A 2009 Jets preview sure to raise some antennae…
As Bassett alluded to in this week’s edition of This Week in Tweet, NFLTouchdown released a very well-written, but certainly less-than-favorable preview of the 2009 Jets season. They do though, manage to drop hands-down my favorite Rex-related line of the offseason: “Words are to Ryan what sprinkles are to children: colorful and something to be used prodigiously.” It’s a preview that hits hard, is almost painfully honest and probably touches on a few fans’ fraying nerves. That said, the points made within, are valid in long stretches — including taking an intense look at the golden boy: Mark Sanchez.
As tends to happen when impatience takes over, the Jets are going from one extreme to another: out with the ancient passer, in with the callow one. Sanchez started only 16 games at USC. Though the web has become littered with football dilettantes reminding everyone that Sanchez ran a “pro style” offense, the fact of the matter is, he is utterly untested. While running USC’s “pro style offense”, Sanchez rarely had to throw from a dirty pocket. He rarely had to work through four or five progressions. He rarely had to rifle balls through tight windows. Thus, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer could face the same obstacles in ’09 that he faced after Favre joined New York in August ’08: what plays can be called? Schottenheimer’s offense was limited to almost comical simplicity last season.
As the offseason has progressed, Jets fans have gotten more and more optimistic about the team’s 2009 fortunes, based largely on the 2008 record, returning (and added) talent, Sanchez, and the ‘08 fortunes of the Ravens and Falcons. However, Andy Benoit, the scribe of said preview, makes an excellent point regarding Sanchez’s gaping lack of experience. At USC, he was surrounded by the nation’s best collection of talent, in a system he’s studied for four years against one of the weaker BCS conferences. Now he enters a new league with new weapons that are not head and shoulders above the defensive competition and he must learn a massively complicated NFL playbook. To say the chances for failure outweigh those for success is an understatement. Sanchez is just as likely to follow in the footsteps of first-year disappointments Eli and Peyton Manning as he is to follow Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan’s paths; and all this is considering that he beats out Clemens for the job. Needless to say, it would be a good thing for the excitement to be tempered in order for this season not to appear a massive disappointment if the playoffs are not broached.
See what else Benoit (and I) have to say after the jump.
When it comes to Sanchez’s success, it’s not so much about his weapons at wideout and tight end, as it is about the people directly in front of him and behind him. The Jets’ five-headed backfield will help, but it’ll be the maulers and mashers in squatted in front of the Jets QB who will make the difference.
(Thomas Jones) benefits from the occasional services of veteran fullback Tony Richardson and the regular services of one of the game’s best front fives. Left guard Alan Faneca is the big-money veteran up front, though center Nick Mangold has actually become the anchor. Rank is not important, though, because Faneca and Mangold rely on one another. Schottenheimer, like any play-caller would, loves to get both men run-blocking out in space. The Jets’ mobility-based run-blocking system on the left side is ideal for Jones’s patient, slashing style.
Right guard Brandon Moore was actually New York’s best lineman last year (granted, he always had the much simpler assignment of delivering powerful downhill blocks).
…
New York’s bookends are both prototypes, and a cut above average. Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson is an athletic pass-blocker, and right tackle Damien Woody is a mauling run-blocker. Ferguson may never be mean enough to flatten defenders in the run game, but he’s nimble out in front. And, as spongy as he tends to be in pass pro, he usually keeps his side of the pocket clean.
…
It’s vital that all five starters once again stay healthy for the Jets. Not a single backup has viable experience.
And there’s the rub. As has been said on numerous occasions, the Jets’ line is not only the key to their survival, but it’s also one of their weakest points once you get past the top 5 names. To say the O-line’s health in ‘09 is important is akin to saying Keyshawn lives and breathes as his television time ebbs and flows. D’uh. While there’s no doubt the Jets have one of the best lines in football, if not the best, this team will rely on their line to get a greater push at the line than they did last year. Like it or not, Brett Favre (for a time) forced defenses back and the Jets were able to take advantage of that early on in the season. Also, in games against the Patriots and Titans, Favre made the throws he had to in order to keep defenses as honest as possible. It remains to be seen if Sanchez or Clemens can make those throws.
With the Jets having a weakened and likely vanilla passing attack, teams will key on the run all the time, nearly every time, simply bringing more bodies than the Jets can block on obvious rushing downs. Given that none of the Jets’ backs are elite backs, the Jets’ rushing attack is based more on a cohesion between the runner and the line. It’s harder for Jones or Leon to create something out of nothing or to make multiple guys miss. As great as the Jets’ line was last year, they’ll actually have to step up their level of play this year if they want to maintain and improve upon the level of success they had in 2008 — a necessity if the Jets are to compete for a legitimate playoff spot.
But it’s not all offense, the defense will have to be held accountable too, as the offense likely will not score a lot of points ala the team this Jets team is modeled on: the Ravens.
The Jets D is only a cheap ersatz of the Ravens’. Newly-acquired inside linebacker Bart Scott is an intelligent, blistering tackle machine who can play the part of Ray Lewis. But he’s a poor man’s Ray Lewis. Overpaid rush-linebacker Calvin Pace looks almost like a carbon copy of Terrell Suggs. Indeed, Pace––who is an inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than Suggs––shows the same relentless motor that makes the Ravens’ stud great. But Pace is not great. He’s simply pretty good. Safety Kerry Rhodes might be great, but being a true facsimile of Ed Reed means being legendary. The acclaimed fifth-year pro is not legendary.
But maybe none of these guys have to be superstars. Maybe New York’s defense can thrive with just regular stars. Ryan … might actually have a better collection of role players to work with here than he had in Baltimore. If he can uncover a pass-rushing diamond or two––we’re all looking at you, Vernon Gholston––he’ll easily improve New York’s 29th ranked pass coverage. And he’s already stated on the record that nobody can run on his D.
I agree and disagree with Benoit here. While I concur that this Jets defense has a ways to go before even being mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Ravens defenses of the past decade, to deny the incredible collection of talent is a mistake. Yes, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and co. are household names, but at once they were just pieces in a scheme. Kris Jenkins is one of the finest building blocks any defense could ask for and while it’s highly unlikely Harris will ever be the surefire Hall-of-Famer that Lewis is, he’s an incredibly skilled player who fits tremendously well in Ryan’s system — especially at Scott’s side. Rhodes has the talent to be one of the league’s best safeties — free or strong — and simply needs the freedom and surrounding players to make his lofty goals a reality. Also, Darrelle Revis, who Benoit praises later in the article, is already on-par with most of the best cover corners in football. When you combine him with Rhodes, add in the development of Leonhard and Lowery, the talent of Sheppard, the Jets could have one of the most complete defenses in football… this year.
Again, that will take time and patience (and a suited-up Pace), but it will also take what Benoit pointed out the Jets already have: a good collection of role players to surround the stars. Marques Douglas, Shaun Ellis, and Leonhard we know about. What Jets fans will have to keep an eye on are Howard Green, Mike Devito, Jason Trusnik, Jamaal Westermann; guys who, while they may be second or third stringers, can do more than simply spell the starters. They have to be players that can make an impact when they’re on the field. There can be no drop off in level of play from the starters to the reserves. That’s what made the Ravens defense so special all those years. Time after time, they found player after player in the draft or free agency (undrafted or otherwise) who could not only dress but keep up and contribute in an incredibly complex scheme. It’ll be crucial that the Jets find one-to-three of those players by the end of the year, particularly on the defensive line.
However, when talent, bright lights and big money combine, it can lead to lofty predictions (as Benoit highlights in his opening, and closing).
The Jets have unusually high expectations for a team featuring a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback. However, those high expectations are largely self-created. This season comes down to the passing attack. Can Mark Sanchez flourish right away, and can this commonplace receiving core elevate to a level of acceptability? The defense lacks a premium pass-rusher, but Rex Ryan is crafty enough to fashion pressure schematically. It’s not quite a defense rigid enough to carry the team for 16 weeks, though. And with a developing offense, that’s probably what it’ll have to do.
Predicted: 4th AFC East
All of this (and much more that I simply couldn’t fit) said, this is a Jets team, like Benoit points out, with definitive and obvious holes. Youth at quarterback, lack of depth on both lines, and the lack of a crucial 3-4 pass-rusher are all reasons to doubt that 2009 will be an improvement on 2008. Yes, getting rid of Favre’s turnovers will be a plus, but there’s no reason not to expect multiple bad decisions from whatever young signal caller starts. That’s part of the game and that’s part of the reason why this season really could go several ways. It’s not likely a boom or bust year, but rather a growth year, a development year. The problem is, the Jets have veterans such as Jenkins, Ellis, Faneca, Jones, and Woody that are nearing the end of their high-level playing days. What will be important is for the Jets to develop younger players this year that can steady and eventually replace those veterans. Because of that, as Benoit pointed out, the Jets could falter and become what some may view as a disappointment (see: Florio, Mike).
Now, while it’s honestly unreasonable to expect everything to work in the Jets’ favor, the Jets will not need to be perfect in order to compete for a playoff spot. Like the Ravens and Falcons last year, the Jets have added young running backs and a rookie quarterback to a developing, talented team. If Ryan and his staff are more than competent in the way they coach and prepare the team, the Jets could very well prove Benoit and Florio wrong and reach a wild card spot. With severe luck, they could even win the division, although that is more of a pipe dream and something that is probably at least two years away.
The bottom line for this season is to see Sanchez take the reigns of the locker room by season’s end and for the defense to become the nasty, aggressive, impossible-to-run-on beast that Rex, Scott and Rhodes promise it to be. Also to watch will be the development of the young wideout group, the impact of Shonn Green and potentially Danny Woodhead and/or Jehuu Caulcrick, and the furthered progression of D’Brick, Harris, Revis, Mangold, and Leonhard. Oh, and there’s that Vernon Gholston fellow. He may just be the lynchpin to all of this.
Needless to say, this is a Jets season that is sure to be interesting and exciting to watch, and while it may not bring the results that Jets fans want and hope for, it could be the year that sets up the franchise for the next decade.
That was absolutely epic!
I actually agree with most of the article apart from this bit:
“Right guard Brandon Moore was actually New York’s best lineman last year (granted, he always had the much simpler assignment of delivering powerful downhill blocks).”
To me, that’s like saying Pedro Feliciano is better than Johan Santana because he has a lower era. Moore had a good year, but he was not and is not the best lineman on the team.
Like it or not, the QB and the coach, two enormously influential positions are giant question marks heading into this season. As fans, we’ve seen plenty to get excited about, but I’m sure every team around the league is just as excited about some of their guys. Until they’ve actually proven they are all the fans are hoping they will be, picking them to finish fourth is not unreasonable. Especially in the context of an article that did not contain many major misconceptions.
Defensively, I do believe that guys like Rhodes, Harris and Scott (and there are more) have the potential to perform like those guys who had such great success in Baltimore, but it isn’t going to happen overnight and might never happen at all. Again, until they proven themselves, it is not unreasonable to have doubts.
Finally, I believe Rhodes read this article and was bristling at the fact nobody seems to believe he can have an Ed Reed-esque impact. If he even comes close, that would be an amazing boost for the Jets, but he is seriously geared up to play a similar role and has a lot of confidence in himself. Who knows, maybe he is headed for a “Nobody Believed in Me” season (tm, Bill Simmons).
It’s all just talk. Bring on the pads! Training camp is almost here and we all know nothing really matters until week 1.
On an unrelated note, anyone think we are going to be looking into the supplemental draft?
I respected the article until he put the Jets fourth in the AFC East. That’s a joke they will finish no worse than second in AFC East.
I tell you one thing that nobody mentions. Becasue of , in my opinion, Favre, the Jets threw the ball WAYYY to much. Especialy on 2nd and say 4. The JEts had been built to be wth the assumption of Pennington being the QB. AT the last second Favre was brought in and I think they tried to cater to him. The Jets threw away way to many chances to grind it out. WHen your RB pick sup 6 yards on first down when the D was already playing the run, you run the ball on second down. If the Jets can get a little speed and a half assed deep threat the offense could be okay
There’s nothing like saying a player’s unprepared based on large assumptions due to a player’s supporting cast.
Brandon Moore was not the team’s best lineman this past year, you can thank Damien Woody for making Moore relevant.
Mangold, Brick, Woody. That’s the top three.
Didn’t Brandon Moore top our OL’s DVOA rankings? I can’t find the article, but memory seems to tell me it is so.
It is okay for expectations to be low. All that matters is what happens during the season. There is a great deal of negativity, concerning our receiving staff but, no credit given to the running game. Our running game has the personnel to become one of the best in the league. It will open things up for our receiving corp.
If teams have to stuff the box and leave Cotchery, Clowney, and Keller open — our receiving game will do just fine. Schottenheimer has enough weapons to move the ball. If he keeps the defenses off balance, Sanchez can handle the job. No excuses here.
As for our defense, we looked awfully good to me, for most of last year. Ask the Titans. We are improved at Coaching, Safety, Corner, and Linebacker. How can anyone think we won’t be better?
Rex has been doing alot of talking but, I am pretty sure his statements will be backed up by this Jet team. Our defense will lead the way and our running game will do enough to make us a playoff contender. Jam that fourth place where the sun don’t shine and put the quote up in the locker room.
It’s silly to get worked up over this. The Jets have so many questions, it’s pretty much impossible to say where they will finish. This was a reasonable article- but I’ll be hoping he’s dead wrong about 4th place.
A fairly balanced article with content that is inconsistent with it’s predicted 4th and last place position in the AFC East. As all knows…this team will live or die with the performance of the QB. One quote from the article: “…he (TJ) benefits from the occasional services of veteran fullback Tony Richardson and the regular services of one of the game’s best front fives…” – so the line is “one of the game’s best front fives”. I’ll bet this same writer would not have written that statement at this same time last year – this to say that year in and year out, you have no idea who or what positions will step up. Currently, the Jets WR are unheralded and certainly considered weak. No one knows who or how many of these players will step up this year. All you can ask for is the talent to possibly do so. Again this likely rests as heavily with the QB throwing the passes. Bottom line: the team has talent; now it needs the mentality and a few lucky breaks along the way to make this year a fun one to follow as a fan.
StvDoe – Probably, but that’s my point. Right guard is a less important position in pass protection than the other four (so the fact he gave up fewer sacks than anyone else is to be expected) and also he grades out well in the running game because runs over right guard would generally have been successful, but the raw data won’t account for the fact that usually on those successful runs, the key block was Faneca pulling.
Harvlis- “We are improved at Coaching, Safety, Corner, and Linebacker. How can anyone think we won’t be better?” Agreed (although not sold on Lito), but my reason for at least being concerned that they might not be as good was because when Jenkins was hurt, they stank and I’m worried the same thing might happen. If everyone stays healthy (and no more suspensions!), I do think they could be as good as last year, but this time for the whole season, not just the first eleven games…excluding the Pats game, when they were pretty bad.
Bent,
As you know, I have been saying this since last season — the coaching staff was horrible. This is a completely different situation. Jenkins is a monster but, it is the system that will make us better and keep us consistent. By keeping teams guessing, players like Lito, Revis, Rhodes, and Leonhard are able to excel. If Lito lets us down, Lowery has a year under his belt and Donald Strickland is an experienced player.
Yeah, of course this coaching staff should be better and I like what I see so far, but again, until I see it happen, I’m not completely on the bandwagon.
Strickland is strictly a nickel back at this stage of his career, (but a pretty decent one, so he will be an asset). However, I thought Lowery was great until the coaching staff benched him for Law, so if his confidence is restored, we could do a lot worse than him as a fallback option for Lito. And, this year, I would not expect the effect of poor CB to completely take Rhodes out of the equation because he will be paired with someone with decent coverage skills and therefore can still wreak havoc at the line.
Maybe it’s just that nagging feeling of impending doom that has me concerned!
There are SOOOO many question on gang green. I think the key statement is that this should be a year to groom replacements for Jenkins, Ellis, Faneca, Jones, and Woody–guys who are nearing the end of their high level days. This was the draft to get a backup for jenkins (Pouha is older than jenkins and is not the answer, maybe green can hold it down but he’s over 30 as well); we should have drafted Brace or someone similar to groom. As it stands now Jenkins must have a monster year, AND stay healthy. then draft someone high next year ( see Terrance Cody) for him to groom. The problem is that it normally takes a NT/ DT at least 2 years to get the NFL game–some have said NT/ DT is the hardest to learn in the NFL for rookies and takes the longest 2-4 years.
Then there is DE Ellis is 32 We have no stud. on the other side we have a role player in Douglas also 32, and we do not have a stud behind him either. Devito is OK maybe for one side but we needed a Serious STUD to groom behind ellis. Can Ellis play another 16 games? We should have drafted Gilbert form SJ.
At least in GREEN we have a successor for Jones.
Faneca and Woody? We’ll see how the 6th round draft pick, Matt Slauson turns out, heard he’s a mauler and versatile, but not very athletic. For the left guard you’d like to have more athletic guy, especially since Shotty like his guys to work in space. I mean if we had a 4th rounder we could have picked up the highest rated guard in the draft Duke Robinson. Hunter and TURner are OK, I’m not so sure on Hunter though so we definitely need a swing tackle. Plus insurance for Brick leaving in 2 years when he is a FA.
I guess you have to count Lito as a draft pick (5th), but my point in all of this is that we spent all of our picks and got 1 sure thing ( and it’s not sanchez it’s green). I think we could have gone in with Kellen at QB and filled in all the other parts THIS DRAFT. Then we’d know after the season If we needed a QB. Then we could make a big splash NEXT YEAR in the DRAFT.
If Sanchez turns out to be super then it was worth it but if he’s just OK, I think we mortgaged the next 2 years and will have to replace our stars over that time to be in a place in 2010 or 2011 to make a run.
I have hope and as a jet fan I’m eternally optimistic, but this was a big gamble on Tanny watch. If anyone goes down on OL or DL we’re in trouble. If it’s jenk or Brick we’re done.
Lastly, next year we have to play the FA game again and get at least ONE STUD on DL, I say Dockett from AZ at DE, then draft another stud at DE, and hope we get lucky with a journey man NT or a CODY falls to us in the draft. Also we have to hope the WR situation works itself out so we don’t have to spend loot in FA. Then maybe we can find a solid OT to replace woody- his guaranteed $ is up this year as well as draft a OT within rounds 2-4. ANd of course we need a pass rusher, VERNON better come to life or we are again looking at trying to break the bank for Merriman.
Corey, two reasons I did not like the original article or your analysis:
1) No one points out that Cassell did just fine with zero experience in college or the pros filling in for Brady without the best OL or running backs. If Sanchez is not a putz, we will be a passing team as teams try to stuff the box against us.
2) While we clearly on paper or even in my dreams have no cause to be optimistic about competing with the Pats as the AFCE division leaders, the idea that we should not kick the pants off the Jills or Fish amazes me. Last year we beat the Jills twice and split with the Fish. Compare our off seasons. Unless you are a big fan of the clubhouse influence of TO, things should be improved for the boys in green.
Nuff said.
Jets had better not finish fourth in the division, even with injuries
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Harlan,
I see what you’re saying but I don’t think Cassel applies here. First, he spent three years in their offensive system before starting and learned under the wing of arguably the best QB of his generation in Tom Brady. Second, he was throwing the ball to arguably the best receiver grouping in football including the best slot WR in the game (welker) and 1st ballot Hall of Famer (Moss) — something the Jets have far from. Third, while the Jets’ coaching staff may turn out to leave up to the hype, they’re not Belichick and Co. and that’s a big deal. Whether Schotty was held back by Mangini or not, he’s not the OC that McDaniels were and the Jets do not have Belichick’s game-planning to rely on if their offense falters (as Cassel did at times last year).
As far as where the Jets will finish, I don’t think there’s honestly much to separate the Dolphins, Bills or Jets at this point. All three have question marks and as NFL fans know, question marks can rise or fall in either direction. A team can look great on paper, but to quote Kenny Mayne, “games aren’t played on paper, they’re played inside a TV.” True, the Dolphins won’t likely sneak up on anyone, but they’ve still got a solid QB, a good running game and solid OLine as well as an aggressive defense led by one of the best pass rushers in football in Joey Porter. And the Bills, I think a lot of people are underestimating how difficult they could be to play against. While TO won’t likely help the locker room, he knows that he must behave at least somewhat and he’s literally the perfect compliment to that offense. I spent 5 years in Buffalo and they’ve desperately needed a tall possession receiver to compliment Parrish, Reed and Evans for nearly 6 years now. Don’t underestimate the positive benefit what TO can do for Edwards’ development too. He’s never going to throw over the top dangerously, but Owens’ ability to get underneath coverages and open up his big frame to a young QB could be monumental. Not to mention, with Posluszny healthy and the addition of Maybin, their D could be much improved. I don’t think the Bills can win the division (too much trouble on their lines), but they will definitely be in most games, especially in the division.
I don’t necessarily agree with the 4th place prediction, but like Bent said above, I’m very skeptical and will not get on the bandwagon until I see all of this potential realized or at least see results on the field. I will not deny that the Jets have the potential to be good, but they have just as much potential to struggle. In a division as tight as the AFC East, with a rookie QB and rookie head coach, it’s unreasonable to expect immediate results, which is what I think the point of the Benoit’s review was. Expectations must be tempered. Also, one final thing, it’s wrong to compare the Jets to the Ravens for reasons beyond the talent levels. The Ravens played in a very top-heavy division on a bottom-level schedule. The Jets are playing in arguably the best division in football with one of the toughest predicted schedules. We need to be exercise caution.
Wow, I didn’t realize how long that was until I posted it. Sorry about that folks, haha.
I guess I had a lot of residual thoughts.
Cheers,
Corey
Bent:
You said…..’ Harvlis- “We are improved at Coaching, Safety, Corner, and Linebacker. How can anyone think we won’t be better?” Agreed…’.
If that is truly the case, and everyone on TJB seems to agree, then how in heavens sake can we be expected to finish 8-8, 9-7 or even fourth place? This would be worst, much worst than w/Mangini , without Farve and he was FIRED !!!
Something is definitely wrong or else everyone needs a reality check from all the offseason lip service !!
What Fonzie wrote.
h
Just one point, while it’s true that Matt Cassel didn’t have a single start in college or in the NFL (until Brady went down) what he did have was 4 years as an understudy of the NFL MVP as well as the same amount of time reading the playbook and practicing against a very good NFL defense, that’s something your golden boy doesn’t have.
If you recall Cassel was an absolute sack machine during his first starts, happy feet, not used to the speed of the game, it was a horror show until they simplified the entire playbook, your golden boy will have the same learning curve.
Cassel had a few other things that Sanchez doesn’t, Moss and Welker.
The division will be hard to shake out, the Patriots will win it but after that it’s anyones bet, Miami has a real schedule and will fall by the wayside, Buffalo has the same QB issues as all the “B” league teams and the Jets have a rookie QB with no real receivers, pick ‘em.
this team will be better than last years wheather we win more games or not, we still have the problems we had last season. Theres no pass rushing DE and our OLBs cant cover a snail. Until we get those problems fixed we will spend most the season masking them.Oh ,and that means Jenkins might get over worked again.
All I keep thinking, when all these preseason prognosticators say that Gholston must step up and become an impact player this year, is that if the Jets’ success depends even a tiny bit on VG at this point, they are doomed. VG is a bust and all of us Jets fans need to accept it and move on. Sure, maybe he becomes a spare part, special teams type of player, but it’s clear he doesn’t have “it”. It was clear last year, and even the guys that watched all the minicamps this year were quite clear that they did not see “it” despite all the commendable Rex Ryan “talking up” of his player. Sure, it sucks that the Jets blew yet another top 10 pick, but life goes on. He will not be the much needed pass rusher we have needed since the loss of John Abraham. We will be lucky if he’s even on the roster in 2 years. That, folks, is reality. They can win without VG (I hope).
I actually kind of agree with Fast Fred.
Fonzie – as you see from my other comments, I am not entirely confident that they will exceed 8-8 for the reasons I have stated. However, say the Jets don’t finish 8-8, I wouldn’t suggest they fire Rex Ryan for the following reasons (amongst others).
1. Real easy schedule last year. Real hard schedule this year. That’s worth about 4 wins right there.
2. I know Favre sucked last year, but the Jets will probably be even weaker at the QB position this year, although theoretically that will improve over time because whoever comes in will be young.
3. There were no injuries last year. Maybe there will be this year – that wouldn’t be the coach’s fault.
4. Ditto drug suspensions.
5. Jenkins played an an elite level until week 11 last year – maybe he hits the wall sooner this year. That wouldn’t be the coach’s fault either.
6. It’s only on defense that the personnel got better. On offense it got worse.
If he coaches badly, then he will (perhaps not after his first year, but eventually) see his job under fire, but I think there’s plenty of scope for him to fall short of last year’s record and still have done what could be considered a good job.
You seem to be simulataneously saying the expectations Jets fans have are unrealistic and that Ryan should be fired if he doesn’t meet these unrealistic expectations. Which is it?
Bent,
Stop trying to analyze everything, before the pre-season begins. Get positive, brother. If you were any more negative, I would send the suicide squad to your crib.
Bent;
Ryan MUST meet at least the same expectations as last years record in order to be accordered some type of success. And here is why;
1. The easy schedule (4 wins) you refer to last year, we actually lost to three teams that were supposed to be the EASY part of our schedule. Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle.
2. The QB situation cannot be any weaker this year because FARVE was the catalyst for us to lose 4 out of the last five games and THANK THE LORD HE IS GONE!!!
3. As far as injuries go they are a part of the game and considered acts of God.
4. Jesse Chatman was suspended for four games last year and it did not affect our running game. Jones and Washington picked up the slack on their own same can be said with Gholston, Trusnik, Murrell, Scott, Harris, and Thomas.
5. Assuming Jenkins is going to “hit a wall” earlier this year is a REACH. If anything Ryan’s strength is supposed to maximize each player’s abilities.
6. Are you saying that the loss of Coles is greater than the gain of Shonn Greene? Fans in the TJB that support Tannenbaum agree that Coles was not that important to making the offense better this year and swear Greene is more valuable than Thomas Jones.
All the analysts and fans are holding the lack of a true number receiver for jets as the major downfall of their offense with the mistakes of the quarterback (whoever he is) coming in second. However, if these fans and analysts saw how Tannenbaum (who the fans admire) didn’t put too much value into Coles then why should they be worrying? Coles must have not been that great of a number one receiver to be let go for zero compensation even with his limitations. To answer your last question is as follows:
The contradiction exists in the image as it is being projected from the front office and the jet fans where they are claiming nfl dominating defense and images of an impending superbowl (see Rex) while emphasizing that we may NOT show it on our record.
Anyone else suffer through NFL REPLAY tonight with the final game of the reg season last year?
- We may not have the potential this year at QB to hit the level that Favre was when he was playing his best (ie Pats/Titans)… but it would be impossible for even a rookie to be that reckless with the ball. 22 Ints is one thing, but I bet like 12, 13 of those were just reckless, bonehead decisions that Sanchez/Clemens won’t be in a position to do.
- Offensive Line was pretty darn good last year, even in that game.
- Chansi Stuckey had 3 straight catches on 3 straight plays… just sayin.
- Kerry Rhodes actually blitzed (from the line of scrimmage not 15 yrs away) and disrupted the entire play.
- Thomas Jones did not look good.
- Leon Washington did
- We threw the ball WAAAY too much in short yardage.
- Favre’s INT’s cost us at least 7 pts and probably 14, hence… the game.
4th place?! man, that really got under my skin. no chance the dolphins have a better season than the jets this year. anyway, just three quick thoughts from me…
1) am i alone in my thinking that too many are making too big a deal about the departure of coles? he dropped so many passes last year and was no where near as good as he’s been in the past.
2) not enough is being made about the departure of mangina. he was god awful a big chunk of last season.
3) our defense looked elite at times last season when mangini acatually put his foot on the gas. this year we have more talent and ryan is going to attack the opposing qbs like crazy
go ahead and sleep on the jets. our defense will be more than happy to give you a wakeup call!
Man, talk about a rock and a hard place. I’ve got Fonzie blasting me for being too positive (when I’m not THAT positive) and Harvlis blasting me for being too negative (when I’m not THAT negative!) Talk about a no-win situation.
The message I’m trying to get across is that I don’t know what will happen, but I like the a lot of the moves they have made and IF they do fall back next season, it likely won’t be because they are a bad team, but moreso because they had bad luck, or didn’t reach their full potential immediately.
I am not negative, I am behind the team 100% and excited about the future. I wasn’t trying to over-analyze everything, just pointing out that there might be many reasons for a team’s record to slip from year to year other than the coach. I have reservations about next year, because I think it’s a tough schedule and a new regime, so I am not sure how the year will go, but I am excited to see what happens.
Somehow, Fonzie seems to think I am driving the Ryan/Sanchez bandwagon and Harvlis thinks I’m on suicide watch. Just looking forward to the season and what will happen, guys.
Fonzie- you made some good points and I hope that these things do actually fall in the Jets’ favor, but let me play Devil’s advocate:
“1. The easy schedule (4 wins) you refer to last year, we actually lost to three teams that were supposed to be the EASY part of our schedule. Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle.”
True, but maybe if they lost to those three teams, they weren’t as good as their 9-7 record.
“3. As far as injuries go they are a part of the game and considered acts of God.”
Yes, but they can cause a team to fall back. Nobody is suggesting Belichick should resign after the Pats won 8 fewer games last season (18-1 to 10-6), because the reason for that was (as you say) an act of God and therefore completely out of his control.
“4. Jesse Chatman was suspended for four games last year and it did not affect our running game. Jones and Washington picked up the slack on their own same can be said with Gholston, Trusnik, Murrell, Scott, Harris, and Thomas.”
When he was in the line-up, Chatman touched the ball 7 times last year and gained 13 yards. The loss of Pace is obviously a much bigger blow. Hopefully those guys do pick it up though.
“5. Assuming Jenkins is going to “hit a wall” earlier this year is a REACH. If anything Ryan’s strength is supposed to maximize each player’s abilities.”
The guy is a year older and recovering from a herniated disk. That’s not something Ryan has any control over.
“6. Are you saying that the loss of Coles is greater than the gain of Shonn Greene? Fans in the TJB that support Tannenbaum agree that Coles was not that important to making the offense better this year and swear Greene is more valuable than Thomas Jones. ”
I do not speak for fans in the TJB, but I consider Favre, Coles, Baker and an extra year of tread on the tires of Faneca, Woody and Jones to be a bigger loss than Sanchez and Greene, at least in the short term. Losing those players was still a smart move though because it gave them the cap room to add to the defense.
Ravens Defense Vs. Jets Defense
RDE- Trevor Pryce Vs. Shaun Ellis Edge- Jets
NT-Haloti Ngata Vs. Kris Jenkins Edge- Jets
LDE- Kelly Gregg Vs. Marques Douglas Edge- Ravens
ROLB- Terell Suggs Vs. Bryan Thomas Edge- Ravens
RILB- Tavares Gooden Vs. Bart Scott Edge- Jets
LILB- Ray Lewis Vs. David Harris Edge- Push
LOLB- Jarret Johnson Vs. Calvin Pace Edge- Jets
LCB- Domonique Foxworth Vs Darelle Revis Edge- Jets
RCB- Fabian Washington Vs. Lito Sheppard Edge- Push
SS- Dawan Landry Vs. Jim Leonhard Edge- Ravens
FS- Ed Reed Vs. Kerry Rhodes Edge- Ravens
Joe you forgot an important category where the Jets have the edge on D now: Coaching
Joe A,
Making analysis on paper is worth about as much as the paper it is written on. Team chemistry is the unknown, and guys like Lewis, and Reed are worth more than their actual playing ability (See B Scott trying to become a leader on our team). I also think that Ngata and Jenkins are equal, w/Ngata being more athletic, and Pace will not be playing for the 1st 4 games.
As a fan for 40 years I used to get upset by these type of articles which always downgrade the Jets.
Football is played on turf, not Paper… Only time will tell, but at least it is fun to debate about.
Bent makes some good points, but I think the biggest problem that we will face this year is the lack of quality depth at O Line, and a subpar receiving team which will put pressure on the Oline, RB’s , and QB’s.
Also, in the NFL as they say “On any given Sunday” so the schedule thing is not what we should be looking at. Who knows who will be good, and who will be this season?
Fonzie,
All good points, but two (my opinion):
4: Thomas Jones and Leon Washington didn’t pick up Jesse Chatman’s slack when he was suspended. Rather, he was on the roster as Jones’ back up. So, the comparison to Pace, a fisrt stringer, is a lil’ off.
That said, I do think we have good depth with Trusnik and Murrell… maybe Gholston?
6. The loss of Coles hurts, because we have no wide receivers. Shonn Greene’s seems to be an excelent value draft… only we’ve got Jones and Leon. Therefore, it weakens the offensive for the immediate future.
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