Writers and fans often find a sticking point to a game and focus their attention to it, no matter what else happened during the contest.  They want you to believe that if the team just did one thing differently, the outcome would have been different.
For the Jets-Patriots game, the moment seemed to be when the Jets, on the three consecutive plays from the three yard line, chose to run the ball three consecutive times instead of utilizing Brett Favre to do what he has always done best, which is throwing touchdown passes.   In fact, nobody has done it better.  Does this make sense?
I guess it does if you want to wrap up the entire game in one simple package, but I tend to believe that it is a combination of little things that the Jets didn't do that made the difference on Sunday.
As I pointed out in my previous post, the game was a statistical dead heat.  Total yards were nearly identical, as was rushing yard, passing yards, sacks and time of possession.  The single most glaring statistic that stands out from this game was penalty yards.
Eric Allen, the senior managing editor on the Jets web site nailed it in his post game report.  He wrote: "The New York Jets couldn't overcome a number of critical mistakes today as they suffered a home-opening 19-10 loss to the New England Patriots."
He goes on to explain about the factors that cost the Jets the game.  60 yards worth of penalties, a missed field goal, a costly interception, dropped balls.  The only thing he forgot to mention was a blocking mismatch that created a quarterback sack.
It was not about three plays at the goal line, although I have to wonder why they didn't attempt to pass it at least one to Coles, Cochery, Stucky or Keller.  The game was lost on a lot of other little things that writers for the Post, the News or the Star Ledger overlooked because it is easier to focus on one thing than it is on the big picture.  A focus on the bigger picture reveals a silver lining.  The problems can be fixed.  The team is still learning how to work together.
Will the Jets will fix these things; can they improve and eliminate the errors made last Sunday?
Today, in Florham Park New Jersey, they will get to work on it.
They better, or it is going to be a long season.