and Eddie Royal, to try to follow the same plan.
The offense is effective because Dwight Lowery and David Barrett aren't very good, but also because throwing to the tight end often limits how much the Jets can use Calvin Pace as a pass rusher. He was abused by Cassel and needs to be in the backfield to be at his most effective. If the Broncos get Scheffler going early, it will force the Jets to dial back the pass rush in order to keep the Broncos from making plays down the field.
That's bad because Jay Cutler is quite capable of making big mistakes when he's under duress. Forcing those mistakes will be the difference between a comfortable Jets victory and a tight game that isn't decided until late. The Bronco defense is awful, the Jet run defense is stalwart so it is up to the beleaguered pass defenders to make sure a winnable game doesn't slip away.
