Category Archives: Opinion/Bassett
Rex giveth and Rex taketh away. As are the rules in Florham Park, if you get a game ball, then get a national award, your ball gets redistributed to a teammate.
The Rex Rules are the rules, and one rule says that if you get a game ball on Monday for your play on Sunday but then you get a league award on Wednesday, you give the game ball back. Such was the case with Jason Trusnik, who received his second game ball of the season for his special teams play against Tennessee but then was honored earlier today with the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
And so “after further review,” Ryan and his staff have regifted Trusnik’s game ball to … LB Vernon Gholston.
“I thought Vernon did an outstanding job Sunday. He prevented a touchdown on sheer hustle,” Ryan said of Gholston’s solo tackle of Tennessee’s Chris Johnson 30 yards downfield at the end of a fourth-quarter run that, had No. 50 not been so inclined, was ticketed to become a game-tying 73-yard TD run. Instead the Titans ran three plays and punted and the Jets held their 24-17 lead.
We’ve always contended it would be a long road to get Vernon Gholston ready for prime time, and while some fans have voiced that frustration rather vociferously, Rod Boone reports that the coaching staff is seeing some things that they like in his game of late.
Gholston just plays without a lot of flash, defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said.
“Vernon’s strength is exactly that, his strength, and that’s something we’ve taken advantage of,” Pettine said Thursday. “A lot of times that involves him knocking guys back and taking two blockers, and those are thankless jobs. Those are things that go unnoticed. That’s why we’re high on him because he’s great while he’s doing his job. That’s the whole motto of our defense: Do your job and good things will happen.”
Talk like that was blasphemous under Eric Mangini. Want more heretical statements for Mangini? You got it.
Sorry friends, but it’s soapbox time!
It seems that some fans are ready to cut off their own nose to spite their face because the Jets have relocated facilities over the past year.
Join us, with some quotes from a scorned fan in the Post, after the jump …
Corey mentioned and opined on Mike Florio trotting out another tired takedown piece on the Jets. In Florio’s article, he continues to say what he’s already been saying since last summer, that Tannenbum is going could be fired this year … just like he did last year. But this time he’s serial. (Super serial?)
Let’s let loose the blogger invective and fire it up for Mike Florio, FJM Style.
New York Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum likely isn’t sleeping all that well these days.
Is it the humidity? The humidity is keeping me up some too, that and my wife’s incessant covers stealing. Did he try adding a fan to his bedroom? Sometimes still air makes it hard for me to sleep. Maybe melatonin tablets. Or a typical Mike Florio retread article on the Jets about how the team’s GM is doomed yet again this year.
The long-term employee of the team, who has worked his way up the ladder into a position of ultimate authority – and thus accountability – now has nowhere to go.
Except out the door.
Not true, Tannenbaum could still yet be named Supreme Overlord of the Jets, that or maybe Caesar.
Last year, Tannenbaum behaved like a desperate man, spending millions of dollars on a variety of free agents, while ignoring the quarterback position.
Until Brett Favre became available.
Here’s my take on the stories that will be watched closely by the beaties at today’s first minicamp of the 2009 season.
Change in Coaching Dynamic? — Mangini used to plod around, chew gum incessantly and hold a clipboard and look generally sullen. How does Rex Ryan’s demeanor on the field compare? Is he energetic, is he excited? Also how do new coaches like Henry Ellard, Mike Pettine and Doug Plank (etc.) interact with the players?
Not So Newcomers — It will be interesting to see how players like Bart Scott, Brian Leonhard and Marques Douglas, all newcomers but veterans to Ryan’s scheme, interact with their fellow players. Do they help transfer and teach? (more…)
As we head towards the draft, we’re going to look the position groups to assess the current roster, before determining who the team should look at in the draft.
Jets Wide Receivers
Jerricho Cotchery — The current number one, it still remains to be seen what Cotchery can do without Laveranues Coles lined up on the other side of the field from him. Cotchery has been decently productive, but he’s a tough possession receiver, not a speedy home-run threat.
Thanks to the many Jets fans who helped out with trying to help Larry Grantham get his ring back. It seems that the story has a good ending, but the plot still isn’t totally unfolded, but I can guess.
Although I don’t have the particulars, it seems that the “auction has been called off” according to someone with information on the matter, you’ll see here that you can no longer bid, although it was to run until 8PM tonight.
I don’t know specifically what transpired, but I know enough to know that those in Florham Park were aware of it and although nothing’s been confirmed yet one way or another, it seems that someone (or someones) stepped up to the plate to help out Mr. Grantham.
For those of you who were kind enough to donate, thank you. From what I hear, for as much as the ring means, our money will likely go to something far, far better … it sounds like it will go to help Mr. Grantham pay off some of the medical bills he’s accrued. So Grantham gets his ring and can help to defray the costs of his medicine, and we all feel good about helping out a former Jet that deserves our thanks.
For all the headscratching PR moves that the Jets have made over the last month with the coach switch (and again, I don’t know that they did intervene, but if they did …) they deserve all the credit in the world for helping out. Well done Woody & Company!
Well done Jets fans! Well done Freedom House! Well done beat reporters! Well done Jets (unconfirmed) organization!! It’s a good day!
More to come … we’re sure …
UPDATE: NJ.com is reporting that the owners of the memorabilia firm pulled Grantham’s ring because they’re recovering alcoholics and were “moved to tears.” (Thanks SD99!)
HUGE tip of the cap to the good folks of Hugging Harold Reynolds who made me aware of this …
BIG ups to Freedom House for championing this. Beyond our generosity to Larry Grantham, they can still use our help to empower the less fortunate to break their addictions.
With the hiring of Doug Plank, commenter nyckage noted that he wasn’t all that familiar with what the 46 defense was. So, we thought it would be a good idea to explain a little bit about the enigmatic 46 to TJB readers. Since the 46 defense is, in a way, the “half-brother” of our new Head Coach, it’s clear that the same blood that courses through the 46, courses through the veins of the Jets new coach. Even though I don’t think you’ll see the Jets lining up in this formation predominantly in 2009, it will help us to understand the principles and history behind the Ryan family’s defensive philosophy.
History
The 46 defense came from the desire to stop run-heavy teams by 1980s Chicago Bears’ Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan (Rex’s dad) who later became coach of the Eagles and Cardinals. The ’85 Bears team is considered by many to be one of the most dominant defensive units ever in the history of the NFL and most great defenses are measured by that stick. The defense was distinctly Ryan’s invention. Ryan has been widely regarded as one of the league’s greatest minds in terms of defense. Ryan started in the league in the 1960s with the New York Jets helping with Jets’ Super Bowl III defense and then moved to Minnesota to help create the “Purple People Eater” defense of the 70s.
In the late 70s, Ryan moved to Chicago as the defensive coordinator for the Bears. Once in Chicago, Ryan began developing the 46. The name of the scheme is not based on the personnel like the 3-4, but based on the jersey number of one of Buddy Ryan’s favorite (who now works for Ryan’s son Rex in New York) players, Safety Doug Plank. Plank was “all out” hard-hitting safety, and Ryan relished his style of play. As an honor to the player he respected so much, the system was named after Plank.
Next up, we’ll write about scheming the 46 …
Despair! It’s the inevitable contrarian with the Worst Case Scenario column to make you even more miserable.
Filip Bondy of the Daily News wrote today about how the Jets and Favre might be stuck with each other but let’s look at the heart of his column, FJM style:
The unraveling was painful to watch, sure. But Favre’s biceps tendon apparently was torn, and nobody was forcing Mangini to keep the guy out there, throwing downfield.
It was a “damned if you do” situation for Mangini but he should have had the stones to head it off at the pass rather than scream obscenties from the sideline as he watched Favre sink the ship for him. Mangini was somewhat blindsided, or he would have sent us a message like Lane Kiffin was kind enough to with his 76 Yard Kick decision.
It would have been a bloody coup to bench Favre, and let’s be honest, Woody was looking for any reason to fire Mangini as it was … what with Woody’s “decision tree” and all.
Favre spoke to the press today and answered questions about Miami, about Pennington and about his undecided future with the Jets. He’s not saying anything, we haven’t heard from Favre before.
Interestingly, Mangini said that he wants Favre back, but the truth is that it’s a politic answer by Mangini … there’s no other way to answer that question and not incite a John Madden / Peter King led riot.
On his reaction to Coach Mangini saying he wants Favre back next year …
We haven’t really discussed it. My focus is Miami. The little bit that we have talked about was that more or less we’ll talk about it once the season’s over, which, in fairness to the rest of the team, is the best way to handle it.
On whether he will come back next year … (more…)
The 2008 Brett Favre World Tour came crashing to a halt in Seattle tonight.
But even though Favre’s still throwing crossfield backfooted interceptions, and even though Schottenheimer refuses to ride his true horse, and even though Coles seemingly dropped more passes than he caught, and even though the Jets punted instead of kicking a crucial field goal, and went for it instead of punted, and even though the defense couldn’t get off the field, there’s still a false hope that the Jets could conceivably sneak into the playoffs …
But seriously, is there any reason to watch this team an extra week after the way that they’ve played since they thought they won the Super Bowl by beating Tennessee?
I thought they were a 9 win team going into this season, and it brings me no joy to be proven right.
Just an observation, but I saw a blog post on Fifth Down from Greg Bishop that caused me to think a little bit about fandom in general and the perspective of us fans. What was first a question posed to Trent Dilfer about just what kind of team the Jets are, turned to a commentary on fans.
“I don’t know if you can get a read on [the Jets team]. You can look at it like a pessimist or an optimist. Most Jets fans are pessimists, and there is a lot of evidence as to why they are that way, the feeling that something bad inevitably is going to happen. The whole ‘woe is me’ thing. They have had their share of heartbreak over the years.
“The other way to look at it is to look at the Indianapolis Colts. They had that miracle win earlier this season against the Houston Texans. They parleyed that into seven straight wins. A game like that, even a miracle win, can help a team gain momentum. The question is: What do you do with it?
Not to get too psychological, but aside from the obvious lack of congruity when talking about fans of one team and a wholly unrelated team, there’s an underlying point here about my perspective on life and my perspective (which gets amplified greatly) when it comes to sports.
Note: There were other plays in the game that gave hope to the Jets ability to stop the running game, and I will address those on Thursday, but today we’re going to look at some where the Bills were successful.
The last time the Jets played the Bills, the world was just starting to take notice of what appeared to be a fearsome front seven when it comes to stopping the run.
Now, just a month and a half later, what has happened to that vaunted Jets’ run defense? This past week, Eric Mangini stressed a ‘back to basics’ approach, in terms of tackling, hand placement and shedding blocks. But how did the Jets really do against Buffalo? Today I bring you the bad news, tomorrow I’ll bring the good.
Buffalo’s First Possession 9:40 left 1st Quarter 7-0 Jets
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