Start Me Up: Left Guard
Over the next few days, we are going to take a quick look at each and every position of starters on this team. Now, we’re talking about the offensive line and will work through the rest of the offense and across the ball.
If you asked me going into the offseason what I thought one of the biggest needs was for the Jets, my answer would have been easy … Left Guard. No one thing causes everything, but you can make a ‘butterfly effect’ argument regarding the LG position for the Jets in 2007, one we’ve made here hundreds of times. During the offseason, the Jets went out and got the best Guard on the market, Alan Faneca. Though questions circle Faneca about his age and abilities at this point in his career, adding Faneca to the Jets was a move to find Mr. Right Now to help this line, and buy the team time to develop their own substantially cheaper talent on the line. Faneca immediately sets Mangold and Ferguson back on the right path, and gives the Jets run-blocking some teeth that the unit hasn’t had since Pete Kendall was traded. Faneca isn’t know for his pass protection, but he’s good enough and next to Brick and Mangold, coupled with skill blockers, it’s more than sufficient.
Beyond that, how does Faneca help skill players? Well he’ll certainly buy Favre some more time to get the ball to his targets … as I say this I remember Clarke’s turnstile in the Patriots game that knocked Clemens out after just his first pass. It also increases Leon’s value substantially (li’l guys need help making the holes, not running through them) especially on pulling plays where Faneca becomes the lead or second blocker creating the gap for Leon.
There were some questions that floated this summer about Faneca and his former line coach Larry Zierlein had some personality conflicts … if it’s the case we’ve heard nothing about similar flare-ups with Bill Callahan or other Jets coaches and if there were, Faneca probably wouldn’t have warranted captaincy from his teammates.
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this guy really is the missing piece in our O line , he has 3 yrs atleast left in him , even if he isnt still as dominant as he was last year he will still make a good impression on D brick and up his game , mangold is already good we all know that, he is arguably the best jets 2004 draft pick , i said arguably , its b/w him and leon, anyways when TJ starts to run behind this guy we will see what we wanted to TJ to do all of last year oh right one question when does the friday live chat begin i just started
bloging after the superbowl so just let me know
Regardless of his age, which is 30 or 31, he is still one of the top 5 guards in the league, and when you consider there are 64 of them, thats pretty good. He should be able to play effectively until 35.
What I liked best about Faneca I saw in the Washington game. Keller catches the TD pass and Faneca decks this guy with two hands to the chest.
Especially since it was Jason Taylor!
Hey guys. What do you think? Jason Taylor and Chipper Jones. Separated at birth?
I noticed the same thing bilvv – Faneca was completely aware of everything going on around him on that play
Too much is made obout the left tacle/guarte position.
It’s ALl about the OL cohesiveness. It ’s all about how they work as one!!
On a differtent note. Sundyays’ game hinges on the play of Keller and Washington. I don’t think their backfield cancover .
I believe one of the main positives about Faneca is his ability to teach Mangold and Brick how to be pros.
I’m a big baseball fan and we often hear young players talking about vets who taught them how to play the game. I am thinking that Tony Wise did a poor job of this and that’s why he is gone.
Faneca brings a great work ethic and years of knowledge that can only help to season an iffy brick and a emerging star in Mangold.
Faneca’s presence on this team will be felt long after he is retired. Hopefully he will be one among many great Jet lineman to come.