Comments on: Cleaning Out the DVR http://www.thejetsblog.com/2007/06/29/cleaning-out-the-dvr/ Ranting and Raving about the Gang Green Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:20:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jerry http://www.thejetsblog.com/2007/06/29/cleaning-out-the-dvr/#comment-27061 jerry Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:09:17 +0000 http://thejetsblog.com/?p=2296#comment-27061 Drack, here are his numbers after the Bears game. Week 12 vs. Houston: Miller didn't have a return (he may have been injured that week) -- Leon handled them Week 13 vs. GB: only 2 returns, one for 45 yards Week 14 vs. Bills loss: 4 returns avg. 29 yds, longest was 42 yards Week 15 vs. Minn: only 2 returns 24 and 19 yds. Week 16 vs. Miami: only one return in the rain for 24 yd Week 17 vs. Raiders: Only 2 returns for 25 and 21 yds. He had a couple of long ones in that period, but it looks like he didn't get all that much opportunity. Teams were either kicking away from him or out of the endzone; and the Jets defense got much better towards the end so the number of kickoffs were less. I don't think the sample size is large enough to prove or disprove your theory. Drack, here are his numbers after the Bears game.
Week 12 vs. Houston: Miller didn’t have a return (he may have been injured that week) — Leon handled them
Week 13 vs. GB: only 2 returns, one for 45 yards
Week 14 vs. Bills loss: 4 returns avg. 29 yds, longest was 42 yards
Week 15 vs. Minn: only 2 returns 24 and 19 yds.
Week 16 vs. Miami: only one return in the rain for 24 yd
Week 17 vs. Raiders: Only 2 returns for 25 and 21 yds.

He had a couple of long ones in that period, but it looks like he didn’t get all that much opportunity. Teams were either kicking away from him or out of the endzone; and the Jets defense got much better towards the end so the number of kickoffs were less. I don’t think the sample size is large enough to prove or disprove your theory.

]]> By: Drack http://www.thejetsblog.com/2007/06/29/cleaning-out-the-dvr/#comment-27057 Drack Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:34:43 +0000 http://thejetsblog.com/?p=2296#comment-27057 It will be interesting to see if Miller is as effective returning kicks this year as he has been the last two seasons. Personally, I believe his All-Pro KO return days days may be over. I've pointed out before how the Bears neutralized Miller's return game by kicking the ball high and short. Miller is not a juker. Rather, he ramps up to speed like car entering an interstate, bursting through wedge-created holes. He's a straight-line runner, breaking tackles rather than avoiding them. By kicking it high and short, Miller's vision is reduced and he can't accelerate to ramming speed. High-and-short kickoffs essentially turn into punts and punt returns are a whole different discipline. Memory is leading me to believe that Miller's return stats went down after the Chicago game; I do remember other teams deploying the same, neutralizing tactic. Both of Miller's return TDs came before the Bears game. His other TD came at the close of the 2005 season. Does anyone have the stats to either back up my theory? Or crush it? Brad Smith is not a burner, but he seems to have this extra gear that he pops on at the right moment to get by would-be tacklers. This gear is very evident in pre-season reverse against Washington, as well as another reverse late in the season (I can't recall the team). It will be interesting to see if Miller is as effective returning kicks this year as he has been the last two seasons. Personally, I believe his All-Pro KO return days days may be over.

I’ve pointed out before how the Bears neutralized Miller’s return game by kicking the ball high and short. Miller is not a juker. Rather, he ramps up to speed like car entering an interstate, bursting through wedge-created holes. He’s a straight-line runner, breaking tackles rather than avoiding them.

By kicking it high and short, Miller’s vision is reduced and he can’t accelerate to ramming speed. High-and-short kickoffs essentially turn into punts and punt returns are a whole different discipline.

Memory is leading me to believe that Miller’s return stats went down after the Chicago game; I do remember other teams deploying the same, neutralizing tactic. Both of Miller’s return TDs came before the Bears game. His other TD came at the close of the 2005 season.

Does anyone have the stats to either back up my theory? Or crush it?

Brad Smith is not a burner, but he seems to have this extra gear that he pops on at the right moment to get by would-be tacklers. This gear is very evident in pre-season reverse against Washington, as well as another reverse late in the season (I can’t recall the team).

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