10/02 — Some random Radar thoughts while spending Tuesday rewatching the Sunday video:

Ian Eagle's become a very recognizable voice for Green & White fans. By my informal count, since 1998, Ian has done the CBS-TV play-by-play on 22 Jets games (and the Jets are 13-9 in those games). Throw in at least 16 preseason Jets games he has called for WCBS and Birdie's exposure rivals the 38 games Phil Simms has called as an analyst for CBS (35 regular-season, three preseason) in the last 10 seasons.

And what perhaps comes through is that Eagle is from the New York area. He called every sporting event held at Syracuse University for four years (I exaggerate), moved on to WFAN Radio in New York and then to CBS, has been doing New Jersey Nets play-by-play since 1995 and lives in North Jersey. And he knows his Jets.

That came through with his call of Chad Pennington's 16-yard fake-spike pass to Laveranues Coles as time was running down in the first half. No sooner was the ball out of Pennington's hands than Eagle pronounced: "And Chad pulls a Marino!"

It would take a Jets aficionado to make that instantaneous connection. Dan Marino, of course, fake-spiked Aaron Glenn and the 1994 Jets with his fourth TD pass of the day to Mark Ingram, leading the Dolphins to their 28-24 comeback win at the Meadowlands.

If only Pennington-to-Coles over Jabari Greer had the same effect. Alas, all the 2007 Jets got out of their fake spike was a Mike Nugent 37-yard field goal that clanged off the right upright, the result of a deceptive burst of Buffalo wind on the otherwise picture-perfect day in western New York.

Brick Upon Further Review

Solomon Wilcots has become a semi-fixture in the TV booth at Jets games, having worked 17 Jets games since 2001, all with Eagle. He's getting strong in his analysis, as he showed in detailing why several Bills plays worked so well against the Jets' defense.

But I don't go along with Wilcots' instant analysis of the holding penalty on tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson during the Jets' last TD drive as the game clock slipped under six minutes to play. Here's the exchange after

Eagle: "And that's D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Second penalty against the second-year pro this afternoon."

Wilcots: "He. Has. Struggled ... working against Aaron Schobel."

Here's my take on that take. Two holding penalties are obviously not a good stat for any QB's blindside protector. (And it was two holds; the Bills play-by-play crew misheard first-year ref John Parry's announcement and listed the hold on Anthony Clement.)

But other than that, Brick didn't do badly in protecting Pennington from the charge of talented DE Aaron Schobel. The Bills' one sack occurred when Clement yielded Chris Kelsay's second-quarter bull rush. Only one of the four tackles at/behind the line were on Brick, and that one only partially.

It wasn't a perfect day, but it was far from the disaster some fans, perhaps taking their cue from Wilcots' instant assessment, seemed to think it was. As one beatwriter with a critical eye told me today, "Hey, against Schobel, that's the price of doing business."

QB Stuff

Here's an interesting factoid from the game, proving nothing one way or another but intended to upset any Pennington bashers out there, especially compared to the perceived downfield passing game presented by Buffalo rookie QB Trent Edwards:

Pennington completed five passes in which the ball traveled 14 yards in the air (from line of scrimmage to established catch) — two to Jerricho Cotchery (28 yards, 22 in the air; 28 yards, 17 in the air), two to Laveranues Coles (18 yards, 18 in the air; 16 yards, 14 in the air), and one to Brad Smith (26 yards, 26 in the air).

Edwards completed one pass in which the ball went 14 yards, to Lee Evans (22 yards, 20 in the air).

And finally this: the Elias Sports Bureau tells me that Edwards became the 10th QB to make his NFL starting debut against the Jets since 1980. The Jets' record in those games: 6-4. Here's the list (home teams in CAPS, *replacement game):