BGA: Cowboys at Jets
This analysis is based on watching and re-watching TV footage. As such, it is not always possible to accurately determine everything that was going on. However, every effort has been made to ensure that the information below is as complete and correct as possible.
At last the regular season is here! This year, we’re going to aim to bring you BGA on the day after each Jets game. Don’t forget, there will also be BGA Extra later in the week, where I will respond to your questions or requests from the comments section.
Coming up, your detailed analysis of last night’s win over the Cowboys, including a breakdown of Wayne Hunter’s woes, a look at Bart Scott’s impact and details of how the defensive backs coped in coverage.
Last night’s performance was disappointly error-strewn, however it’s always encouraging when you play badly but still find a way to win. The playmaking ability on both sides of the ball and on special teams was on display as the Jets battled their way back from 14 down in the fourth quarter and got the win on a late field goal.
If ever there were any doubt that the Jets carried out a vanilla gameplan in preseason, the multitude of different personnel groupings and formations they used last night put an end to that. Unfortunately, it still didn’t translate to much early offensive success, but once they started attacking the Cowboys’ obvious weaknesses on the drive just before halftime, the Jets were able to persevere with this and move the ball pretty well throughout the second half. Since I’ve been doing BGA, the Jets have routinely have a more complex gameplan than their opponent on both sides of the ball. However, yesterday, the Cowboys threw the kitchen sink at them with even more personnel changes than the Jets and several gimmicks and traps. Watching the two teams react to and attempt to counter one another’s gameplan was fascinating to watch.
Let’s recap how each unit performed:
Quarterback
Mark Sanchez’ first half was a microcosm for his career so far. Inconsistency was the theme, as he opened up by completing his first five passes, then misfiring on six in a row, before bouncing back to hit on six of his next seven. His consistency was overall better in the second half, but he also turned the ball over twice, so although he can add another 300-yard game and a fourth quarter comeback to his resume, there’s still plenty he’ll need to work at this week if he wants to play better against the Jags.
While it would seem to be smart for the Jets to give Sanchez some short passes to get him into a rhythm and then gradually ramp up the degree of difficulty as the game goes on, this was ineffective yesterday. That’s a pattern they’ve adopted in the past, so perhaps it was something the Cowboys were ready for. Of course, if he wanted to throw downfield, he wasn’t helped much by the fact he was constantly under pressure.
Other than the comeback itself, there were some positive signs from Sanchez that he is going to improve in those areas we’ve identified as most important for his development this year. His completion percentage was 59% which is an improvement on last year. This was no doubt helped by the fact that he finally executed some screen passes well – something he’s struggled with since entering the league. It was also encouraging to see him finish off a long drive with some good execution in the red zone and his other touchdown pass was on a back shoulder throw, something many of us have been calling for him to do more often.
Fumbling twice is a major concern, although when he was a rookie he was having issues with ball security and he managed to overcome them, so hopefully this can be sorted out without too much drama. His interception was a bad read and a few other passes seemed to fail because he misread the coverage, although it is interesting to see that they have widened his pre-snap responsibilities to the point where he can change the play again.
Running Backs
The running game was a big disappointment, although the Cowboys talented defensive line was manhandling the Jets offensive line at times and there wasn’t much in the way of running room. The fact that the Cowboys could prevent the Jets from gaining any significant yardage is impressive enough, but even moreso when you consider that they hardly ever have either safety in the box.
Still, it was tough to blame the running backs themselves for the lack of rushing yards, as they generally fell forwards and fought for what yards they could after contact.
In fact, we can find something extremely positive to say about each of the three Jets running backs. LaDainian Tomlinson led the Jets in receiving with six catches for 73 yards, broke a few tackles and was the prime beneficiary of Sanchez’ screen passes, which were well blocked, even though none of his rushing attempts were. Shonn Greene may not have gained many yards, but he did impress in pass protection, staying in to block a career high ten times and managing to avoid giving up any pressure, despite the fact the Cowboys ran some exotic blitz packages which tested him to the limit. Finally, Joe McKnight may not have got on the field offensively, but he came up with perhaps the biggest play of the day on special teams.
I’ve seen it suggested that the Jets’ running game was hurt by the fact that John Conner was clearly limited and unable to contribute much in the way of run blocking. I haven’t heard an update on Conner’s condition, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s actually fine. I didn’t expect the fullback to be a big part of the running game anyway, since the Jets typically don’t use one very often against the bigger 3-4 teams, and don’t generally have much success when they do. For example, Tony Richardson only had 23 snaps in his last two games against the Patriots and 32 in his last two games against the Steelers. Conner was in for six snaps and the Jets ran three times last night.
Offensive Line
Clearly the offensive line was a big factor in the Jets’ inability to run the football. However, the problems the Jets suffered in pass protection were even more concerning.
Wayne Hunter was the biggest disappointment, as the TV crew highlighted how badly beaten he was by DeMarcus Ware on a couple of occasions. What typically happens when they run a montage of clips of a guy getting beaten several times is that when you go back and watch the film, you realize that they showed all the times he got beaten and on the rest of the snaps he looked at least competent. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Hunter’s performance last night. By my unofficial count, he gave up one sack, one hit and five pressures. He was also saved by Brandon Moore on at least one occasion where he got beaten and there were two sacks and two QB hits where it was impossible to apportion blame, so he may have been partially responsible for some of those.
After an extremely shaky start, Hunter did kind of settle down in the second half, although that may have been because they started giving him more help. It’s fair to say that DeMarcus Ware is one of the elite defensive players in the whole NFL, so there isn’t necessarily any shame in giving up that much pressure when you’re facing him. Ware had at least five QB disruptions in EVERY game of the second half of last season. However, Ware wasn’t responsible for all of the pressures Hunter surrendered. Both Kenyon Coleman and Anthony Spencer got by him too – more than once in Spencer’s case.
One possible silver lining is that Hunter has had a performance like this before and bounced back from it. Against Mario Williams last year, he gave up a sack, a hit and eight pressures, then against Cameron Wake he gave up three sacks, two hits and two pressures. Then in the last six games – against the likes of Woodley, Peppers and Freeney, he gave up no sacks, three hits and five pressures in total – more than acceptable numbers. So, he has been able to respond to Bill Callahan’s coaching in the past and iron out his pass protection woes – or at least the Jets gameplan has been tweaked to mask his deficiencies.
In the running game – where I fear he could be more of a downgrade than he will be in pass protection in the long run – Hunter actually threw a couple of decent blocks. However, he was beaten by Ware on a play that was stuffed for a loss and also didn’t sustain his block long enough on another play that his man stuffed, so it was a mixed bag.
The other tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, also had his struggles against the Dallas pass rushers. He gave up a hit and two pressures, and also saw his man get credited with a sack when Sanchez stepped up to avoid pressure. Ferguson didn’t really manage to get anything going in the running game either.
Nick Mangold was also a disappointment. Although he did a great job with most of the Cowboys blitz packages, there were a couple of uncharacterstic lapses, leading to a sack and a QB hit. He did make some surging run blocks, but unfortunately none of these created any room for the runners, because the line as a whole just isn’t in synch yet.
The two guards both did well on at least one occasion each to save the quarterback after the tackle next to them was beaten by a blitzer. However, neither made much impact in the running game and both were beaten at least once to create pressure.
Receivers
After a slow start, each of the receivers got involved in the offense. It does seem like Sanchez and Santonio Holmes have developed some chemistry now. Sanchez hit him in stride a few times, leading to plenty of yardage after the catch. Also, with the Jets down by 14, Holmes made a big first down catch and run, but DIDN’T do his patented first down ball drop. Could this be a sign of a new, more mature and team-oriented Holmes?
Plaxico Burress didn’t catch a pass until the third quarter, but ended up with some big plays, including a nice touchdown catch over by the pylon. He also had the block of the night, although he showed some rust – or perhaps laziness/tiredness – when he waited for a ball to come to him rather than aggressively snatching it out of the air, enabling a defensive back to knock it away. One of his completions was a great example of the sort of cat and mouse game I referred to earlier. The Cowboys lined Ware up wide, opposite Hunter, but he backed off instead of rushing the QB. This drew Hunter too far across to be able to prevent a big blitz up the middle and one man came free. However, the Jets had left three extra guys in to block – something they hardly ever do – and this bought Sanchez enough time to get the ball to Burress over the middle and get the Jets out from under the shadow of their own goalpost.
Derrick Mason had a difficult game, as he seemed to have issues with his footing. It cost him at least one first down, after he caught the ball just short of the marker and may have cost him a touchdown as well, with his feet getting tangled up in the endzone as Sanchez’ well-thrown ball approached him. He also seemed to slip on the throw that was almost intercepted, with the defensive back able to break back towards the ball much quicker. With any luck, Mason will be more effective next week, as long as he gets a better set of cleats. He did record one first down catch.
The way the Jets used their tight ends was fascinating to watch, too. They ran 12 three-TE formations, with several different variations. Obviously on some of these formations, one or more of the tight ends were out wide or in the slot. Having Jeff Cumberland available seems to give this option an added dimension compared with when they used to run three TE sets with Ben Hartsock or someone like Rob Turner. Just because the defense sees three tight ends in the huddle, that doesn’t mean the Jets won’t go into a spread formation or something. Cumberland exploited this by lining up out wide and running a cross field route for a big gain. Dustin Keller had several big first downs and a touchdown, showing apparently improved hands and some good open field moves. While Matthew Mulligan didn’t make much of an impact on the stat sheet, he did smartly recover Sanchez’ fumble for the first Jets’ first down of the night.
Jeremy Kerley saw just one snap on offense and also looked a little shaky fielding punts. In fact, he saw the same number of snaps at wide receiver as Antonio Cromartie did. Yes, Cromartie lined up out wide for one play in the second quarter and ran a fake end around as the hand-off went up the middle. Look out for the payoff to that in the weeks to follow.
Defensive Line
While the linebackers deserve much of the credit, the defensive line definitely held up their end of the bargain in terms of stopping the run. Dallas gained just 48 yards on 22 carries by their running backs, which is particularly encouraging given the struggles the Jets had against the run in the last meaningful game they played, the AFC Title Game.
Towards the end of last year, Sione Pouha was struggling with a back injury and seemed to be getting driven back at the point of attack a lot more than usual. Based on last night, he seems to have recovered fully. He held up much better at the point of attack and was only really manhandled off the line once. He even made some impact plays, with a key fumble recovery and a QB pressure which led to a sack.
Alongside Pouha, Mike DeVito played his part in that fumble recovery, stripping the ball away from Romo at the five yard line. He was actually credited with a rare sack on the play, but it was more of a run stopping-type play, of which he had at least three others.
The other starter, Muhammed Wilkerson, did not make much of an impact, but at least looks like he belongs. He didn’t create any pressure and was well blocked on more than one occasion, but he made one good stop against the run and wasn’t responsible for any costly mistakes.
Wilkerson basically split reps with Ropati Pitoitua, ending up with 33 snaps to Potty’s 25. In those 25 snaps, Pitoitua made more of an impact, but still occasionally gets caught out with his pad level too high. This only happened once or twice though and was more than made up for when he stuffed a run in the hole, created a pressure by beating his man, flushed the QB out of the pocket and had crucial penetration on a late third and one stop.
Marcus Dixon saw 29 snaps himself, many of them as a nose tackle in pass rush situations. He got some good penetration on one play and adds further depth and versatily to the unit, at least until inactive rookie Kenrick Ellis is ready to contribute.
Linebackers
Each of the starting linebackers had both positive and negative moments, but on the whole, this unit had a big day, led by Bart Scott.
Scott came up huge in the fourth quarter with consecutive short yardage stops. That was after he had already made a big impact with a sack, a pressure, a big tackle for a loss and several plays where his run blitzing re-directed or closed a hole for the runner. He did have one really bad missed tackle in the flat, though.
David Harris also had a bad missed tackle, on the very next play, and allowed himself to be blocked out of the action on at least three occasions. However, he made or assisted on four tackles at or close to the line of scrimmage and did record one pressure.
Calvin Pace, much like Pouha, looks like a different player to the one that ended last season constantly looking gassed or frustrated. He had one sack and created another by beating his man for a pressure and made one great play against the run. He did give up a couple of first down catches, but Harris and Scott also gave up one each, so he wasn’t alone in that.
Bryan Thomas also gave up a first down catch, as Dez Bryant burned him for 42 yards from the slot. However, other than that, he had a very solid performance, particularly in terms of setting the edge, which he did two or three times to stop runs from getting to the outside. Thomas also had one pressure, unofficially.
Off the bench, Jamaal Westerman had a low-impact game, but still recorded two pressures and a fumble recovery in just 18 snaps. Not a bad start for the new “designated pass rusher”.
Defensive Backs
After the game, Antonio Cromartie came in for a lot of criticism, after having been beaten for two touchdowns. He was completed overmatched physically against Dez Bryant, as the touchdown throw clearly showed and therefore it was a smart move by the Jets to switch Revis onto him. However, that catch was the only catch Cromartie gave up to Bryant all day. He did give up three catches to Miles Austin, but one of these was late in the game, as he was playing off him to keep the play in front of him. On the other two, he almost had an interception, but Austin was able to wrench the ball from his grasp. (For the record, I felt the touchdown call was correct on re-watching, by the way). Considering he was targeted seven times and was in good position to force an incompletion on the other three, I felt the four catches Cromartie gave up didn’t necessarily represent as poor of a performance as some have stated. At least he didn’t let anyone get behind him and he even made one good play against the run!
Darrelle Revis was also targeted seven times, giving up three first down catches – although one was possibly a mix-up in zone coverage, which the Jets used sporadically throughout the game. He broke up the penultimate throw his way and, of course, intercepted the last one to set up the game winning field goal. Revis also tackled well against the run and even blitzed once, after blitzing only one time all of last year!
At safety, Eric Smith was another scapegoat for some of the Jets struggles. He was badly beaten by Jason Witten after failing to get a good jam on him at the line and then compounded the mistake by missing a tackle on him to lead to a huge gain. However, the criticism of Smith is pretty harsh considering it was the only catch he gave up all day (unless you want to credit him with a dump off pass which he and Kyle Wilson stopped for a short gain on third down in the first quarter). On the only other time he was thrown at, Smith was in good position on Witten and Romo more or less had to throw it away. He also stuffed a run and was credited with a sack, so it seems to me like some of the venom directed towards him is misplaced. As I’ve noted before, Smith grades out as a pretty decent player whenever he starts, but as a third safety he has always performed much, much worse, so the calls to have him benched do not sit well with me.
In any case, Brodney Pool saw plenty of playing time, as he was in for 45% of the snaps. He didn’t make much of an impact but did come up from the safety position to blow up one runnning play.
The other starter, Jim Leonhard, also had a bad missed tackle and gave up a first down catch, but his touchdown saving tackle on Witten would prove to be critical.
Wilson had an eventful afternoon, with his 27 snaps including emergency fill-in duty for both Revis and Cromartie, as they suffered from cramp. The only catch he gave up was on third and long where he kept the play in front of him and made the tackle well short of the first down. On another play, he had good coverage and forced Romo to throw the ball out of bounds. He also pressured Romo into throwing out of bounds after he fumbled the snap on the penultimate play of the game. I was particularly impressed with how well Wilson appeared to be communicating with his teammates. That seems to have translated to him looking like a reliable backup for the time being.
I like Donald Strickland for some reason. He didn’t seem to do anything outstanding, but it just feels right to have him back out there. He and Marquice Cole each hit the quarterback once.
Special Teams
Earlier today, there was a post up about who should get the gameball. Unbelievably, nobody suggested Coach Westhoff! Not only did he dial up the punt block that led to Isaiah Trufant’s improbable game tying TD, but he also gets part of the credit for sticking with and building up the confidence of Nick Folk, who not only nailed the game winning 50-yard field goal, but also had some booming kickoffs.
The return game was a bit of a mess, but the coverage units did their job. TJ Conley also had a good game, putting several of his punts inside the 20.
Recently cut Mardy Gilyard might soon find himself back with the Rams, after Danny Amendola suffered a shoulder injury.
Conclusions
This was an ugly win, with plenty of causes for concern. However, the value of winning games that instill in you the belief that you are never truly beaten until the final gun cannot be underestimated. Even after a horrendous first half display in Pittsburgh last January, the Jets had that belief due to some of their uglier wins from earlier in the year and almost rode it to the Superbowl. Beating the Cowboys is not as important as beating adversity and that’s what the Jets did.
Despite the win, I’m still sensing a lot of negativity in the Jets fanbase. “We don’t look like a Superbowl team!” However, you don’t win anything for looking like a Superbowl team in September. Why peak now and give creative coaches like Rob Ryan and Jason Garrett the maximum amount of time to figure out how to beat you? It’s a marathon, not a sprint – and on the offensive side of the ball at least, the Jets are already setting a much healthier pace than they were this time last year.
Remember, if there’s anything else you’d like me to comment upon or go into more detail about, let me have your suggestions in the comments and I’ll respond in BGA Extra later in the week.
111 Responses to BGA: Cowboys at Jets
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bilal... Westerman will have double digit sacks in 2011 says:
I couldn’t wait for this report to hear your analysis of Eric Smith. People are killing him because he got beat on a deep TE post against playing one of t he best. On top of that, he was playing at the line of scrimmage. How many safeties lining up at the line of scrimmage would have been able to stop jason witten and that great pass from romo?
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holmesandburressthisyr. says:
I thought sanchez played really well and made a bad mistake with the interception. Cro did the best he could, you can’t do much about it, I mean he had the ball and austin took it away from him. The linebackers played a great game, calvin finally did good things. Got a sack and how about the play from Bart scott. Good overall team win
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OT, but are you guys watching this game? John Gruden is horrible. I don’t think he watched the Jets beat down the Pats in the playoffs. he keeps saying he can’t remember the last time Brady threw an INT & he has “never” thrown an INT on a screen pass. In fact, he did both in the very last game Brady played…against the Jets. What poor preparation by Gruden. He deifies Brady to the point he forgot his mistakes.
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Longshot says:
I will say though that the Pats O looks strong tonite. Their D still looks weak in the back.
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The Jets sent out the memo on beating the Pats: Suit up 10 CBs, don’t blitz: Make Brady choose between throwing into double coverage or hand the ball off & slow the game down. But you are right, the Pats secondary is suspect outside of Mccourty & Chung. But Mccourty is not good enough to cover B Marshall 1:1.
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Crackback says:
Bring back Maybin and lets add some sizzle to the pass rush. Westerman didn’t look good at all; seemed stuck in molasses.
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I think the O-line gets it right against the Jags on Sunday.
Thanks for the write up, Bent.
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Brendan—
I think the concerns I had about Hunter, which you and I have discussed on earlier threads throughout the presesson—I think Hunter did nothing to erase these concerns. In fact, just the opposite.
I think we both have agreed that the Jets needed to get a solid back-up OL, in case Brick or Mangold or Moore or Slauson went down, but I also think we need another solid back-up because right now, Hunter is at best subpar.
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Bent—You say that Hunter was up against Ware, as if this should somehow excuse his bad play. I heard rhe same kind of thing during the preseason. But you have to figure thst every team we playnow is going to line its best DL up against Hunter for a good chunk of every game. And, as you suggest in your anslysis, Bent, Hunter just isn’t up to the task.
Yes, it’s possible that he may develop into a more effective OL, but right now, we can’t take that chance. We need to sign a solid OL—as a back-up for the rest of the line and a potential replacement for Hunter as a starter—and we need to do it now.
It wax obvious back during the preseason—and I said so more than once on these threads—and it’s painfully obvious now.
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The only thing I will say in Hunter’s defense…is that it was Demarcus Ware. If Tully Banta-Cain destroyed him like Ware did, I’d be panicking. But since it wasn’t TBC, and the best pass rusher in football, I’m holding off on hitting the panic button, for now.
I would like to see how he plays against a lesser opponent and after the team gets him some confidence by running the ball.
I think last night will be his worst performance all season, but then again, it’s going to be hard to top that performance. In a bad way, obviously.
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Ben Nevis says:
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Bent—
Just to clarify: I was responding to these sentences of yours (& would appreciate it if in BGA Extra, you responded to this post of mine rather than the one above): “It’s fair to say that DeMarcus Ware is one of the elite defensive players in the whole NFL, so there isn’t necessarily any shame in giving up that much pressure when you’re [when Hunter is] facing him.”
I heard the same thing said during the preseason when Hunter was facing another elite pass rusher, and gave up sacks, hits and pressures. The problem for the Jets is that any team we face now is going to line its best DL up against Hunter for a good chunk of the game. And in at least some of those games, we can expect to face teams with elite pass rushers, or at least PR who outmatch Hunter.
And perhaps more importantly, in the playoffs, we can expect to face teams with elite pass rushers (a number of playoff teams usually have them), and you can bet that those teams will put those elite pass rushers on Hunter for a sizable portion of the game. Which could mean, as it has already meant in the preseason and in the game against the Cowboys, Hunter giving up multiple pressures, hits and sacks. It also has the potential of getting Sanchez killed.
You also write, Bent: “After an extremely shaky start, Hunter did kind of settle down in the second half, although that may have been because they started giving him more help.”
The problem with this solution, if, say, we use a TE to help out Hunter, is that the Jets essentially wind up using two players to do one player’s job, at least on a number of plays throughout the game. Which, on these plays, essentially gives the opposing D an unaccounted-for player, as if we were playing 10 against their 11.
Other than this, though, I think your analysis of Hunter is dead on: “By my unofficial count, he gave up one sack, one hit and five pressures. [And there was] at least one occasion where he got beaten and there were two sacks and two QB hits where. . .he may have been partially responsible. . . [Also]. . .Ware wasn’t responsible for all of the pressures Hunter surrendered. Both Kenyon Coleman and Anthony Spencer got by him too – more than once in Spencer’s case.”
All of which is to say, Bent, the Jets FO has to act now, and acquire a solid OL, who can back-up Mangold, Brick, Moore and Slauson, and potentially replace Hunter as a starter.
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Dave75 says:
Well said. But there aren’t any other options. Vlad is just not ready
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tuco says:
The other tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, also had his struggles against the Dallas pass rushers. He gave up a hit and two pressures, and also saw his man get credited with a sack when Tony Romo stepped up to avoid pressure. Ferguson didn’t really manage to get anything going in the running game either.
Romo?
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Bent says:
Oops. Thanks, that’s getting an edit.
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sean says:
Bent
Could there be any correlation between the fact that the O-LINE had no penalties and that they were horrible? Maybe they were being a little over cautious trying to avoid penalties?
I don’t think enough is being made out of the jets not having any penalties, especially when it was such a big issue last year.
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bent, how long did it take for mark to throw towards keller? probably my biggest beef with schotty is how he allows keller to disappear.
nice job as always.
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Nick says:
It’s true that Tony Romo lomst this game more than the Jets won it but hey, ill always take a win
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bad teams find ways to lose. good teams find ways to win. we won that game because we made the plays when it counted. period.
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Nick—
Jerry Jones is saying that Romo’s game against the Jets was the the best game he ever saw him play. Ever. And with a horrible INT and fumble near the goal line. Wow.
Sometimes when Jerry Jones praises a player, it makes me think of a wise guy kissing another wise guy as a signal that he’s getting whacked. . .
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Marvel says:
Still don’t understand why we didn’t bring in extra blockers when Sanchez was getting banged around.
Stop letting Cro return kicks, he’s the #2 CB. (once in a blue is ok)
Hernandez is a beast.. AAAnd bring back Maybin. That is all.
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I hate Schotty, but he did adjust in the 2nd half & they brought in an extra blocking TE & it gave MS more time
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Bent: It was shocking that no holding penalties were called on either team. I saw Jets getting held numerous times but I did not focus on the Jets o-line to see if they were also getting away with holds. It’s hard to complain if both teams were getting away with it. What did you see on the tape?
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thanks for the BGA Bent Me myself I’m satisfied with the win .15 to go and like you said showing to much now gives a lot for coaches to game plan against you,Its better when they don’t see you coming.Chris Carlin from loudmouths said today our defense was overrated the more they think like that the more they shake their heads on Monday.I’m not worried.
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Powell Powell Poweller Wheels says:
Twice today I had to tell other jets fans to stfu. Both said the Jets were ‘lucky’ to win.
I understand why people could think that.. but it’s not true. This is football. Each team makes mistakes and bad turnovers. Bad interception? Check! QB fumble? Check!Did your #2 DB get a pick stolen from him…. IN THE ENDZONE?!? For a TD?!! NO
Did your #3 Receiver drop an easy pass in the endzone? NO
My point being… the Jets made some blunders too. Just because they came in different time of the game doesn’t discount them. How about the powerhouse JETS putting the Cowboys in bad spots, increasing the chances of mistakes? Maybe we won’t lead the league in sacks, but we are sure near the top taking quarterbacks off of their game.
The book on Romo is that he can throw perfect passes… and he did… but he is also prone to mistakes if pressured… we pressured. He made mistakes.And on offense… They are freaking out because we can’t run.
#1 Seems like they were giving “run stopping” looks, so we passed more. I get that. Rob didn’t want to lose to the “ground” and pound, so he took away the ground. Take away your opponents’ strength.. isn’t that what Rex preaches?#2 Cowboys secondary was suspect. OK so we pass more.
#3 green =/ #4 L!!!T!!! #3b Hard to argue that McKnight or Powell wouldn’t have given more production.#5 Dez Bryant looked like he was at maybe 60% by the end of the game. It was like in Madden when you used sprint 5 plays in a row with the same guy and his stamina gets depleted. Revis could have run a full circle around him before taking that pick.
Last but not least… My favorite Jet Jimmy Leonard. His (only) play.. (where he caught the guy at the 3) You could argue other plays were bigger in the game (Romo fumble, Punt block, scores).. but that one was my favorite.
It’s a great day to be an ‘merican and a Jets Fan.-
[EDIT:] #3 green =/ [MEH]
#4 L!!!T!!! [WAS AWESOME]
#3b Hard to argue that McKnight or Powell wouldn’t have given more production. [THAN GREENE] -
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revis christ says:
hahaha
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Miami really sucks this year .,The pats are just having their way.I guess ESPN will continue to pick the pats to win the SB World Series ,,World Cup NBA finals, Tennis etc…their defense is very suspect.
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Gary Guthreau says:
Bent: Always a pleasure reading your top flight research! I was at the game and I don’t care too much about the negatives because I just want them to find a way to win every week. In past years/regimes they might look really good all game and lose close/late. In today’s NFL every team has talent and every team comes with something challenging, so JUST WIN BABY!!!
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I wear my sunglasses at night
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imagine being a flipper fan and seeing your squad get lit up for over SIX HUNDRED yards in the first game? ouch.
every team has problems…
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not to many defenses did that good this weekend even though miami is loosing henne has thrown for 400 yards
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Snakeman says:
Bent, didn’t we used to have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday for a BGA? I hope you didn’t lose your real-life job? Appreciate the hard work.
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oh yes guy Miami has a great pass rusher .but has giving up over 600 yards .overrated.
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Boozer up the middle says:
You wrote: “…the only catch Cromartie gave up to Bryant all day.” How many times did Cro defend Bryant? While watching the game, Cro was driving me crazy, perhaps I was just hating, but it looked like earlier in the Austin TD Cro had the better chance to come down with it, let alone knock it away but I agree, the TD call was right and that’s the problem. He was on Austin because he couldn’t handle Bryant but Revis doesn’t lose that fist fight with Austin. I know no one else is Revis but Cro shouldn’t give up two TD’s based on his rep/contract as elite. How far back was Cro when he ran out the next K.O. because he looked like he made an emotional decision and couldn’t get to the 20? One poster pointed out that you have to take the negative with the positive and I think Cro is going to have a bunch of positive games but last night wasn’t one of them, imho.
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They have to throw it somewhere, and both of those TDs were just great plays. That’s not gonig to happen often.
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Like I said, it’s possible I was just hating but boy, if he had made that interception and took it back or something else to hang my hat on… Beginning of this big a game and just get dominated? Remember, Bryant handled Cro earlier in that series as well.
OTOH, Bryant looks like a beast! Cro is really good but jeez, I felt like he earned the soft label last night.
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Sorry, I realize that it’s not clear that when I referred to the interception I wanted Cro to run back, I was thinking about a play in the 2nd half when he made a really good play knocking down a pass in the end zone.
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I said it earlier, Pats D looks weak in the back. However, I like others, have learned that it’s best not to underestimate Belichik when it comes to making immediate changes.
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The thing about the Pats is they are massive front runners. They are very, very good, but their offense it at its best when they have a big lead and defenses have to take chances. And unlike other teams, they play for the blowout and try to run up the score, which makes them appear better than they are. But they’re beatable if you can hit them in mouth and play them tough early.
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jon in bk says:
Eh, there’s a little bit of truth there, but every team in the NFL plays for the blowout. The Pats just achieve it more often.
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Love your BGAs. Really excited about how Wilson looked – solid coverage, positive body language. He seems a bit more agile than Cromartie and a better matchup for smaller, shiftier WRs than Cromartie if Revis is covering the #1 guy.
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LIJetsFan says:
BGA=best Jets site ever!
Yeah, Romo was almost perfect for 3 quarters. You can’t blame Cro for that. Perfect offense beats perfect defense, right? If our O-line held up better the rest of the team on both sides of the ball looks better but we knew going in we had O-line troubles.
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Good stuff Bent. I wouldnt read anything into Holmes not doing the first down nonsense. He probably just forgot. I know when he did it at the start of the game when the offense looked terrible and the Jets were getting beat up all I could do was shake my head….Im worried about the line and have been worried for some time. I dont think the Jets can run anymore. I think we trended down since the Woody injury and are now depleted from even using some of the jumbo sets we had in the past. On the bright side they are working screens into the offense hopefully to mitigate the poor blocking. If Hunter struggles again I have a feeling the Jets will bring someone in to at least take a look at.
As for Eric Smith, the problem with him is that he plays a position where 1 mistake is a killer and he does it too often. It just seems like you can almost always count on him for a PI call or big pass completion. They looked to have replaced him with Pool at the end.
BTW look for a bigger effort from DK this year. He just switched agents and is going to look for a contract extension by years end.
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kane says:
Bent, you keep saying screens like there were a lot of them. The only screen pass was the one to LT, that produced a big gain. Leave it to schotty to not use it again or have Sanchez to go back to it when they were obviously coming. I still can not understand why the Jets fail to run plays to take advantage of the blitz, draw plays ,screen passes, or a quick slant.
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benjam says:
they ran two successful screens.
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another good question is how many times did we line up in shotgun after gaining 3-4 yards rushing on first down. i don’t get it.
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Jeff says:
I wonder if Ron Paul will win the GOP. Probably the only candidate worth voting
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MangoldsBeard says:
I wish we would use Keller more. I really want to see more runs this week. Right before sanchizes pick I said to myself “can we try a run here”… We had much more lb pressure last night. Was fun to watch. I love westhoff.
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Josh in Orlando says:
great article – only mistake that i found was that Santonio did do his first down drop the ball thing. You may have missed it but I def saw it. I wish the Jets would have put a clause in his contract that fines him if he does that. I love him but that move is so classless it’s almost embarrassing. But hell, I’ll take that all game long if it means moving the chains. GO JETS!
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mikebe1 says:
The only time holmes didn’t do his drop was when he didn’t get a first down I believe for some reason I paid attention to this annoying act. Bent what did we do to cover witten and their slot. Was it anythis different.
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Andres Reyes says:
I think he mean an INT on a bounce so close to the S line….
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Meant… Sorry
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JayM says:
bent here’s a question for you from that offensive game plan should the Jets fire schotty?
I had to ask :)
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Bent, the Jets do not seem to be looking to add a tackle despite the calls from the fans throughout the offseason. Is it possible the Oline will gell, like last year and become dominant again with the players they have? How does the Patriots line always give TB a perfect pocket to throw out of year after year? Also, it was interesting to see Cro. on the field with O. What about trying him in some packages as a free safety? I know he can’t tackle, but Smith can’t either when he cant catch the receivers flying by him. Finally, look for Joe McKnight to get 5 touches a game on O. Schotty already got Cumberland in, so it seems the Jets aren’t as scared to use their younger weapons on O this year.
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The reason Brady doesn’t get sacked a lot is because they usually run quick-hit plays. When they go deep, Brady is usually under some sort of pressure. Don’t let last night (when the Phins defense quit late in the game) make you think their line is invincible.
As for the Jets O-line, yes, they can definitely gel together and be dominant. Callahan will adjust them both individually and as a unit, and I expect the horses to be off to the races come Sunday. The Jets get the line right Sunday vs. the Jags.
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I think the Pats O-line is better than you give credit for- top 5 in the league, without a doubt. Last year they had TEN games with 0 sacks allowed, and that on a team that airs it out as much as anyone.
And the Jets O-line has not yet shown themselves to be as good as you seem to think they can be.
The fact is, the Jets have 3 great O-linemen (only one of whom is truly top-flight), and 2 sub-par OL. It’s entirely possible that Slauson will get better, but he’ll never be Logan Mankins. And Hunter is who he is, and that’s no Sebastian Vollmer.
It’s tough to blame the FO- they did use a high pick on Big Vlad- but the fact that he looks to be on a one-way path to Bustville means they need one more premier OL, be it OG or RT.
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Oh, and agreed that they’ll rebound against the Jags, but who cares? The Jags are a team full of JAGs. (“Just a guy”)
Two seasons ago they could run against just about anyone, even when they knew it was coming. Clearly they’ve regressed noticably from then.
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I have a few steps that I like that the Jets should do more. #1 Go to the no huddle offence more and use the 2 TE. I like Cumberland as he seems to have a knack for the open spot on fiels. Bent-Give me a take on his blocking. Would like to see Jets activate Berning from practice squad. He impressed me with his motor. Maybin worth a second look as we need that outside speed. If he could only develop an inside move of of that outside rush. Bent good job on your analysis of game.
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Bent: Great job. There appears to be some correlation between the tempo of the Jet offense and their performance. It appears that the slower the tempo the worse they do. Does Sanchez think too much when he takes his time? Does the quicker pace put more pressure on the D?
I don’t have a stat, but I believe that except when they are saving time, the plays after a time out usually fail. A no huddle approach may be a benefit. -
Bent-
Great write up as always.
I’d like to draw attention to my pre-game prediction of 28-24 and invite all to watch for my picks before each game. 1 point off is better then you’re going to find on any pre-game show. -
CoryV says:
I know we didn’t play a perfect game, even a really great game for that matter…but a couple things really bother me. 1. It is the first game of the strangest off season in recent history…it’s gonna take some time to get their legs under them…especially the defense. A good case in point, look around the league…many defenses even really good ones (i.e. Steelers, Ravens, Chicago) where all lit up.
2. All the analysts (especially Fatcesa) saying how bad the Jets played and they were lucky to pull this win out of there @$$, but if it were P. Manning, Tom (womanly haircut) Brady, Drew Brees, or one of the other “Elite” QBs, they would all be saying what a great comeback it was and how you can never count out these great qb’s because time and again in their careers they engineer these types of comebacks. But Sanchito was horrible yesterday and got lucky to pull out a win….of course he wasn’t great and I’m not so drunk on the green coolaide that I’m blind to see that there is a lot of work to be done, but lets give credit were credit is due. Especially for Sanchito, his first three years in the league…he has shown he can come back. In the past I was never confident that we could we a game when trailing with 10 min, now I fell we at least have a chance to come back…. -
My main thoughts on game:
1. Don’t understand why we didn’t attempt to establish the run.
2. After game 1 we still do not get enough pressure on QB. Our D Linemen get no push
3. I thought Westerman was very active, have hope he can contribute.
4. Plax looks like he will be a great weapon for us this year.
5. O line is biggest concern. Let’s get it straightened out right away. Very worried about Hunter.Bent, you and I debated about Jets pressure on QB vs the other teams pressure on Sanchez. Looked very obvious to me that the ‘Boys put more pressure on Sanchez than we did on Romo. Do you agree?
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@Mark, are you saying that you believe you will predict every score with the same accuracy? If so, please give me the lottery numbers for this week.
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My girl said the same thing when I predicted Folk would kick the game winner after Devito recovered the fumble….Sorry but lotto #s are completely random. My predictions are based on science and science-y stuff.
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Their first drive, the Jets passed it 3 times. Then on their next drive they ran it four times for 14 yards. Their next 2 drives were 3 and outs, with Greene and LT each getting 1 carry for 3 and 2 yards, respectively, and both were 3 and outs.
Then, on their next drive, they ran it once for 3 yards but scored just before the half.
So they did try to run it in the first half, with little success.
Then they fell behind by 2 TDs and couldn’t rely on the running game. So they tried to establish it, the Cowboys were just winning that battle.
And I disagree with your pressure assessment. The Jets got good pressure on Romo, which rattled him and led to his making the mistakes that let the Jets steal the game.
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C Low says:
From the nosebleeds Plax was getting 0 seperation on every play. No wonder why their secondary held up for so long
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Plax doesn’t need typical separation. With the right route/throw combinations, he has a natural separation that is pretty much unmatched in the NFL. He and Sanchez need to work tirelessly to perfect the back-shoulder toss.
But dude had 4/72 (18.0 ypc) and a HUGE TD. I think he did fine.
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He’s not a super speed guy, that’s not entirely his strength. You don’t need a ton of separation when you stand a whole head over the DB’s. Just throw it to him a little high and let him go up and get it…
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Brendan, they did not try to establish the run, period. They ran it I believe 8 times in the first half. Now, it was obvious that the gameplan was to pass, which is fine, that’s their plan. I disagree with that plan. I want to be a team that runs the ball to set up the pass. Just different philosophies.
But there was no attempt to establish the run. Establishing the run means you keep doing it regardless of the results, knowing that later on it will pay divedends. 8 carries in the first half alone shows there was no attempt to establish it.
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Removing the final drive where they were in the 2 minute offense, they ran it on first or second down every set of downs, except one.
So my apologies, the numbers show they did attempt to establish a running game, despite your firm belief they didn’t.
Do you know the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. By your philosophy, the Steelers game was a flawless gameplan, right? They kept running into the teeth of the beast, regardless of the results.
I think it’s wiser to identify that the big front seven of the Cowboys (the kind that typically gives the Jets problems) are winning the battle in the trenches, and move away from attacking them.
But, they did try to establish a running game. When you’re 3rd and 7 or 8 every drive because you can’t run the ball, why would you continue to run it?
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Brendan, Jets “pressure” had nothing to do with Romo’s mistakes. He made 2 costly errors: The fumble on the goal line, and the Int to Revis.
Fumble on the goal line: Romo decided to run instead of throw it away. Thus was caused by good coverage. Then when he ran he didn’t take care of the ball. Had nothing to do with pressure.
INT to Revis. There was no pressure on Romo. Pettine called for help over the top for Revis and Romo didn’t see it and threw the ball right to Revis. Again, had nothing to do with pressure.-
“Jets “pressure” had nothing to do with Romo’s mistakes.”
On the fumble, he rolled right and Harris broke through to flush him back left, across his body and away from the receivers. He ran because of good coverage and good pressure.
Romo was flushed to the right by Westerman on his INT. And to think that his rushing that play had nothing to do with his internal clock speeding up, is naive and biased. He doesn’t rush that throw without getting smacked around for the entire game.
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Brendan, we simply disagree. Let’s see if we can agree on something:
I think the Jets got DECENT pressure in the game. But Dallas put more pressure on us than we did on them. Would you agree?
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Bent, I posted this yesterday in your blocked punt thread and I’d like to preface this question by saying that I’m not a shotty-hater, I think he’s called some great games and I also think that very often he’s taken way too much criticism. But it’s these isolated incidents that seem to happen at critical times…
On the Jets last possession that resulted in the FG, I found the playcalling very aggravating. As easy as it is in hindsight to criticize, they ran on 1st down when they’d had their best success all game throwing on 1st down, then threw 2 passes from the shotgun. I understand somewhat the element of surprise with running on 1st down (if Shotty was guessing that the D expected pass) and also that Sanchez has more time to survey the D from the gun. But from a clock management perspective, I would’ve liked to have seen them run a play-action bootleg (did they run a boot all game?) on 1st down and then run on 2nd & 3rd so that the cowgirls would have to use their timeout. I know they were trying to get a closer FG for Folk but in the gun the D knew we were throwing or that a draw play was coming, not too many options there. If we had milked the clock, Folk kicks the FG, game over. I was screaming for a bootleg there not only because I think it would’ve worked but because even if not, Sanchez can throw it away or slide to keep the clock moving if he can pick up a yard or two. Just felt very predictable (in terms of play possibilities they’d have to defend) and ill-advised RE: the time left in the game – why give them a shot to tie it? I like going for the jugular and making the FG more of a gimme, just didn’t like the approach. Would like your opinion, thx.
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and just wanted to add that this seems like a quintessential example of shotty being too cute, i.e. going against conventional wisdom at critical moments. To me, conventional wisdom says that in a situation like this, you balance trying to get a closer FG shot/scoring a TD with making sure you leave the opposition with no time left. You either win the game or go into OT, no chance of losing in regulation. He did it in the champ game last year by running LT a lot at the end of the 4th when time was of the essence instead of an incomplete stopping the clock.
Obviously, when something works he’s a hero, but too often he plays it in a way that not only does what he’s trying to do not work, but it ends up leaving us more vulnerable than necessary.
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I don’t know if I’d call that sequence “too cute,” but it definitely was poor.
Rex has to take blame there, too- clock management is still not his strong suit.
Just as you say, there’s no reason- win lose or draw- that the ‘boys should’ve had time to come back there.
I hated the run call, but figured “well, they’ll force DAL to use a TO or run the clock down.” Then when they called the TO themselves I really hated it. Then they ran two pass plays (one of which I remember not liking, the other was simply execution). Total botch job there, and the #1 most unforgivable mistake if they had lost that game.
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Reprocity says:
That was very bad play calling on the last three play but the rest of the game was good. Schott did that against Pitt the first time we played them last year and left them enough time to drive all the way down into the redzone and take a couple of legit shots into the end zone.
Off topic: The term “Conventional Wisdom” was coined by a man who meant it as an insult ie “The world is flat” “The titanic is unsinkable” “Blair Thomas”
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Exactly my point: good most of the time but very shaky in a critical situation, in which the plan should really be fairly straightforward (gain yards & eat up clock at the same time).
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Can’t stand when people defend Eric Smith’s play. He is constantly getting beat for big plays. And i dont even wanna hear how he’s a good run stuffing safety or whatever. That’s weak sauce.
Wayne Hunter got abused. Just got worked all night. Was it against the best pass rusher in the NFL? Yes, but those are the type of guys you’ll face in the playoffs. Pretty sure Suggs is licking his chops after seeing that performance by Hunter.
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There are no Demarcus Ware “types”. He’s one of a kind, which is why he’s one of the 5 best defensive players in football.
Also, Bent’s stats show that people were way too harsh on Smith, as he only allowed one play all game. By the sheer definition of the word, “constantly” implies there were multiple plays where he was beat. He didn’t have multiple plays where he gave up a reception.
So you’re blindly hating a guy when Bent’s research shows he had a solid, if not good, game. That’s weak sauce.
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And take Cromartie off specials. No idea what the team is thinking there. You got McKnight and Kerley for that.
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Brendan – Blindly hating? I watch every snap of every game. The guy got beat last year, beat in the preseason and beat in the first game of the year.
There are no Demarcus Ware types? What is Woodley, Harrison, Freeney and Suggs to name a few? They all get after the QB. Is Ware the best of them? Yes. But the guys i just mentioned are the same type of guys as Ware.
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Um, he got beat for one big play against a TE who is probably the best pass-catching tight end since Gonzalez was in his prime. So, sorry if I don’t want him benched for letting a guy who no one ever stops make a big play.
Yes, DeMarcus is the best out of those guys. By a sizable margin, in my mind. I don’t think any of them brings the speed/power combination that Ware does, meaning none are his “types”. Freeney is a speed rusher. Woodley/Harrison are power rushers. Suggs isn’t even in the same tier. None of those guy swill provide the same matchup problems that Ware does.
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Bent, I have a non-Jets BGA question:
Do Vontae Davis and Sean Smith still think they’re the #1 CB duo in football?
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i’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. I respect your opinion on a lot of topics here and I’ve read this blog long enough to know you’re “always right” but now you’re just getting in to semantics. Ware is a pass rusher. So is every other guy i mentioned. Ware blends power and speed and is the best rusher in the game. But all the other guys i mentioned are more than likely to face us in the playsoffs and cause problems.
Re Smith – He lets up big plays all of time. You’re talking like that’s the first tight end that’s beat Smith. Why do you think offenses go after our safeties? Listen to any NFL analyst and see what our weakness is on defense. What do they say? Safety. Weak up the middle. Can’t cover tight ends or backs out of the backfield. I really can’t stand when you tell me or anyone else my opinion is wrong especially on a topic that every other person generally agrees with. Our defense is weak at safety. Eric Smith plays safety = he’s not that good.
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Bent says:
There will be plenty of stuff on Ware/Hunter and Smith in BGA Extra tomorrow. You both make good points, but I’ll have some numbers that might give you something to think about. Don’t miss it.
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Semantics? You’re using Hunter’s lack of success against, as you put it, “the best pass rusher in the game” and saying it will be indicative of his performance against every elite pass rusher. I just disagree that because Hunter struggled against Ware (a 6’4 260+ pound pass rusher with elite speed for a pass rusher coupled with elite strength) he will struggle against anyone who can rush the passer. He can use his huge size advantage against a guy like Woodley.
You’re also making the assumption that all teams will flip their elite pass rusher to face Hunter. Those guys rush from the weak side for a reason (aside from Woodley), and teams aren’t going to flip their entire playbook around to attack Hunter. 95% of the elite pass rushers the Jets would face would match up with Brick, and thus, be a non-factor.
Could you name some examples of Smith getting burned or will you just keep saying that it’s happened “constantly”.
Also, the Jets use one-on-one safety coverage on elite tight ends very rarely in games, if at all. It’s not as simple as “Jason Witten made a catch, damn that Eric Smith!”
Smith is an average NFL safety. He’s strong against the run (strong tackler, great at reading developing running plays so he’s able to attack the lead blockers) and slightly below average in coverage. But when Rex brackets his TEs (which is their standard scheme to cancel out elite TEs), they have a minimal effect. Smith missed a jam on Witten (who has probably 5 inches and 50 pounds on Smith) and that opened up the gates for a big play when no one picked up that Witten was running free across the field underneath.
There’s a saying that I love: A person can be smart, but people are always dumb.
By this I mean: if I agreed with the majority every time, I’d never be right. Just because more people think something (like Smith sucks) is true rather than false, doesn’t make it true.
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It’s a small difference, but I would say that Eric Smith is a below average safety. He’s average against the run (for a small guy he fights hard, and he is savvy, but he does get trucked/washed out from time to time), and he’s below average against the pass.
Part of the reason he brackets TEs all the time is b/c the Jets don’t have enough guys who can match up 1 on 1. You think Ed Reed/Troy P./Bethea/Meriweather/etc. don’t let their coaches get more creative than a guy like Smith?
Not every guy on your team can be an All-pro, but I think in football people tend to over-value their own guys b/c they know their games better. I bet there are 30+ safeties in the NFL worth taking over Smitty.
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Oh, and the guy i forgot to mention, who was excellent at covering TEs…one Hollywood Rhodes.
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Johnny Reefer says:
When it all comes down to it.
Dallas really only had 3 big offensive plays. The rest of the game we pretty much bent but not broke. We D handled them well.
The three plays:
Austins td (which I still say was a pick regardless of bents opinion lol)
Wittens catch
Dez Bryants first catch (first play of the game)them 3 combined were about 150 yards right there.
On O in the second half, if it wasn’t for the pick and fumble (fixable thing: Don’t hold on to the ball, Read the right D) we pretty much handled them.
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and like always our Special teams handled them well.
So I personally don’t believe we got beat up as bad as everyone seems. I think we drove the ball better then them, and we played better D.
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lol you gotta be kidding me man…how could you watch that game and not be concerned about Hunter going up against elite pass rushers? I mean seriously. I’m concerned about our RT. That’s it! He got abused by Ware. End of story -> makes me concerned about our RT situation. How can you argue that? 95% line up against Brick? Where does Clay Matthews line up? Cameron Wake? Tuck? Suggs? Freeney/Mathis? Mario Willams? Woodley? Where do they line up? Do any of those guys move around? YEP!
Name examples of Smith getting burned? Let me go in to my film room and dig up some past performances by E.Smith and write down the down, distance, coverage and who he was matched up against cuz you won’t admit that Smith is a liability in coverage. Did you watch the Patriots game last night? Did you see how they use their tight ends? You feel comfortable with Smith lining up against Hernandez and Gronk?
Spare me with your sayings and reasoning on why you have to disagree with everyone’s opinion on this site to interject your superior point of view.
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Elite pass rushers are predominantly weak-side rushers. Suggs, Freeney, and Williams all play the weak side.
Dumervil, Hali, Abraham, Charles Johnson, Osi, Harrison, James Hall, Jared Allen, Trent Cole, Cliff Avril, Bryan Orakpo, Raheem Brock, Kamerion Wimbley, and Julius Peppers all rep the weak side.
So, the Jets are going to face: Wimbley, Suggs, Wake, Dumervil, Shaun Philips, Merriman, Orakpo, Hali, Cole, Tuck/Osi/JPP. Those are the “elite” rushers (using “elite” loosely). Out of those, Wake, Philips and the Gmen are going to line an elite player on Hunter a lot. 4 games (5 if you count Dallas) out of 16 where the best pass rusher will face Hunter for a good portion, most or all of the day. I think the Jets should be able to work something out to help him if it’s needed.
Did I see how the Pats used their TEs? Yes. It was identical to last season. The Jets defense will not give up 500 passing yards to Tom Brady. They seemed to adjust to the tight ends pretty well in the playoff game they two teams played.
And I never called my point of view superior, you did.
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Biebs says:
“Bryan Thomas also gave up a first down catch, as Dez Bryant burned him for 42 yards from the slot. ”
That made me laugh. That falls under ‘schematic loss’… would the system give Bryan Thomas negative points for not being able to cover Dez Bryant.
IMO if a LB is covering a WR (especially one as talented as Dez Bryant) and gets beat, I don’t really see the LB as the problem.
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DSmizzle says:
Bent:
It is my understanding that in American football, there are 5 “offensive linemen” and that their names are “Tackle” “Center” and “Guard”. Please explain the difference, and why do they call it “Tackle” if he plays offense? Is it because D’Brickashaw Ferguson (who I understand to be a “Tackle” makes “Tackle” on “Linebacker” “Interception” “Return”)?
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I can’t agree about the Austin TD. Cro clearly has possession in the endzone before Austin has two hands on the ball. Should have been a touchback.
Asides from that, I was pleased with Sanchez, delighted with Burress and thrilled for LT. I can’t imagine they’ll come out and play a perfect game against Jacksonville, but I would like to see them take an early lead because I think the Jags will struggle playing from behind.
It’s incredible Del Rio has a job considering how much more…average his team is than the group he had in 2006.
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Gary says:
so happy the season is back…everything that comes with it including heart stopping jet games i have missed
onto my thoughts/comments:
1) i was real confused with the use of revis today and i think his interception at the end has stopped people from looking at the rest of his game. First, I was confused by how many times he lined up on a side with no WR’s or guarding #85 (oglegrue?). Add in he one time let that guy score on a first down. Last year I assumed he stopped following the #1 WR bc of his injury, while he did mostly stay on Dez once it was apparent Cro couldn’t why did he stray away at all?2) You didn’t speak much to play-calling today and I have become to believe that yelling about second down calls are tough things to do but there’s one thing that has bugged me since last year. When are the Jets going to realize that Sanchez only wakes up after he leads a 2 minute drills and start to toss in a hurry up offense either to start the game or somewhere in the first quarter?
3. THE CROWD…I’ve been to 90% (only missing games due to college) for the past 15 years and can say this is the first game I ever noticed that the crowd caused false starts/delay of games. I felt the entire fourth quarter the crowd actually was impacting the game during 3rd downs and feel it has to be mentioned even with all the Cowboy fans how we made a difference. And I wanted to know if it was this noticeable on tv.
some overall thoughts: thought the LB’s played real well, and DLINE played solid. safeties scared me in coverage of TE’s but witten is one of the best in the league and i knew this was a problem. Cro gotta get better. running game ill hold out another game or two before i get too upset about it and think there’s a problem. As i said above I thought after the 2 minute drill Sanchez played real well even despite the mistakes which as long as he’s making good plays as well I can mildly handle (better than turnovers in his first year where nothing positive was coming from him during them).
OVERALL GREAT TO START THE SEASON 1-0, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING GAMES IVE BEEN TO
ITS GREAT TO HAVE THE JETS BACKJ-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
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“Add in he one time let that guy score on a first down.”
He didn’t score, just caught the first down.
I would like to see them open up in a no-huddle as well, but let’s also not forget that they did that in the Monday Night Massacre last year, and….well…..yeah.
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orjetfan says:
If Hunter has the physical tools to do the job, he now needs the exposure to top talent to get better. That happened last year when he stepped in, we have to expect it to happen again. Offensive lines need time to gel, this line needs more time together before an accurate judgment can happen.
Bent must have done a breakdown of the improvement that Hunter showed last season? -
Certainly Sanchez can continue to improve his consistency, but 59%, while under constant and ferocious pressure, is impressive.
Yes, perhaps his percentage was helped by screen passes — though I’m not sure it influenced the number to the degree that you seemed to — but Ware and the Cowboy pass rush coupled with poor protection would have had a much greater and potentially negative impact on his percentage. Considering that, 59% looks awfully good to me.
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Ckmagic says:
I appreciate your analysis, but let’s face it,, the jets looked more like a 5-11 team than a team that can challenge the pats. Dallas had a makeshift oline that the jets couldn’t get consistent pressure on, and let’s face it, Romo made them look really bad. If not for dez Bryant getting injured, the cowboys win this game 31-17.
Outside of the dismal performance by the defense, Sanchez just doesn’t look good. He was awful in reading the defense and should have thrown about 3 more picks if Dallas didn’t have fifth stringers in at CB.
I don’t know if he just stinks or if it’s the offensive coordinator, but Sanchez is just too inconsistent. With Holmes, burress, Keller, Tomlinson and Cumberland, he should have no problem identifying the matchup favorites when they run spread. However, he failed way too often at this on Sunday, and Im afraid he just doesn’t have the ability to read defenses well enough.
Put Brady with the jets offense and he would pas for 500 yards like he did on Monday. It might be unfair to compare Sanchez to brady, but if the jets want to win the AFC east, too bad, because he needs to play much better than he did on Sunday.
fire schotty