COHEN'S CORNER SPORTS

Happy New Year's everyone! Hard to believe another year has come and gone, but 2014 is now hours away. From a personal standpoint 2013 was a pretty good year. I received the opportunity to pursue my long held ambition of becoming a sportscaster, when I was tapped to do play-by-play for the New Jersey Jackals minor league baseball team. It was a spectacular season capped off by a late second half surge that sent the Jackals to the Can-Am League Championship series. The Jackals would push that series to seven games before falling to Quebec. In addition, the Open Mike program moved into its third year on MTRradio.com, this time with broadcasts every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The new time slot has enabled me to preview the NFL on a weekly basis, hours before kickoff. What does 2014 hold? The future is not for one to see, but, hopefully it will be better than the past year. In the meantime I am combining some national moments, some local NY moments and personal favorites as my 1...

As I predicted in my previous article about Rex Ryan's return, he is going right back on the hot seat for 2014. While owner Woody Johnson and GM John Idzik said that Ryan would come back for the 2014 season, they are not ready to commit to the bombastic coach for the long term, nor should they commit to him. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Jets are looking to give Rex only a 1-year extension that will keep him a Jets through the 2015 season. Not exactly what Ryan was hoping for. He wanted a long term contract. That means Ryan enters 2014 the same way he entered 2013 with questions about his job security, and as predicated, unless the Jets are rolling to the playoffs next season, Ryan's job status will be a hot topic a year from now. Can't blame the Jets for feeling this way. While Ryan "earned" the right to come back for the final year of his contract, the 2013 season does not take away all of the negatives that come with Ryan either. He hasn...

New York Giants owner John Mara feels that Big Blue's offense is "broken." Two weeks ago coach Tom Coughlin called the unit "pathetic." So it comes as little surprise that reports that surfaced a week ago that Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was at risk of losing his job could be coming to fruition. A report by the Newark Star Ledger has revealed that Big Blue is going to make some changes to the offense because of the units overall failure this season. The changes could come down in the next couple days. The tipping point of course is the regression of quarterback Eli Manning, who had a horrendous season, leading the league in interceptions with 27. In addition, the Giants receiving corps came under fire with Hakeem Nicks and Ruben Randell having poor seasons. Big Blue couldn't get their ground game moving either, interchanging between David Wilson, Andre Brown, Peyton Hillis and Brandon Jacobs at running back. All of those issues fall on...

The 2013 regular season is now over, and the playoffs are about the begin. Heavyweight's Denver and Seattle remain the overwhelming favorites to square off at MetLife Stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII, but the field is quite competitive with rising teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, and Cincinnati Bengals in the mix as well. The playoffs kick-off Saturday afternoon when the Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) visit the Indianapolis Colts (11-5). This is a rematch of a Week 16 match-up that saw the Colts storm into KC only to whip the Chiefs 23-7. The Chiefs have not played well since their 9-0 start, having dropped five of their final seven. However, you have to give the Chiefs credit for playing their hearts out in San Diego, in a game that meant nothing to their playoff chances. This will be the second playoff berth for Andrew Luck and the Colts in as many seasons. The Colts come in with the perception as the weak sister in the AFC, having struggled a...

With the conclusion of the 2013 NFL season, the crazy period where NFL coaches learn their fate is about to kick-off. Black Monday is here; an unfortunate, but somewhat necessary tradition in the league where teams want try to get a jump on the off-season as soon as they can. Here is the list of coaches, who are likely moving on this week. Rob Chudzinski, Cleveland Browns : Hard to believe this actually went down Sunday, but the Browns decided to part ways with their first year head coach,  Rob Chudzinski. I don't know what the Browns front office expected from this guy in his first year on the job taking over a team that has been a mess ever since it returned to the NFL in 1999. The guy actually got this Browns team to play hard all season, and lost some close games this year. But the front office felt losing seven in a row to end the year was enough to merit a firing. Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins : By the time you read this Shanahan might already be fired. After four ...

With the 2013 season now complete both the Jets and Giants turn the page to 2014.  The Giants will come off a horrific season with the hopes they can rebound in 2014. The Giants need a new strategy offensively to get Eli Manning back on track, and the Tom Coughlin watch will be on big time next year. Coughlin will be 69 next year, and the Giants might want to have a successor in place by this time next season. As for the Jets, they are coming off a magical finish to 2013 that saw them overachieve to win eight games in a year where Rex Ryan was squarely on the hot seat. He will be on the hot seat again next year if the team is mediocre, but the Jets played hard for him, especially down the stretch. The question regarding the Jets will be the shape of the offense next year. Is Geno Smith the answer? Will the Jets draft a quarterback? Will the Jets get a big time running back and receiver to help this offense out? Those are all questions that have to be answered in 2014. One thi...

GIANTS 20 REDSKINS 6 It was pretty ugly at the Meadowlands from the weather to the quality of play on the field. For quarterback Eli Manning, he must be thankful 2013 is now over. Manning was battered in the first half of a rain soaked contest against the Redskins. He was hit a number of times, sacked once and had a pass intercepted. He was under total duress and didn't look comfortable at all in the pocket against both the Redskins pass rush and the rain drops. The biggest hit the former Super Bowl MVP took was on a desperate roll out to his right and was brought down awkwardly on his ankle just before halftime. He limped off the field and into the locker room and was not heard from again. The image of Manning limping off to the locker room was emblematic of the entire season, with Manning leading the league in interceptions with 27. He was lost all season, and lost on Sunday. Give credit to the rest of the Giants, particularly the defense, which got after Redskins quarte...

JETS 20  DOLPHINS 7 They couldn't have closed out this season any better. With the status of coach Rex Ryan technically up in the air, the Jets showed up and played their most complete game of the season against the Miami Dolphins, destroying Miami's playoff hopes in a 20-7 victory, cementing an 8-8 finish. The rumors have been swirling for weeks about Ryan's job status with the latest rumors that Rex Ryan will come back in 2014. After Sunday's performance Ryan is not going anywhere. After the game, Jets owner Woody Johnson announced that Ryan would return as head coach for the 2014 season. Neither Johnson nor GM John Idzik would discuss Ryan's contract status, which still has one year left on it. Johnson and Idzik added that they felt good about keeping Ryan from day 1; and the last two weeks had no bearing on their decision. The Jets played loose and fancy free compared to Miami, who looked like they were playing on glass the entire afternoon. Geno ...

Surprise, surprise, Rex Ryan may not be going anywhere after all. It appears that owner Woody Johnson has heard enough catcalls from the fans and media this week, demanding Ryan's return to the organization, and reports from various NFL insiders are saying that the Jets are leaning toward bringing back Ryan in 2014. The reports state that the Jets and Ryan are in talks over an extension, so things are not written in cement. Anything can change at any given moment, but the signs are pointing to his return. No surprise. Last week a report leaked to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer that Ryan told the team he expected to be fired. He used it as a ploy to motivate the team to play for his return, and it appears it worked. Many call this a solid move because it brings continuity to the organization, and it leaves little doubt as to who the leader of the franchise is: Rex Ryan. This team is built with his personality; he has infused himself into the Jets over the years.  I alway...

You gotta give Rex Ryan a lot of credit; he is the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you are in the media, or a fan living in the New York area. Hours after the Jets defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-13, amid reports that Ryan had told his players that he expected to be fired, a firestorm of debate erupted amongst Jets fans about whether the embattled coach should stay or go.  A week ago at this time, most Jets fans wanted Rex out ; now it looks like the fans have done a total 180 and want him to return! Check out the Jets twitter feed or Facebook page and it is loaded with fans demanding that Ryan come back . #KeepRex has become the new hot-word on the internet in a matter of hours.  What was once a united front of "Fire Rex and take Sanchez with you," has morphed into a divided Jets nation. A sudden majority want the trash talking coach back.  Talk radio was abuzz with hosts and callers giving excuses and kudos to Rex Ryan; I even heard someone...

GIANTS 23 LIONS 20  In the long miserable year that was the 2013 season, the Giants have waited all year for a signature victory. On Sunday they finally got one, upending the Detroit Lions and blowing up Detroit's playoff chances with a 23-20 overtime victory that proved Big Blue does indeed have enough heart to finish this disappointing season strong. The Giants never gave in, never relinquished under pressure, and, played a solid football game, something we haven't seen from them this year. Even with New York blowing a 13-3 lead, they hung around and found a way to come back; kudos to them, kudos to the coaching staff. New York found itself in charge of this game in the first half for the simple fact they didn't make any mistakes. The Giants went 59:30 without turning the football over on Sunday, with the Giants defense playing a solid role in the effort. The Giants defense kept the Lions at bay for the most part. They forced two interceptions of Matt Stafford,...

JETS 24 BROWNS 13 As insane as it appeared on the surface for Rex Ryan to tell his team that he will be fired, it apparently was enough to push his team to a second half surge, as the Jets came back to beat the Cleveland Browns 24-13. The Jets were led by spirited efforts from running back Chris Ivory, receiver David Nelson, and yes, even Geno Smith in the victory. It also helped that the Browns shot themselves in the foot a number of times. Once Geno Smith was banged out of bounds on a second and two scamper for a first down, the Jets kicked their energy into a new level. Rex Ryan jumped in front of the sideline official, screaming at him in the face -- and even started jawing at Tashaun Gipson who was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Ryan had to be restrained by his players, and it seemed to ignite a spark. That moment was the turning point; before it the Jets had done nothing. They watched the Browns move the football with alacrity jumping out to a 10-0 lead. It could h...

Rex Ryan's career with the New York Jets is indeed coming to an end, and the coach was not afraid to tell his players that before they took the field with the Browns today. According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, Ryan told his players in a team meeting on Saturday night that the "word on the street" is that he will be fired after the conclusion of the Jets season next Sunday in Miami. It's important to know that even Ryan doesn't seem to know his fate or what  Jets  owner Woody Johnson is thinking. The "word on the street" all season has been that Ryan needed to win this season to keep his job, but no one seems to have a clear idea of how Johnson is leaning. Even Glazer notes that Ryan has viewed himself as a "sacrificial lamb" all season. "Whether or not that decision is made, we don't know," Glazer said, ( NFL.com) .  If it is true that Ryan told his players this, then he is a complete fool. Why would any coach tell...

Are you ready for a Monday Night Super Bowl? If New Jersey gets hit with a monster blizzard, which seems to always happen every year in late January/early February in these parts, it could be a disaster for Super Bowl XLVIII. The NFL has a contingency plan to move the game either to Saturday night, or Monday Night if Sunday, February 2 brings weather fit enough for the abominable snowman. “There is a potential for a move-up or move-back scenario, depending on what we see coming,’’ Frank Supovitz, Senior VP of NFL Events, said Wednesday. “If we see something that is crippling to the region, then we’ll make a decision based on the intelligence we have at the time. How late we do that is going to be as late as possible’’( NY Post) . The NFL, obviously, would like to avoid this, and they will deploy as many trucks as possible to the area to make sure that the game happens on Sunday -- however, just the thought of having the Super Bowl moved up or back is a disaster. The game has ...

Twas the week before Christmas and All Through the NFL Not a player was chirping, not even Rex Ryan's big mouth! The footballs were thrown deep into the air hoping that Tony Romo wasn't throwing them into someone else's care... Yes, week 15 is in the books, and, boy what a week it was. A week that literary changed the landscape of the NFL playoff picture, giving us now two weeks to determine a number of slots in the playoffs. Week 16 figures to be a heck a week, and many teams will be gunning for that last second christmas gift ... err ... victory to put under the Christmas tree. 1) Justin Tucker Kicks Ravens Into Playoffs, Lions Out of Playoffs: It was the kick heard round the world on Monday night when Justin Tucker nailed a 61-yard field goal to put the Ravens in control of the number 6 seed in the AFC wild card, and put the Lions on deaths door. Two thoughts: A) What a collapse by the Lions. This was a team that had a great shot at winning the NFC North with ...

Black Monday is two weeks away, yet it looks like for Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, Black Monday will be here quicker than that. Gilbride wasn't given his pink slip today, but, word came from the Newark Star Ledger  that the embattled offensive coordinator is not long for his current job. After Sunday's 23-0 loss to the Seahawks, it became abundantly clear that changes are on the way. The Giants offense was beyond inept, even drawing criticism from head coach Tom Coughlin, who called the unit "pathetic." While Gilbride is not the one who threw the passes, and he is not the one who dropped completions, he is responsible for overseeing the entire unit; the axe will ultimately fall on his head. There has been a steady decline in offensive production for the past two seasons. Last year, the Giants were in the middle of the pack, this year they are close to the bottom in total offense, ranked 28th. The Giants have been the only team to get shutout ...

PANTHERS 30  JETS 20 A blocked punt and a typical Geno Smith pick 6, the Jets playoff hopes officially and finally went up in smoke as the Panthers held off a stubborn Jets squad 30-20 in Charlotte.  The Panthers did everything they could to invite the Jets back into the ball game, but the Jets still couldn't help themselves from being the Jets. For the most part, New York looked overmatched, especially in the second quarter with Can Newton picking apart the Jets in a game that was initially tied at three. Newton led Carolina on three impressive scoring drives in the quarter to build a 16-6 halftime advantage. No play was more impressive for Newton than his 72-yard screen pass-touchdown to DeAngelo Williams. The touchdown by Williams was a poor job of execution by the Jets defense. They got fooled by the play action, and allowed the Panthers to complete their blocks. The only person who had a shot at Williams was Dee Milliner, and he completely missed him down the sid...

SEAHAWKS 23 GIANTS 0  Change is defiantly on the horizon for the New York Giants, especially after Big Blue's second consecutive stinker, a 23-0 shutout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in front of a half empty MetLife Stadium. The Giants showed no life, and even less interest in this contest. They played like a team that not only knew they were playing the best team in the NFL, they accepted defeat before kickoff. The main culprit was the offense, which once again could do nothing, this time against the the number one defense in football. When this was still a contest, the best drive the Giants could muster was a mere 29 yards. Other than that the Giants had drives of -8, 4, -4, 24, -1, 0, -10 ... you get the picture. It was ugly and this game was not even close. Eli Manning was horrific. He channeled his inner Mark Sanchez, looking like the Eli who struggled through the first six weeks of the season. Manning was horrible. He threw five interceptions, three of which came in...

At least you can give the Mets credit for spending some money. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they spent it very wisely, when they threw $20 million over two years at 40-year-old Bartolo Colon, a known PED user, who magically rediscovered his game last season with the Oakland A's. Make no mistake, on paper, Colon would seem like a positive addition. He won 18 games last year, had a ERA of 2.65, and was sixth on the Cy Young balloting. Yet, Colon will be 41 in Spring Training, and his ever present weight of 265 plus pound is sure to be an issue. While his 2013 was spectacular, it should come with raised eyebrows. Colon hadn't had a season that good since 2003, when he was 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA for the Chicago White Sox. From 2004 - 2012, Colon's skill set greatly diminished and he battled numerous injuries. On top of that he was also suspended 50 games in 2012 for PED use. So this addition comes with a big time asterix for the Mets. While the Mets are not a ...

In early 1996 the covers of the New York papers read "Clueless Joe." That was the first and last time Joe Torre was ever really criticized as manager of the Yankees. Now in 2013, Torre along with fellow managers Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox will set foot in Cooperstown this summer in what could be the most prestigious Hall of Fame ballot in years. The three managers were easily the best of the best during the past two decades in baseball, each winning more than 2,000 games, and combining for a total of eight World Series titles. Torre's managerial career started off as a bumpy one, starting off as a player/manager with the Mets and later moving onto the Braves and Cardinals with little success. However, once the Yankees entrusted him with the keys in 1996, Torre's managerial career took off. He won 1,173 games, four World Series title, and six American League pennants with the Yankees. His landmark years coming in 1996 and 1998. In '96 he led the Yankees t...

Perhaps the biggest concern for Jets fans isn't Rex Ryan, or the play of Geno Smith. No the biggest concern for Jets fans has to be Woody Johnson. Because if Johnson is true to his word, it looks like the status quo will remain just that going forward to 2014. In an interview on the Jets pre-game show on ESPN NY, Johnson said he was "happy with the way things are going," for the franchise right now. This before the Jets beat the Raiders 37-27, and coming off of a three-game losing streak that saw the Jets playoff chances slip away. A losing streak that started when Ryan decided to take his team to a night out at Dave & Busters instead of getting ready for a football game. Yet, Johnson feels everything is just dandy in Green and White land. Johnson added that his decision on the head coach will  not be based solely on the win-lose record. “It’s really the direction of the team and how we think the learning curve is going and whether the young people are a...

CHARGERS 37 GIANTS 14  Apparently the New York Giants never even bothered to get on the plane for San Diego this weekend, because New York put together their most lifeless performance since they were shutout by Carolina earlier this year in a 37-14 smackdown to the Chargers, Sunday. The Giants did nothing right. A team that still had a faint playoff window watched it shut right in their face as the Chargers built an insurmountable 24-0 lead in the first half. In the first half alone, the Giants were out-played, out-classed and out-hustled in every aspect of the game. The Chargers rolled up 250 yards of offense, with Phillip Rivers and Ryan Matthews leading the way to the Giants early dismissal in this contest. San Diego made a huge statement in the first quarter, when Donald Butler picked off an Eli Manning pass that bounced off the foot of Ruben Randal to set up Rivers and the Bolts at midfield. Rivers struck quickly against the team that once drafted him in 2...