Link: Bad, Bad Tackling
Michael David Smith had the same idea after watching the Jets game last weekend, and ran one of his “Every Play Counts” articles this week in FanHouse. MDS points out some of the very same plays that showed how bad the Jets played Sunday, and adds some very real and very scary commentary about the Jets plight.
The first major concern for the Jets is their ability to make sound fundamental tackles.
So what’s gone wrong? … the first thing that must be said — and this is very ominous heading into December — is that the Jets’ tackling is horrendous.
… bad tackling is a particularly big problem this late in the season because there’s not a whole lot left to do about it. If there were flaws in the Jets’ schemes, the coaches would pore over the game film and figure out where the problems are. But a team isn’t going to work on a problem like poor tackling in practice this late in the season because no coach wants to risk injury in a December practice. And it’s not like there are a bunch of good tacklers out there as free agents just waiting for the Jets to sign them. I’m not sure what the Jets can do about bad tackling after 15 weeks of the season.
Ouch, and he’s completely justified in his analysis.
If the Jets are holding back on giving out some licks for the playoffs, they might want to know that the way the defense has played the last three weeks, they’ll be lucky to even get there.
The way the Jets played just a few weeks ago is proof enough that the team can tackle, but that they’re just not doing it, either from being over-tired, or just hoping that someone else gets their hands dirty.
Mangini’s scaling back of practices last week raised some eyebrows, and from the effort that the defense put out on Sunday, it looks to be that it didn’t do anything to help matters. They looked lifeless for most of the game anyway. After MDS’ analysis of the tackling, he moves to a bigger issue for this team down the stretch.
… while bad tackling is about the most fundamental problem a defense can have, another problem may be a greater cause for concern: Jenkins looks like he’s wearing down. He finished the game with just one tackle, and the Bills had a lot more success running in his general direction than they did the first time these teams played.
Jenkins is what makes this defense go. His ability to stop the run, to create pressure on pass plays on the interior, cause all the players around him to excel. Without a dominating Jenkins, this team is sunk. Jenkins was the player that teams avoided if at all possible, but if the last three weeks have proven anything, it’s that he’s somone that Offensive Coordinators will pick on until proven wrong.
This only proves to me more that even if Kris Jenkins is the starting DT for the next two or more years for the Jets, the front office need to find a high talent player they can mold into his eventual replacement via the draft or free agency. Jenkins backup, Sione Pouha is terrible and already nearing thirty due to his Mormon mission. No matter how much Mangini gushes about Pouha, he’s just not that good of a player.
The Jets don’t necessarily need a first round talent, but a second or third rounder would be smart. Someone they don’t have to pay a fortune and they can use but don’t need to rely on as a starter for at least a year or two.
27 Responses to Link: Bad, Bad Tackling
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Matt in Virginia says:
This gets to my question about the coaching. Why did Mangini switch to the 3-4 if he didn’t have a massive NT, which is crucial? Then, what is the wisdom of having a defense that is so dependent on the play of one position? It’s not like these massive NTs grow on trees. Jenkins is wearing down and we’re looking pathetic. Where would we be if he had gotten injured early on and was lost for most of the season?
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brian311 says:
DT is certainly something that needs to be addressed in the draft. but in general, i think we are grasping at straws to find fault with the play of our backup defenders (Pouha, Devito, Bowens, Mosely) – they all have been fairly decent this year.
Jenkins play going into Seattle definitely worries me. if he is tired, hurt, or whatever, playing on the west coast certainly wont help. it would be nice if the special teams do their part to defend a punt after the D gets a stop.
in passing situations i think we should get jenkins off the field and use ellis as the nose, as we did earlier in the year.
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Electric Ham says:
Basset I dont think I have ever read an article by you where you bashed the Jets so bad by completly agreeing with this MDS fellow.
Yes last week against the Bills was probably the worst tackling performance of the year but I really dont recall this being the problem with the team.
The problem in the past has been the ability of teams to run crossing routes under our db’s and us not being in the right spot, not that they couldnt tackle them.
Yes if Jenkins doesnt get back to form we are in trouble but come on people where is the optimism ??
This isnt the time to see doom and gloom we are in first place we have a shot at making some noise so lets be happy and cheer for our team.
All we can do as fans is try and help them at home in 2 weeks by being loud and not giving up on them before the final whistle. Lets go people cut this BS out!
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charleyjet says:
I think Jenkins and Favre both look worn down. So those are our leaders on offense and defense. But I wouldn’t lay the tackling blame at Jenks feet last week. I watched him a lot and he was always double, sometimes triple teamed. So that means the linebackers have to be filling the holes and making the stops.
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Brad Smith-WR- Jets Dec. 17 – 1:44 pm et
Jets WR Brad Smith is due back from his concussion this week.
The Jets’ fourth receiver (fifth if you count rocked-up tight end Dustin Keller) has only 10 catches this season, down from his 32 receptions in 2007.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger -
Evan says:
I don’t have a problem with the 3-4, when working properly, its a very tough defense,( see New England, 3 Super Bowls in 4 years) but you need very strong linebackers to be successful, in addition to the NT. Jenkins is a great fit at the nose, but a pass rush is dependent on the linebackers being utilized.
Mangini brought the 3-4 with him, and he should be calling more plays on D, he was the Defensive coordinator the year before he came here.
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Harvlis says:
We did look like a poor tackling team against the Bills but, that has not been the case for the whole season. I don’t think there is a need to panic about this. Give credit to Lynch for a superhuman effort.
Pouha might not be a dominant nose but, he has played well this year. He has made a number of very good plays and I have not seen anyone dominate him, to the point where he was a liability.
The Defense is as good as it’s weakest link. I think that weak link is the coaching. With our talent and depth, to rush three or four players for almost the whole game, I blame the coaches for the way the Defense has played for the last three weeks. I would be depressed also, if I was playing D and the coaches were holding me back. Mangini chose to play a 3-4, for all the options that it gives him and then he uses none of those options. Whose to say, if Elam or Rhodes mignt not have caused a fumble earlier, if allowed to blitz. We continue to make mediocre QB’s look like All-Pro’s. We need a coaching change and all will be well. These last two games would be a good time to change. It would allow us to look good, going into the playoffs. Someone has to let the beasts out of their cages.
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I know with the bills game, I think it was as much bad tackling as it was a good Marshawn Lynch. He is legit.
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Id like to see Clowney stay on the active roster, yea Charlie Jinx has been consistently double teamed and supposedly has a bad hip.
I dont buy the “tired” excuse. On the huge play on d at the end of the bills game big jinx bullrushes two guys which in turn probably opened up a lane for elam to come flying through. Hopefully he will recover from his hip asap.
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ja says:
Jets should sign Haynseworth this offseason get spagnoal to coach a 4-3 with Ellis,Haynesworth,Jenkins and Gholston/Pace/Thomas
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or check out that kid Cody in the draft this year
but i do think our first rounded needs to be a WR Darius Heyward Bay maybe? -
ja – no draft talk till after we win the SB
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The Chad says:
Didn’t elam come off the end outside of the left tackle?
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The Ed(itor) says:
Anyone who watched the Bills game and didn’t think the JETS did a terrible job tackling, had to have been watching another game. I saw one great tackle by Harris during the game. All these players are taught how to tackle properly from Hiigh School through College. So how do they become terrible tacklers when they get to the JETS? Mangini and Sutton either must not practice tackling or are teaching them a technique which surely doesn’t work. Again, it all comes back to COACHING which the JETS don’t have.
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Yea he did come off the end by the necessity of a double team will open a lane somewhere
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I think everyone agrees the Jets did a terrible job tackling but any NFL player that needs to learn how to tackle shouldnt be on the field come on
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Pete57 says:
The problem is coaching, period. I’ve been saying for weeks Mangini needs to take over the D. My main problem with him is that I worry his lack of emotion carries over to the team. Favre seems to be the only player who gets excited on a regular basis. The D needs to be crazed!
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Ham- MDS is a friend from my FanHouse days (’06) and he writes for Football Outsiders, AOL, ProFootballTalk … etc etc
MDS knows quite a good deal about football, and the effort from the jets d for 58 minutes was not awesome. :) I think he made some pretty salient points.
The good news about the whole thing is that the players can do it, they just need to do what it takes.
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Ok Bassett no disrespect i just wish there was some more optimism among fans.
At this point in the season we have had our highs and lows and the way I see it is whats in the past is in the past, we just have to come out and play like i know we can and win these 2 games
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Bent says: The fact that MDS highlighted Devito as a bright spot whereas Bassett essentially noted that he was at fault on several of the big plays just goes to show how tough it is to interpret this stuff.
Matt in Virginia: the rationale behind the 3-4 is that it makes it easier to make in-game adjustments (tis easier to switch from a base 3-4 to a 4-3 look than the other way round) and that for cap reasons (you don’t have to spend a ton on expensive 4-3 ends so the cost of the front seven is easier to manage) it’s better if you want to build a long term contender. (Emphasis on long term).
As Subway stated in another post, even if the Jets picked up another run stuffing tackle like Haynesworth, they’d probably stick with the 3-4 and use him as an end. Of course this is moot because they are not going to be able to come close to affording him, but the concept is spot on.
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subwayfare says:
Bent-
Well done on the Times piece!
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I was actually pleasantly surprised with Devito on a couple of plays. His finesse game seems to be a work in progress but, at least once, I saw him bull through the right side of the Bills O-Line and cause havoc with their blocking scheme. And when he got his half sack in SFO, it was on a straight line like an earth mover through the line.
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Bent says:
Thanks Sub!
Another thought: if the defensive failings are due solely to KJ breaking down, then they probably would have won these last three games easily had he not broken down. If the Jets were 11-3 then nobody would want Mangini gone…but they aren’t. Does he deserve criticism for not having a better back-up plan though or does he get a pass because losing such a key guy is just bad luck?
If it is as simple as that then although such players don’t grow on trees it should be feasible to upgrade the backups quite cost-effectively. Plus most of them are young and could improve. Arguably, Devito and Pouha are already playing better than they were in about week three.
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Hangar says:
is this not tackle 101…learned this at age 7…wrap up!!!
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vincent says:
Kris Jenkins is around 350 pounds. The only other guys that big are Grady Jackson, Ted Washington, and they are OLD. There are no huge run stuffing tackles for 3-4. The Chargers and Dolphins use Jamal Williams and Jason Ferguson, and they are both 310 or so.
Alabama has a DT that is around 360 who’s pretty good. I think he’s a junior though.
I would look to Revis’ statement that they were trying to get back to being a “turnover defense,” as a big factor in the tackling problems. Strips are nice but the primary goal of a first contact defender must be to tackle. Looked to me like a lot of pulling and slapping at the ball while feet were still moving forward.
Also, I just don’t agree that Pouha is “terrible.” Is he a big drop-off from Jenkins? Yeah, but who on the roster isn’t? It definitely should be a priority, however, to find/develop a bigger, better, backup NT. Easier said than done.