I'm not sure what your football IQ is, but rather than trash talk in an injury thread, it might be useful to provide your take on how the Jets linebackers are going to handle the Patriots running game and underneath passing game.
With LaFell active, watch for him and Martin to take the Jets corners up the sidelines while the real action is in the middle of the field at 5 to 11 yards.
If Lewis plays, the Jets have problems. It looks like he won't, so Belichick signed this tank, Joey Iosefa this week - 6-0, 245 - who was an outstanding pass catcher at Hawaii. Watch for him underneath steam rolling guys like Coples.
James White is a quick scatback who can outrun the Jets linebackers and who is due to show his stuff. What I don't like about White is that he doesn't fight through tackles and goes down if somebody breathes on him.
Blount is a known commodity. I like the Pats running backs without Lewis against the Jets linebackers.
If Bowles blitzes Brady, he'll pick the Jets apart with Gronk, Chandler, Edelman, Amendola and Iosefa.
The Jets linebackers are the weakness of a very stout defense. Coples, Harris and Davis are nothing special, and don't cover well. None of your up front monsters can drop into coverage with Gronk and Chandler, so the linebackers will have their hands full.
C'mon, that wasn't trash talk. Just a rare opportunity at a joke given
@robertweathers was misquoted by something I wrote.
I've been saying all week, my biggest worry was Dion out of the backfield burning our LBs. The kid has been impressive. If he's out, sucks cause you'd like both teams to be as close to 100% as possible for big division games, but I'll take it. Jets still a work in progress under new coaches and schemes, so that would help to even things out.
Can't speak to Iosefa. No clue who he is. Guess I'd say he'd have to prove something before being considered a threat.
White, same deal. Not much info on him, but I'm guessing he's not quite at Dion's level.
You mention that our LBs are nothing special. Can't agree with you there. I do agree they are the "weakness" of this D, but compared to the Dline and secondary, that's not an insult. Harris is a beast for what he is. A 3-4 MLB meant to plug holes, blitz occasionally and run the defense. Davis is pretty quick for a 3-4 MLB and not horrible in coverage. Coples is really a DE. It was really Coples vs Dion that was giving me nightmares. Unless this Iosefa is some freak of nature, he's not steam rolling Coples. The rookie Mauldin is improving. And Pace is the under-appreciated guy everyone says should retire, but keeps having good years. So yeah, it's not the best LB corps in the game, but I'm happy with it.
Given the luxury of our front 3 or 4, I'm expecting a ton of nickle and even dime packages. With Revis, Cro, Skrine, Williams, Milliner, Mcdougle as CBs with Gilchrist and Pryor at safety, DBs will be flying around everywhere this afternoon.
Gronk? As I've said before, not gonna shut him down. Biggest mismatch/headache in the NFL. Just gotta hope to slow him down with a LB hitting him inside 5 yards with a DB over top. Then hope press coverage across the board allows the Dline to get to Brady before he can get the ball out. Which I know is tough given he's been getting the ball out in under 2 seconds. Don't think he's played a D capable of press coverage like this though.
It's gonna be fun to watch regardless of the outcome. Been said a bunch, but given it's gameday, I'll repeat. I'm hoping for a great game w/o injuries on either side. Hard hitting and PAIN, sure. Just don't want to see either team lose guys to injury.
