Did the Jets have a bad defense called on the final Moss TD?

[tombonneau]

Getting in an argument with my friend (non-Jet or Pats fan) who says that the only reason NE scored at the end is because the Jets had a horrible defense called and were playing off Moss.

Apparently Chris Collinsworth was bemoaning this point, but I couldn't hear it at the bar.

I'm contending that when the ball was thrown & caught, Moss was blanketed and it took a perfect pass & catch to beat it, so how was it a bad defensive call?

I'm not sure why he is arguing this point, as I can't see his POV at all. It might have looked like a "bad" defensive call when the play started, and it the Pats scored on a quick slant to Moss, you'd have an argument, but given that Law was all over Moss on the catch, in the end the D looked like the right call to me.

Anyone care to chime in on this and enlighten me to his POV (because he's not doing a good job) ... also, what exactly was Collinsworth point during the play?

 

[mgteich]

That was an aweful defensive call. Moss was covered perfectly almost all came, being bumped by Poteat or others. For this one play, the defense changed. With this defense all game, Moss would have had four touchdowns. The jets tried so hard to give a way the game.

 

[Jared]

Collinsworth was wrong on that one. I understand why he first said it before the snap, but when he kept repeating it, it didn't make sense. When you consider that Moss and Law were sitting there locked up for a solid two seconds in the end zone, even had he been pressed at the line, the two players would still have ended up in the same spot by the time Matt got out there to throw.

 

[tombonneau]

That was an aweful defensive call. Moss was covered perfectly almost all came, being bumped by Poteat or others. For this one play, the defense changed. With this defense all game, Moss would have had four touchdowns. The jets tried so hard to give a way the game.

But that is when you are defending the whole field, not just 15 yards, right?

 

[Tunescribe]

Huh? Law was attached to Moss's hip. It was simply a great athletic play by Randy and perfect pass by Matt. The only other maneuver New Jersey could have made was to double-team Moss, which would've left someone else open.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Uh,If Law played any tighter up on Moss he would have been considered to be molesting him

It was a PERFECT pass

 

[Rob0729]

It wasn't a good call, but even so Law was in position to make the play. So it wasn't a bad call. Collinsworth overplayed them not playing Moss tight though. Moss had plenty of time to get into the same position to make the play even if he was bumped on the line.

 

[GoWhalers]

Here's the weird thing about that play -- Moss was a decoy.

Watch the replay, he's not running a route like he's trying to get open. He's just trying to draw coverage. It's only when Cassel is forced to scramble away from pressure that Moss turns around and makes an amazing catch.

My question is, on your last chance of the game, why isn't there gameplanning to make Moss one of the best options? Too obvious? Subterfuge on the part of the coordinator?

 

[WhiZa]

Here's the weird thing about that play -- Moss was a decoy.

Watch the replay, he's not running a route like he's trying to get open. He's just trying to draw coverage. It's only when Cassel is forced to scramble away from pressure that Moss turns around and makes an amazing catch.

I doubt they used Moss as a decoy on the most important play of the game. The reason he's not running a route if because Law had two hands around him and he couldn't move. Finally Cassel has to throw the ball out of bounds so Moss can reach it without getting cuddled by Law.

 

[billdog3484]

its definitely not a bad defense when the guy is half out of bounds while making the catch. it was the right d i think. although, if the other team scores, its hard to say it was the right D

 

[tombonneau]

Ok, glad to see I'm not just dense and/or crazy and that majority here agree with me. (Doesn't bode well for you all though, I suppose ... )

 

[kolbitr]

Ok, glad to see I'm not just dense and/or crazy and that majority here agree with me. (Doesn't bode well for you all though, I suppose ... )

I don't understand the purpose of arguing your friend's point at all, though. This isn't Madden. Many good offensive plays come as a result of the defensive call not being perfect...how many of the Jets yards could be chalked up to that? Not covering him at all--which you see all the time in the NFL--would have been an obvious blunder, but that wasn't what happened.

 

[GoWhalers]

I doubt they used Moss as a decoy on the most important play of the game. The reason he's not running a route if because Law had two hands around him and he couldn't move. Finally Cassel has to throw the ball out of bounds so Moss can reach it without getting cuddled by Law.

Take a look at Randy's route (about :22 into the link below), and tell me if you don't think he's a decoy. He jogs straight at Ty Law, and just sort of posts him up.

YouTube - Matt Cassel To Randy Moss Last Second

No arguments from me on Cassel's throw -- amazing placement on the run, and a hell of a catch by Moss.

 

[PatsFan24]

not a bad call on defense, just a great play my the pats. the jets took a timeout to get their defense set and that was not a bad idea because it was a good play on defense, just that it was a perfect play by the offense

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Bad defensive call? They nearly sacked Cassel before he escaped and made THE THROW.

EDIT: Thanks to GoWhaler's link, I'm reminded of a simple truth - 4th down, 8 seconds on the clock, one play that had to go into the end zone. The Jesters knew the throw had to go into the end zone, they played to force the Pats to throw underneath by staying deep and flooding the end zone. They wanted Cassel to take what he was given, instead he kept the situation in mind, evaded the rush, bought time with his feet, and read the post-up of his #1 WR for exactly what it was - a beautifully screened throwing window. D**M that was good! There were GM's salivating over that play today.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Take a look at Randy's route (about :22 into the link below), and tell me if you don't think he's a decoy. He jogs straight at Ty Law, and just sort of posts him up.

YouTube - Matt Cassel To Randy Moss Last Second

No arguments from me on Cassel's throw -- amazing placement on the run, and a hell of a catch by Moss.

No, Randy isn't a decoy. He played a nice position battle with Law, the refs let them play, and Randy's post created a nice target for Matt - money.

 

[nashvillepatsfan]

No, Randy isn't a decoy. He played a nice position battle with Law, the refs let them play, and Randy's post created a nice target for Matt - money.

I hadnt had time to watch my recording of the game, but after watching the youtube vid,,,,,,,,,wow. Watching it live, I thought Moss had gotten a little more seperation from Law before the ball arrived. But I was wrong, Law was on him the whole time. That was a great example of the perfect placement of the ball. Great throw, great catch.