Live Analysis: Jets 37, Bengals 0, Final | The final at the Meadowlands is Jets 37, Bengals 0 |

Greg Bishop, Joe Lapointe and William C. Rhoden are at the Meadowlands and Paul Myerberg at The New York Times building in Manhattan providing live analysis of tonight’s game between the Jets and the Bengals. Use your refresh button to stay current on the updates.

11:23 p.m. | Another fumble by O’Sullivan ends Cincinnati’s hopes of getting on the board. Not a great performance by the backup quarterback. The fumble is recovered by the rookie linebacker Jamaal Westerman, who returns it 39 yards to the Cincinnati 28. The Jets will take three knees to end the game. It wasn’t easy, it took every available game to do so, but the Jets are going to playoffs in the debut season of coach Rex Ryan and quarterback Mark Sanchez. The final at the Meadowlands is Jets 37, Bengals 0. The Jets leave this old stadium in style, and will meet the Bengals in Cincinnati next week in the first round of the N.F.L. playoffs.

11:20 p.m. | The Bengals will have one final possession before this game ends, one final chance at scoring a single point to avoid the humiliating shutout. Thanks to a solid punt return (40 yards) by reserve wide receiver Quan Cosby, the rookie out of Texas, Cincinnati begins this drive at the Jets’ 26. We’ve reached the two-minute warning.

11:15 p.m. | For those clock watchers out there (count me as one), there is less than six minutes left in the game. NBC has shown a number of shots of the new Giants Stadium, which looks like a jewel. Nice touch by the ownership to light up the stadium — which lies right next to the current site — during the broadcast. I’m looking forward to seeing the stadium in action next September. The Jets have called on Danny Woodhead at running back and Kellen Clemens at quarterback on this drive, sending the wide majority of their starters to the bench. Woodhead has his number called on six straight plays, and after a single first down the Jets will punt it away.

11:05 p.m. | Thomas Jones takes it in from two yards out to make the score 37-0. Outright domination. That gives Jones a pair of touchdown runs on the game. The Jets now have 303 total yards of offense — 260 on the ground — compared to Cincinnati’s 70, 63 of which have come on the ground. Let’s get these last 10 minutes off the clock and get ready for playoff football.

11:01 p.m. | Here’s how next week’s schedule will look. We’re going to give the Jets a win tonight. The Jets will have a rematch with the Bengals at 4:30 on Saturday, with the nightcap the Eagles at Dallas at 8 p.m. Sunday’s slate will be the Ravens at Patriots at 1 p.m. and Green Bay at Arizona at 4:30. Clear space on your Tivo. Three games will feature repeats of today’s action: Jets-Bengals, Eagles-Cowboys and Packers-Cardinals.

10:58 p.m. | The Jets opt to go for it on fourth and one from their own 16 and convert. Not sure why you wouldn’t simply kick the field goal. Of course, when three of yours players have cracked 60 yards rushing on the game, Rex Ryan certainly believes he convert any short down and distance. Smith leads the way with 92 yards — on only four carries — while Jones has added 70 and Greene 63. Shonn Greene is going to be a star in this league.

10:50 p.m. | Another promising Cincinnati drives in a O’Sullivan error, this time inside the red zone. He fumbles after being sacked by safety Jim Leonhard on third and six, with Kerry Rhodes scooping up the loose ball and returning it 44 yards to the Cincinnati 26. Rhodes is no Brad Smith; with a clear lane to the end zone, he was caught from behind. The shutout remains alive, and Bengals’ fans continue to will the clock to zero. A quick injury note: though Ochocinco was injured during pregame warmups and seemingly reaggravated the injury during play, the Cincinnati training staff reports no structural damage and a 100 percent chance he plays next week.

10:41 p.m. | The NBC broadcast has Houston Texans’ quarterback Matt Schaub on the phone. He doesn’t sound pleased, obviously, but both he and the Texans should feel very positive about their four-game winning streak to end the season. Schaub’s play has catapulted him into the discussion for top 10 quarterbacks in football. When asked about Gary Kubiak’s future with Houston, Schaub replied that “the entire locker room has his back,” and hopes that he’ll return.

10:36 p.m. | You have to feel bad for J.T. O’Sullivan, who went from nice and cozy in his oversized jacket to cold and harried as Palmer’s replacement. Even up 30-0, the Jets brought pressure on third and 22 from the Jets’ 24, forcing O’Sullivan to run in all directions — backwards especially — before flinging the ball, in Al Michael’s words, “towards Teterboro.” The intentional grounding penalty costs the Bengals 15 yards and a shot at a field goal. Rex Ryan celebrates like the score is 3-0, not 30-0. The Jets take over at the 10. I think we’ll see a good amount of running the rest of the way.

10:24 p.m. | The Jets add another field goal. Feely’s kick from 40 yards out pushes the lead to 30-0, and I think you can start buying those flights to Cincinnati for next weekend. While this last drive only encompassed 18 yards over 7 plays, the Jets were helped by a 31-yard punt return by Cotchery. We’re seeing a number of substitutions — Palmer is out in favor of J.T. O’Sullivan — from the Bengals, but as Greg Tweets: “Jets defense allowed 7 yards on 15 plays in first half. CB Dwight Lowery had interception. And that was BEFORE the backups.” Palmer’s day ends with one completion in 11 attempts for zero yards and an interception. Zero yards.

10:17 p.m. | What a shock: Cincinnati goes three and out to open the second half. As Judy Battista, The Times’ national N.F.L. writer, Tweets: “Back to the Bungles — have they done anything right tonight? Jets have been jaw-dropping.” That raises an interesting question. Just how hard have the Bengals tried tonight? With really nothing on the line — minus the opportunity to host New England in the A.F.C. championship should both teams advance — have the Bengals been playing it safe, trying to avoid injuries? Perhaps playing it close to the vest based on the knowledge they might have to play this same Jets team next week? Or have the Jets been that good? What do you think?

10:13 p.m. | As the third quarter begins, a helpful comment from San in New York City. As San notes:

Has stats for every receiver Revis covered this year. The NBC graphic listed all the receivers he held under 35 yard, but did NOT claim that he held EVERY receiver under 35.

Still, the stats are amazing. Not one receiver over 60 yards, and every Pro Bowl receiver was held under 35. Defensive M.V.P. for sure.

You’re right, NBC did say that he held every Pro Bowl receiver to 35 yards or less. My fault, and a good catch. That he held every receiver under 60 yards is a staggering statistic; as San states, Revis is clearly a very, very strong candidate for N.F.L. Defensive M.V.P. He’s the best, most important player on the best defense in football. If that’s not the most meaningful fact, what is?

10:01 p.m. | Add points they do, as Jay Feely knocks in a 39-yard as time expires to give the Jets a 27-0 lead. A perfect first half of play, perhaps the finest extended period of play the Jets have put together all season. Say what you will about Cincinnati having nothing to play for: a game like this in the season finale can propel a team to great heights in the postseason, as the Giants found out two seasons ago. Here’s an interesting question to leave you with as we head to the half, courtesy of a comment from David in Boston:

At what point do the Jets think about taking out THEIR starters!?

9:57 p.m. | The Jets intercept Palmer on the first play of the ensuing drive. Palmer was looking for Caldwell, but cornerback Dwight Lowery was able to step in front of the route to make the pick. He returns the interception 34 yards to the Cincinnati 15, leaving the Jets in terrific position to add even more points before heading to the half.

9:55 p.m. | Touchdown, Jets. Sanchez gets in the act, finding Cotchery from six yards out for his first scoring pass of the game. The Jets now lead 24-0, and are in wonderful position to clinch a playoff berth. This drive covered 59 yards in 10 plays, taking more than five minutes off the clock, and left the Jets with 251 yards to Cincinnati’s seven. Just a dominating performance from a team in need of a win to keep its season alive. Think of the Jets as the bizzaro Giants.

9:51 p.m. | We’ve just reached the two-minute warning. The Jets are again inside Cincinnati territory. Already holding a 17-point lead, a touchdown (or even a field goal) before heading to halftime would provide a seemingly insurmountable lead. Here’s another note from Greg touching on receiver’s success against Revis:

Ted Ginn had 57 yards receiving when the Jets played against Miami. That included what I believe was a 53-yard touchdown, although Revis does not deserve as much blame as he took for that play. The Jets were in a quarters defense, or basically with two cornerbacks and two safeties deep, each responsible for one quarter of the field. In that defense, a receiver should never get behind, but Ginn did, and he hauled in the important deep ball. It was partly Revis’s fault, but only partly.

9:43 p.m. | As the Bengals settle for yet another punt, a quick statistical note. While I’m not sure how one would keep track of these stats, what with constant formation and coverage changes, but according to NBC, Revis has not allowed a receiver to gain more than 35 yards in a game all season. If that is true — and of the top of my head, there has to be one guy who got the better of Revis — then the all-Pro cornerback is the most important defensive player in the league. And the best.

9:38 p.m. | Touchdown, Jets. It’s Brad Smith, again out of the shotgun formation, taking it in from 32 yards out. The Jets take a 17-0 lead. By my count, the Jets have taken four snaps with Smith lined up at quarterback: one went for 57 yards; one for two yards; another ended with Smith pitching to Greene on the option for seven yards and a first down; and the latest goes for 32 yards and the score. In case there are Jets’ fans unfamiliar with Smith’s background, the current wide receiver is easily one of the finest dual-threat quarterbacks in the history of college football. As a redshirt freshman at Missouri, Smith became only the second player — and the first freshman — to pass for 2,000 and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.

9:35 p.m. | As the Jets take over on offense, here’s a note from Greg about the play of Jets’ safety Kerry Rhodes:

Safety Kerry Rhodes has turned in a strong performance so far tonight. Let’s not forget that Coach Rex Ryan benched Rhodes recently, and ever since that benching, it’s clear that Rhodes has been a different player.

Today, he already has broken up two passes. And he absolutely leveled wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. The next time the ball went Ochocinco’s way, he got a case of alligator arms and dropped the pass, as if he expected to be hit again.

This hasn’t been Rhodes’s finest season. But in a win-and-in game for the Jets, he has been the best player on the field so far.

9:31 p.m. | Yes, the Bengals are forced into their third punt in as many drives, but there were signs that this offense has begun to find its rhythm. At least in terms of play calling: three receivers drop easy receptions, including one by Andre Caldwell on third and long that could have gone for a gain of 40, if not a touchdown. A bullet dodged by the Jets’ defense. Still, this group can take solace in the fact that they are getting pressure nearly at will on Palmer. This will pay dividends as the game wears on, if only because Marvin Lewis will feel it is wiser to rest Palmer against an aggressive defense.

9:22 p.m. | The offense has its first letdown of the game, going three and out before punting back to the Bengals. However, the Jets missed a great chance at a touchdown. After a false start penalty pushed third and short into third and seven, Sanchez threw deep to an open Edwards on the doorstep of the Cincinnati goal line. Though, to be fair, there was good coverage on the play, Edwards mistimed his jump and had the ball — yet again — bounce off his hands. Incomplete, and a blown opportunity. How can a receiver so physically gifted suffer so many inexplicable mental lapses? The Bengals take over at their own 15.

9:17 p.m. | Another three and out for the Bengals. Each Cincinnati possession has ended with Palmer looking for Ochocinco on third and long; each pass has fallen incomplete, with Revis in Ochocinco’s hip pocket the whole way. Remember: Ochocinco has promised to change his name, presumably back to Johnson, should Revis get the better of him this evening. As Cris Collinsworth just noted, he better head to the nearest post office and get that paperwork ready. Here’s another note from Greg:

When Rex Ryan took over the Jets last January, this was exactly the kind of team that he envisioned. Just look at that last drive. The Jets consumed 11:11, and not one play went for longer than Shonn Greene’s 14-yard run. The Jets took 21 plays and went 74 yards. This all falls into Ryan’s ball control, ground-and-pound philosophy. Drives like that are about imposing will, and they keep opposing offenses off the field.

So far, the Bengals have run 6 offensive plays on Ryan’s defense. Who knows how much longer Carson Palmer will even play.

9:10 p.m. | The Jets must settle for a field goal, a disappointing conclusion for an otherwise dominating drive. The ball went to Jones on back-to-back plays beginning with first and goal — he was stopped for a two-yard loss on second down — before Sanchez, in shotgun, looked for Braylon Edwards near the back left pylon. The pass was thrown a bit low and away, though with good coverage from cornerback Leon Hall it would have been tough to complete the pass. The field goal does give the Jets a two-possession lead: 10-0, Jets. This drive began at their own 24 and moved all the way down to the Cincinnati one, taking more than 11 minutes off the clock and sapping an already tired Bengals’ defense.

9:04 p.m. | We’ve reached the end of the first quarter, and the story thus far has been the play of the Jets’ offensive line. This unit has been opening up gaps for Jones, Greene and Smith to the tune of 121 rush yards; all told, the Jets have 142 yards and 9 first downs. They’ll open the second quarter with first and goal at the Cincinnati one, looking to make this a two-touchdown lead. Another Tweet from Greg, who as at the Meadowlands: “Impressive Jets drive so far. At 15 plays and counting. No play longer than 14 yards so far. Jets lead roughly 13:1 in time of possession.”

9:01 p.m. | You’ve seen Brad Smith in the Wildcat, now you’ve seen him in the Pistol. This formation, which features a quarterback in shotgun and running back lined up directly behind him, ended with Smith running an option to the right and pitching to Greene, who gains seven yards and a first down. Worrisome moment on the next play, as a Greene fumble on a dive play is recovered by Cincinnati; however, an offsides penalty both offsets the fumble, allowing the Jets to keep possession, and grants the Jets a first down.

8:53 p.m. | More success for the offense. The current drive, which opened near their own 20, has seen the Jets move to the Cincinnati 36. Most of this damage has come from Greene, the rookie out of Iowa, who has 25 yards on 3 carries. As good as this Jets’ running game was in the first half of the season, it has really took off with the combination of Greene and Jones sharing the load. Cris Collinsworth is giving some well-deserved love to the Jets’ offensive line, which has really took off over the last two seasons under the tutelage of the former Nebraska coach Bill Callahan. You have to like what you’re seeing so far from the Jets. In the early going, the battle between the league’s top rush offense and the league’s second-best rush defense has gone decidedly in the Jets’ favor. With three minutes left in the first quarter, the Jets have outgained the Bengals by 123 yards to 1.

8:46 p.m. | Cincinnati’s first possession ends in a three and out: pass batted down at the line, short gain from running back Bernard Scott (playing for Cedric Benson), deep throw from Carson Palmer to Ochocino incomplete. I thought it would be interesting to see if the defense would take a cue from the offense and play with added emotion in their first series, and it seems that both sides of the ball have come to play. The Jets will take over near their own 20. William C. Rhoden is also at the Meadowlands. Here’s his early take:

Football is an emotional game but not a particularly sentimental game. Sunday night marked the final football game for the jets at Giants Stadium but there was none of the sentimental tributes you normally find in baseball… Too cold. Fans more focused on pregame alcohol consumption and staying warm than celebrating the end of an era. In football stadiums, like players, are replaceable commodities.

8:43 p.m. | Here’s a note from Greg:

For most of his first three seasons with the Jets, Brad Smith, their multi-talented offensive weapon, was something of a disappointment. Smith never gained more than 325 receiving yards or 113 rushing yards in any of those seasons.

But this year, particularly over the last month, Smith has become a real force. In the first quarter at Tampa Bay, he completed a pass on a fake punt, ran for a first down, returned a punt 21 yards and caught a pass. Last week, at Indianapolis, his 106-yard kickoff return set the record for longest score in team history.

And now this: a 57-yard scamper that set the Jets up with a 7-0 lead here, in a game where a fast start was paramount.

This has been Smith’s month. Look for the Jets to get him more involved.

8:35 p.m. | A huge gain for wide receiver Brad Smith out of the Wildcat formation. On third and long, he takes it 57 yards up the middle of the field to the Cincinnati one, and Thomas Jones takes it in for the score to give the Jets a 7-0 lead. Couldn’t draw up a better first drive than that: take the Bengals, who have already clinched a playoff berth, out of the game. Prior to the Smith run, Cincinnati had not allowed a run longer than 24 yards on the season.

8:33 p.m. | The Jets start with the ball. They’ve already converted one third down, with Sanchez hitting Jerricho Cotchery for three yards on third and two. Can’t imagine we’ll see a good amount of the rookie throwing on third and short. Look for a healthy dash of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene, especially with two of Cincinnati’s four starting defensive linemen and its middle linebacker out of tonight’s game.

8:22 p.m. | Quick injury note to pass along: Chad Ochocinco came up lame during his pregame warmup, favoring a knee, and was helped back to the locker room. He’ll play — how long remains to be seen — but it seemed like, for a moment, Ochocinco had come down with a dreaded case of Revisitis. It’s a disease widely spreading throughout the N.F.L. receiver corps, and has infected Pro Bowl-quality players like Roddy White and Reggie Wayne in the last month of the season. Here’s an interesting note from Greg’s Twitter feed: “Stands still only about half full at Giants Stadium. The guess here is fans are getting parking lot drink on, since no alcohol inside today.”

8:20 p.m. | Some pregame notes from Greg Bishop, who is at the Meadowlands covering the game:

By the time the Jets were warming up for their game against Cincinnati, the dozens of playoff scenarios that existed earlier Sunday had been whittled down to one. New England and Baltimore would play next weekend in the playoffs. So would the Bengals, regardless of what happens this evening in what could be the final N.F.L. football game at Giants Stadium.

Win, and the Bengals will secure a date next weekend with the Houston Texans, a team that beat them in Cincinnati earlier this season. Lose, and the opponent will look familiar – none other than the New York Jets.

The Bengals will help determine their next opponent by playing, or resting, their best players. Already, running back Cedric Benson is inactive, as is safety Chris Crocker, defensive tackle Domata Peko and defensive end Robert Geathers. Linebacker Rey Maualuga was placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

So that makes four non-regular starters on defense. And then there’s the question of how long the Bengals will play Chad Ochocinco or Carson Palmer or Laveranues Coles, the former Jet. The question really comes down to who they would rather play. The Texans? Or the Jets?

So I’ll kick off this live blog with a question for those following. If you had the choice, who would you pick?

8:15 p.m. | There have been 255 games played thus far in the 2009 N.F.L. season, and the playoff picture is nearly decided. The N.F.C. playoff field has been set for a week, with Dallas clinching the East and a first-round home game with a victory today against Eagles. However, there is one game left to be played this season — tonight at the Meadowlands — and the A.F.C. postseason picture remains unsettled. The top five teams have been decided: Indianapolis, San Diego, New England, Cincinnati and Baltimore, with the Ravens clinching their playoff berth with a victory over the Raiders and some help. With a win over a Bengals team already locked into a Wild Card round home game and an away date in the divisional round, the Jets can return to postseason play after a two-year absence. With a loss, it will be Houston, already 9-7, heading to Cincinnati a week from today. For more playoff news, you can check out the Fifth Down’s live updating of today’s action.

Source: http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/live-analysis-bengals-vs-jets-pregame/

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