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High emotion in Foxboro Patriots should triumph over former coach Parcells
Posted: Saturday November 13, 1999 07:38 PM
The Jets travel to Foxboro for the sixth edition of the Tuna Bowl. When this game is played at the Meadowlands, it's just another AFC East contest. But when it's played in New England, it has all the flavor of a big emotional affair. A huge billboard outside Foxboro Stadium says "How do you like your Tuna cooked?" The answer, of course, with all the Jets' injuries is well done. Bill Parcells will try to shake some life into his offense by benching quarterback Rick Mirer in favor of Ray Lucas. Lucas -- with just one career start -- can expect the Patriots defense to come after him. And it won't be just defensive end Willie McGinest and his 5 1/2 sacks. You'll see defensive backs like Steve Israel coming from the outside. Rushing athletes like Israel against the mobile Lucas is a very good tactic for the Pats. Running back Curtis Martin leads the league with 746 yards. The Patriots defense held him to 85 yards in the season opener by letting Martin come to them, not creating big seams for Curtis to cut back to. It worked well and I expect the same scheme again. Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson had the game-winning touchdown last week against the Cardinals but that was against linebacker coverage. This week expect all-pro cornerback Ty Law to match up with Johnson. Keyshawn won this battle the first time this season with eight receptions for 194 yards and a touchdown. But Vinny Testaverde played some in that game before going down with the season-ending Achilles injury. Things will be different this time around. The Jets will have their hands full trying to stop the AFC's top rated quarterback in Drew Bledsoe. His favorite targets, wide receivers Terry Glenn and Shawn Jefferson, have combined for 66 receptions 1,171 yards and seven touchdowns. Both have great speed and are healthy. The Jets will counter with all-pro Aaron Glenn on Terry Glenn and Marcus Coleman on Jefferson. I know New England is committed to a balanced attack and that means giving Terry Allen the ball 20-to-25 times. If he can come through on first downs and make it second-and-six, it will be a tough night for the Jets. Two of the best matchups to watch will happen in the trenches. Patriots rookie center Damien Woody will take on the Jets' best defensive lineman, Jason Ferguson, and the Jets' top ofeensive lineman, Kevin Mawae, will square off against rookie middle linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer. The running game for both teams will be determined by the outcome of these battles. So what should you expect on Monday night? I don't think Lucas can generate enough points to stay with Bledsoe and his offensive weapons. The Pats have scored 91 points in their three division games and that 30 point average is just too much for the Jets. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/SI. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
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