Tuesday night's 128-115 Knicks win against the Spurs was more than just the biggest basketball victory this town's seen in more than a decade.
It was also a blueprint for the Jets to take a look at as they prepare to face the Colts in Saturday's Wild Card game. That might sound ridiculous on its face, but follow along for a few moments before totally disregarding the way Mike D'Antoni can help Rex Ryan get the win he's been looking for his whole career.
One could easily look at the basketball game, especially the shooting percentages of the two teams, and say that no one was playing a lick of defense. They wouldn't be wrong, but neither would someone who argued that the Knicks were 13 points better on defense than San Antonio, a team that's got just as sterling a reputation as the one Peyton Manning brings to the field with him.
Defense isn't just about the big stop or about the eye-popping play. It's about finishing the game with more points than your opponent. The Knicks did that on Tuesday with some well-timed blocks and steals, but they really carried the day with an offense that made it impossible for the Spurs to play their game.
The Jets can do the same thing on Saturday. When they played Indy for the AFC title last year, the Jets held a halftime lead thanks to an offense that was a sorry comparison to the one they are rolling out on the field this year. They didn't have the same kind of balance, they didn't have the same number of game breakers and they were saddled with rookie Mark Sanchez instead of this year's more confident version.
Defensively, the Colts are a pretty average bunch outside of the pass rushing duo of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. They certainly aren't in the same class as the units that the Jets did very well against in Pittsburgh and Chicago. That means the opportunity exists for the Jets offense to help out it's scuffling defense with the task of keeping Manning out of the end zone come Saturday.
Unconventional? Perhaps, but in a year when the Knicks are six games over .500 anything seems possible.
U.S. & World
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.
