Triumphant Jets to host Patriots in grudge match

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Dec. 27

AT A GLANCE: Both the Jets and Patriots have clinched playoff spots, but don’t expect either of these teams to hold anything back in Tuna Bowl IV. The Patriot-Jet rivalry has become one of the NFL’s best and most bitter.

A win at Buffalo last week gave the Jets (11-4) the AFC East title and helped them secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. So the Jets won’t have much incentive when they host the Patriots (9-6) this week, right?

Yeah, right.

Jet head coach Bill Parcells won’t allow his team to dog it against the archrival Patriots, whose victory over the 49ers last week assured them of their third consecutive playoff appearance. Parcells took the Patriots to the Super Bowl two seasons ago before an acrimonious breakup that left a lot of hard feelings in New England. Over the last two seasons, the rivalry between the Jets and Patriots has become one of the NFL’s best, and it’s fair to say the two teams aren’t fond of each other.

The Jets are known for their creative play-calling on both sides of the ball, but it’s reasonable to assume they’ll keep their bag of tricks sealed rather than risk tipping their hand to future playoff opponents.

When these teams met in Week Seven, QB Vinny Testaverde threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns in his first game as the Jets’ full-time starter, and New York came away with a 24-14 victory in New England.

The Jets have won two of the three games they’ve played against the Patriots since Parcells became their head coach, covering the spread in all three of those games.

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL:

This will be the second straight start for Patriot QB Scott Zolak, who has taken over for the injured Drew Bledsoe (finger). Zolak is more mobile than Bledsoe, but his arm isn’t as strong. Zolak can be emotional and a little high-strung on the field, so he’ll occasionally force balls into tight coverage.

The Jets will try to confuse Zolak by using a number of different defensive looks, including a 3-4 look in which Chad Cascadden joins starting LB’s Mo Lewis, Bryan Cox and Pepper Johnson.

With Terry Glenn (ankle) out for the year, rookie WR Tony Simmons has become a starter for New England. Simmons is big, strong and extremely fast, which makes him dangerous after the catch. Zolak also has a pair of veteran targets in WR Shawn Jefferson and TE Ben Coates. The Jets could be without CB Aaron Glenn (ankle), but CB Ray Mickens has played well in his place. Coates will often be covered by the Jets’ Lewis, since the Jets play a lot of two-deep zones that leave their safeties free of man-coverage responsibilities.

Rookie Patriot RB Robert Edwards has run for 297 yards in his last two games. Edwards also doubled as Zolak’s safety valve last week, catching four passes for 52 yards. Jet DLT Jason Ferguson, a tough run stuffer inside, will play a key role in defending against Edwards on runs, while either Cox or Lewis will usually cover Edwards in the passing game.