Oswlek
Veteran Starter w/Big Long Term Deal
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2006
- Messages
- 9,086
- Reaction score
- 5,955
First off, the biggest positive of all: I didn't have to watch this stinkbomb. I spent the early afternoon with the kids picking apples and at a playground, then went to the in-laws for an early supper. I caught NY's first drive of the 2nd half, a handful of plays in the middle of the 4th, some of the first half on the radio and did a little of the yahoo refresh thing. Other than seeing some highlights and reading this board, that is all I've got to go on so feel free to correct me if you think I'm a bit off.
* I find it interesting that people are jumping on Peas, considering that the gameplan was the same it has always been when facing a rookie QB. BB has never, ever played a pressure defense against a first year QB, even going back to the RAC days. He prefers to flood the passing lanes with defenders and force young QBs to have to make quality reads and throws to move down the field. Then when the field constricts there is less of an opening for the outlets and even a successful drive only nets 3. He has even stated this preference in interviews.
And you know what? It worked, almost to perfection. Other than one play where two Patriot defenders blew easy chances to nail the receiver and creating a big gain, NY had only a couple successful drives and none of them ended in TDs. It was checkdown, checkdown, checkdown all day from what I saw. NE held NY to 16 points despite losing their two best and most important players other than DL.
The problem was that the offense didn't put the space between them and NY that should have been there. They dominated the first half and still lead by less than a TD. Even then, the Jets D was nearly toast after being on the field for most the 1st half. The TD reenergized them the same way Buffalo's defensive score did the week before. In both cases negate those plays (or drive in NY's case) and the rest of the game plays out much differently.
* Much as with Peas, NE's offensive game plan was the same as it always is when facing a pressure defense. Stretch the defense horizontally and force the blitzers to present themselves presnap, get the blocking situated and read the coverage, run the play. Did we all forget how often NE passes against Pitt, or against Baltimore in 2007 despite the conditions? It is what they have done succesfully before (going into yesterday 7-1 with 24.4 average points scored against some of the best defenses). The problem yesterday was that NE's outside opposite Moss is a guy still getting his bearings and the slot was a rookie starting his first game. As soon as I heard Welker was out I knew NE would have some struggles because he is much more important the offense than people realize.
* All that said, NE still had plenty of chances to put this one away early, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. No, that isn't right. They shot themselves in the both feet, castrated themselves, chopped off several fingers and then shoved a red-hot poker up their ass. You can't expect to beat Detroit when you are walking back 5 or 10 yards every series of downs. And it wasn't even like those were "I'm toasted so I better hold onto this guy's jersey or my QB will get killed" type penalities. Illegal formations, holds on running plays when the defender was already blocked anyway. Real ugly stuff, but easily fixable.
* Yes, this season has started in inauspicious fashion. But journey back in time with me a little. In 2001 NE was 0-2 losing to an awful Cincy team and these Jets. Even if you want to say, "Brady wasn't starting yet!" what happened in his second game? NE was annihilated 30-7 by Miami. Now think back to 2003. Even if you want to discount the Buffalo game due to the Milloy effect, NE was decidedly mediocre against the Jets in week 3 and then lost to a pathetic Washington team. Or how about 2004? They beat Indy in a game they could have (or maybe even should have) lost and then were pretty bad against a dreadful Arizona team, only coming away with a win because the Cardinals were pitiful.
OK, how about those seasons that started out with a bang? In 2002 NE absolutely creamed Pitt and NY looking like the best team in the league. We all know about 2007. What happened? Both of those teams played their worst ball in December and beyond. I'll take a rocky first month over "Targetting September" any day. As long as NE makes steady progress they will be fine.
* Given the choice, would you prefer NE struggled early on defense but was decent on offense or vice versa? I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't even hesitate in taking the latter. Why? Because I know that NE's offense is going to come around. I know that there is too much talent on this roster for NE to be held to single digits again once the pieces come together. As confident as I have been that the defense will be strong at seaon's end, it was never a certainty. It is a certainty that the offense will not play this poorly again, barring major injuries.
* Edelman is going to be a player. He still needs more seasoning and his stats yesterday had more to do with the gameplan and NY's defense, but by season's end he will be a true asset.
* NY had less yards in the entire first half than NE averaged per drive. Hell, it was less than half of NE's average. The Jets play like that again and NE is up 24-3 and the second half is merely a formality.
* TN, Pitt and SD all lost. Unless you feel threatened by NY or Denver no one is running away with this thing.
* Lastly, on Saturday while I was putting one of the boys to bed, the other took off his diaper and crapped on the living room carpet. He then made the unfortuate decision to give this stinky play-doh a whirl. When I came downstairs, poop was everywhere; on the couch, streaked on the living room and kitchen floors, smeared in the living room and hallway carpets, on his feet, hands and face.
NE may have dropped a giant turd in the Meadowlands, but at least I didn't have to clean it up. :rocker:
* I find it interesting that people are jumping on Peas, considering that the gameplan was the same it has always been when facing a rookie QB. BB has never, ever played a pressure defense against a first year QB, even going back to the RAC days. He prefers to flood the passing lanes with defenders and force young QBs to have to make quality reads and throws to move down the field. Then when the field constricts there is less of an opening for the outlets and even a successful drive only nets 3. He has even stated this preference in interviews.
And you know what? It worked, almost to perfection. Other than one play where two Patriot defenders blew easy chances to nail the receiver and creating a big gain, NY had only a couple successful drives and none of them ended in TDs. It was checkdown, checkdown, checkdown all day from what I saw. NE held NY to 16 points despite losing their two best and most important players other than DL.
The problem was that the offense didn't put the space between them and NY that should have been there. They dominated the first half and still lead by less than a TD. Even then, the Jets D was nearly toast after being on the field for most the 1st half. The TD reenergized them the same way Buffalo's defensive score did the week before. In both cases negate those plays (or drive in NY's case) and the rest of the game plays out much differently.
* Much as with Peas, NE's offensive game plan was the same as it always is when facing a pressure defense. Stretch the defense horizontally and force the blitzers to present themselves presnap, get the blocking situated and read the coverage, run the play. Did we all forget how often NE passes against Pitt, or against Baltimore in 2007 despite the conditions? It is what they have done succesfully before (going into yesterday 7-1 with 24.4 average points scored against some of the best defenses). The problem yesterday was that NE's outside opposite Moss is a guy still getting his bearings and the slot was a rookie starting his first game. As soon as I heard Welker was out I knew NE would have some struggles because he is much more important the offense than people realize.
* All that said, NE still had plenty of chances to put this one away early, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot with penalties. No, that isn't right. They shot themselves in the both feet, castrated themselves, chopped off several fingers and then shoved a red-hot poker up their ass. You can't expect to beat Detroit when you are walking back 5 or 10 yards every series of downs. And it wasn't even like those were "I'm toasted so I better hold onto this guy's jersey or my QB will get killed" type penalities. Illegal formations, holds on running plays when the defender was already blocked anyway. Real ugly stuff, but easily fixable.
* Yes, this season has started in inauspicious fashion. But journey back in time with me a little. In 2001 NE was 0-2 losing to an awful Cincy team and these Jets. Even if you want to say, "Brady wasn't starting yet!" what happened in his second game? NE was annihilated 30-7 by Miami. Now think back to 2003. Even if you want to discount the Buffalo game due to the Milloy effect, NE was decidedly mediocre against the Jets in week 3 and then lost to a pathetic Washington team. Or how about 2004? They beat Indy in a game they could have (or maybe even should have) lost and then were pretty bad against a dreadful Arizona team, only coming away with a win because the Cardinals were pitiful.
OK, how about those seasons that started out with a bang? In 2002 NE absolutely creamed Pitt and NY looking like the best team in the league. We all know about 2007. What happened? Both of those teams played their worst ball in December and beyond. I'll take a rocky first month over "Targetting September" any day. As long as NE makes steady progress they will be fine.
* Given the choice, would you prefer NE struggled early on defense but was decent on offense or vice versa? I don't know about anyone else, but I wouldn't even hesitate in taking the latter. Why? Because I know that NE's offense is going to come around. I know that there is too much talent on this roster for NE to be held to single digits again once the pieces come together. As confident as I have been that the defense will be strong at seaon's end, it was never a certainty. It is a certainty that the offense will not play this poorly again, barring major injuries.
* Edelman is going to be a player. He still needs more seasoning and his stats yesterday had more to do with the gameplan and NY's defense, but by season's end he will be a true asset.
* NY had less yards in the entire first half than NE averaged per drive. Hell, it was less than half of NE's average. The Jets play like that again and NE is up 24-3 and the second half is merely a formality.
* TN, Pitt and SD all lost. Unless you feel threatened by NY or Denver no one is running away with this thing.
* Lastly, on Saturday while I was putting one of the boys to bed, the other took off his diaper and crapped on the living room carpet. He then made the unfortuate decision to give this stinky play-doh a whirl. When I came downstairs, poop was everywhere; on the couch, streaked on the living room and kitchen floors, smeared in the living room and hallway carpets, on his feet, hands and face.
NE may have dropped a giant turd in the Meadowlands, but at least I didn't have to clean it up. :rocker:
