- Joined
- Jul 11, 2005
- Messages
- 15,524
- Reaction score
- 27,525
I was over at Gangreen to view the chaos, when I spotted this. Enjoy
October 10, 2011
Late Patriots Drive Chips at the Jets’ Foundation
By BEN SHPIGEL
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It was an ideal situation for the Jets. In spite of themselves, they trailed New England by 6 points Sunday midway through the fourth quarter. The Patriots had the ball at their 22. The Jets had all three timeouts. All they needed was a stop, and an improbable victory seemed possible.
For a team that prides itself on defense, that employs a defensive guru as its coach, that returns 10 starters from one of the N.F.L.’s best units, what followed was 6 minutes 12 seconds of pure, unadulterated misery. The Patriots ran on 11 of 13 plays, gashing the Jets up the middle, to the left, to the right, to set up a field goal that secured a 30-21 victory.
“Improvements can come in two different ways,” Coach Rex Ryan said, still frustrated a day later. “Either you improve by changing what you’re doing, or you get better at what you’re doing.”
The Jets are not supposed to yield that sort of drive, merciless and systematic. It contradicts Ryan’s philosophy and pedigree. It clashes with the defense’s reputation and construction. It also highlighted the inconsistencies plaguing a team that has lost three straight games, in three ways, and, if given a chance, could probably invent a few more.
“We were there, we know we can stop them,” Ryan said. “At the end of the game, the thing that was disappointing was that we didn’t get off the field.”
In the past, despite all their issues — an inexperienced and turnover-prone quarterback, in particular — the Jets could depend on their defense, knowing it could often stop a team cold on command. Against the Dallas Cowboys’ diversified offense, it looked unsure of itself. Facing a fast running back like Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders, it looked old and slow. On Sunday, it disrupted Tom Brady well enough, sacking him four times, but lacked discipline and confidence, committing four penalties and blowing coverages.
Already this season, the Jets have allowed two of the top five single-game rushing outputs under Ryan: 234 yards by Oakland and 152 by New England. Safety Eric Smith said he was surprised that a veteran group had made so many mistakes.
“We have some guys that may try to do other things outside their job,” Smith said. “And then it ends up leading up to some bigger plays or bigger gains than it should be.”
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who gouged the Jets for 59 of his 136 yards on that final drive, is not viewed as an elite running back, in the class of Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice, but he is physical, strong and deceptively quick. His long gains came on plays run to the left, following superb blocking by Matt Light and Rob Gronkowski, but even so, the Jets had chances to stop him. They just didn’t, as Muhammad Wilkerson and Kyle Wilson, for starters, missed critical tackles.
Videotape confirmed Ryan’s suspicions that the Jets had problems with alignment, assignment and technique — in other words, everything. Ryan has always said that the mark of a good team is an ability to run the ball even when the opposition expects it. The Jets have done that in the past. The Patriots did it on their defining possession Sunday.
“We were trying to make them run the ball,” said Smith, who added that the Jets deployed additional defensive backs, in zone coverage, to entice the Patriots. “We felt like we had a better chance to stop them doing that.”
Fortunately for the Jets, their next opportunity comes Monday, when the Dolphins visit MetLife Stadium. Miami, without the injured quarterback Chad Henne, could try to exploit the Jets’ run defense, which has given up an average of 134.8 yards a game.
The Jets, weary of the road, have said again and again how much they want a home playoff game. The only way to guarantee that reward is by winning their division. At this stage, with the Jets two games behind New England and Buffalo in the A.F.C. East, that appears all but impossible.
So more than likely, they will forge ahead down the same well-trodden path, with the same inconsistent quarterback, Mark Sanchez.
It was Sanchez who noticed that the Patriots’ long march seemed to produce a similar effect as the Jets’ icing drive at Gillette Stadium in their playoff game last January, when Shonn Greene burst 16 yards for a score.
If the Patriots could respond, defensive tackle Sione Pouha said, then so could the Jets.
“We’re a team that’s built to keep on swinging, no matter what the situation or circumstances might be,” Pouha said. “We’re always going to be swinging.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/sp...gewanted=print
October 10, 2011
Late Patriots Drive Chips at the Jets’ Foundation
By BEN SHPIGEL
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — It was an ideal situation for the Jets. In spite of themselves, they trailed New England by 6 points Sunday midway through the fourth quarter. The Patriots had the ball at their 22. The Jets had all three timeouts. All they needed was a stop, and an improbable victory seemed possible.
For a team that prides itself on defense, that employs a defensive guru as its coach, that returns 10 starters from one of the N.F.L.’s best units, what followed was 6 minutes 12 seconds of pure, unadulterated misery. The Patriots ran on 11 of 13 plays, gashing the Jets up the middle, to the left, to the right, to set up a field goal that secured a 30-21 victory.
“Improvements can come in two different ways,” Coach Rex Ryan said, still frustrated a day later. “Either you improve by changing what you’re doing, or you get better at what you’re doing.”
The Jets are not supposed to yield that sort of drive, merciless and systematic. It contradicts Ryan’s philosophy and pedigree. It clashes with the defense’s reputation and construction. It also highlighted the inconsistencies plaguing a team that has lost three straight games, in three ways, and, if given a chance, could probably invent a few more.
“We were there, we know we can stop them,” Ryan said. “At the end of the game, the thing that was disappointing was that we didn’t get off the field.”
In the past, despite all their issues — an inexperienced and turnover-prone quarterback, in particular — the Jets could depend on their defense, knowing it could often stop a team cold on command. Against the Dallas Cowboys’ diversified offense, it looked unsure of itself. Facing a fast running back like Darren McFadden of the Oakland Raiders, it looked old and slow. On Sunday, it disrupted Tom Brady well enough, sacking him four times, but lacked discipline and confidence, committing four penalties and blowing coverages.
Already this season, the Jets have allowed two of the top five single-game rushing outputs under Ryan: 234 yards by Oakland and 152 by New England. Safety Eric Smith said he was surprised that a veteran group had made so many mistakes.
“We have some guys that may try to do other things outside their job,” Smith said. “And then it ends up leading up to some bigger plays or bigger gains than it should be.”
BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who gouged the Jets for 59 of his 136 yards on that final drive, is not viewed as an elite running back, in the class of Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice, but he is physical, strong and deceptively quick. His long gains came on plays run to the left, following superb blocking by Matt Light and Rob Gronkowski, but even so, the Jets had chances to stop him. They just didn’t, as Muhammad Wilkerson and Kyle Wilson, for starters, missed critical tackles.
Videotape confirmed Ryan’s suspicions that the Jets had problems with alignment, assignment and technique — in other words, everything. Ryan has always said that the mark of a good team is an ability to run the ball even when the opposition expects it. The Jets have done that in the past. The Patriots did it on their defining possession Sunday.
“We were trying to make them run the ball,” said Smith, who added that the Jets deployed additional defensive backs, in zone coverage, to entice the Patriots. “We felt like we had a better chance to stop them doing that.”
Fortunately for the Jets, their next opportunity comes Monday, when the Dolphins visit MetLife Stadium. Miami, without the injured quarterback Chad Henne, could try to exploit the Jets’ run defense, which has given up an average of 134.8 yards a game.
The Jets, weary of the road, have said again and again how much they want a home playoff game. The only way to guarantee that reward is by winning their division. At this stage, with the Jets two games behind New England and Buffalo in the A.F.C. East, that appears all but impossible.
So more than likely, they will forge ahead down the same well-trodden path, with the same inconsistent quarterback, Mark Sanchez.
It was Sanchez who noticed that the Patriots’ long march seemed to produce a similar effect as the Jets’ icing drive at Gillette Stadium in their playoff game last January, when Shonn Greene burst 16 yards for a score.
If the Patriots could respond, defensive tackle Sione Pouha said, then so could the Jets.
“We’re a team that’s built to keep on swinging, no matter what the situation or circumstances might be,” Pouha said. “We’re always going to be swinging.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/sp...gewanted=print
