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Niners’ Willis Poses Threats To TJ

by Mack Rosenberg on December 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 am

On Wednesdays, Mack Rosenberg takes a look at some of the players that the Jets will be sure to pay attention to come Sunday.

No newsflash here, but the Jets weren’t a very strong team last week.  Brett Favre looked early on like he’d be able to handle the rainy weather, but the Broncos ability to make big gains in the run and pass and the defensive outburst ruined any chance that the Jets may have had at winning.

The Broncos passing game, exploited the Jets secondary and Jay Cutler threw for over 350 yards and two touchdowns. Four players had five or more receptions en route to an easy victory for Denver. This week, the Jets head out west to take on the San Francisco 49ers, a team that has a new head coach in Mike Singletary who has led the team to two wins in their last three games.  However, the opponents that the Niners have been up against (except the Cowboys) didn’t really give them a hard time.  San Francisco beat the Rams at home, and the Bills by a touchdown. Yet there are those few players that stand out on any team, and there will be no exception when the Jets come to town next weekend.

Patrick Willis LB- The Niners star linebacker, former rookie of the year, is currently second in the league in tackles.  Willis is a hard-nosed ‘backer who can bring a runner down by himself if he has to, as 86 of his 111 tackles are solos. He has the perfect frame for a linebacker, not the tallest defender you’ll come across, but a 240 pounder with speed.  Last week, Thomas Jones had a field day against the Broncos, as he’s been accustomed to doing this season, but with Willis on the outside edge, Schottenheimer and Favre are going to have to draw up a plays for his running back to break seams because the counters and inside runs are not going to be as easy to master for TJ with Willis waiting behind the linemen.  Maybe the team will use more draw plays to catch Willis off guard. Willis is only a threat to the running back but this might be a neutralizer for the Niners if the Jets plan on using Jones a lot.
Frank Gore RB- Frank Gore hasn’t become as good as many once thought he could be, even so, Gore is a player by which the Jets need to avoid getting trapped. This is why it is always important to know your opponents and what they have to offer. Gore is ninth in the league in rushing, and among the top rushers in the league though he doesn’t get the ball (just over 17 carries per game) a lot . However, when he does take the handoffs, he averages over 4 yards per carry.  So when Gore has the ball, Gang Green’s defensive line will have to step up and make plays at the line of scrimmage.
The 49ers are 4-8 and might have nothing to play for, but every team has weapons, and the two previously mentioned for San Fran can be game changers.

7 Responses to Niners’ Willis Poses Threats To TJ

  1. avatar jim says:
    December 3, 2008 at 10:24 am

    jets will dominate in both areas on defense…2 or 3 picks…and shut down gore….big, big, big jet win on sunday…

    these are pros who just got there pride taken away…
    espn isnt calling for interviews this week…believe me, these guys are going to come hungry and embarrass the niners…the way we did to the rams

    Reply
  2. avatar Fonz says:
    December 3, 2008 at 11:19 am

    We dont have to embarrass the forty-niners Jim,

    We have to show that we can overcome a loss like what happened this last week by executing our gameplan that helped us win 5 straight and that is run the ball stop the run. I have said this long before they won five straight. We need to manage the game like Mangini manages the team. It starts in the trenches and then works its way to the quarterbacks FARVE AND RHODES!!!!

    Reply
  3. avatar Mad Dog Mo says:
    December 3, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Losing to the Broncos may have been the best thing that could have happened to this team. All of the “Super” talk has died down…heck…you can barely find a Jets story in the national news. One loss to another division leader in the conference and all of the sudden the Jets are the forgotten ones.

    Time to focus on Sunday…not February.

    Reply
  4. avatar chris From CT says:
    December 3, 2008 at 11:55 am

    Well said mo

    Reply
  6. avatar YouJustGotFavred says:
    December 3, 2008 at 12:51 pm

    Every Jets player better arrive in SanFran prepared to TCOB on Sunday or else! Just because we lost to Denver does not mean that the rest of the season is shot…we still have a 1 game lead over the Pats and the Fins with 4 games to play…back in September who could have ever imagined being 8-4 at this point? GO JETS!!!

    Reply
  7. avatar Mack says:
    December 3, 2008 at 5:52 pm

    hey guys yea my main point with this column is that you need to always be aware of what your enemy has to offer. however with parody seeming to mean less these days, the jets should take care of things in san fran. not an easy column to write when the jets are facing a 4-8 team!

    Reply