1. Leon Washington problem: I haven't watched the game "from the sidelines" so I wouldn't fully know what's going on there, but: can anybody enlighten me with the hands of Leon Washington? How is he as a receiving threat? Not as a receiver from the backfield, but as a receiver from the slot. I don't know - I would have tried Leon in the slot this season until I am convinced it will not work. I mean, if Leon lines up in the backfield, he's a threat to run the ball, so the defense will need a linebacker in the box - that's the initial assessment. Now, when the defense expected Leon to line up at the backfield, Leon lines up in the slot, giving the 5-WR spread look. Most LBs will get torched by Leon in the open field, so that's a simple way to create a mismatch, no? There, Leon can actually run a receiving route, or simply go with bubble screen (or any of that sort.) Just food for a thought. 2. Coles problem I (or Keller problem) Why does Coles have to line up at the split end? Can't he move to the slot? I'd prefer Cotchery and Keller lining up at the split end with Coles in the slot, every once in a while. The rest can change - with Franks/Baker, you have a classic 2TE set, or with Richardson, you have classic 3 WR I formation. The point? Again, creating a mismatch. The defense will expect Keller lining up as a TE, and Coles/Cotchery at split end more often than not. Keller is that tall, fast and physical receiving threat we all craved, by the way. Maybe not blazing fast, but is fast enough too. Wasn't that the idea behind drafting Keller? Now... say the offense goes with: Coles/Cotchery/Keller/Jones/Richardson There is one mismatch right there (LB on Coles) or if the defense got torched a few times, and try to get cute with extra DB, a simple audible can create another mismatch - Keller as TE, and Coles out at split end, and we have a classic I formation, which favors physical running team. After a few more runs on I formation, you can even go with playaction pass with Coles/Cotchery at the split end. I mean, there are just too many possibilities to create mismatch with this group of players. 3. Coles problem II (or Cotchery problem) To cover against the quick slant, the defensive back cannot allow the receiver to have inside step. To prevent this, usually they cover very tight, slightly ahead of the receiver's route. Now... what befuddles me is... where's the creativity in route running? For instance, if the DB keeps himself ahead of the receiver, with aggressive mark, there's this thing called "Zig out" route to abuse such behavior. The receiver takes 2 to 3 steps in slant direction - and when the DB bites the slant, he ditches the DB, and races out to the sideline. Chances are, the DBs will be caught out of position. The real threat of this route is that, If the DB doesn't bite, the play can carry on as a quick slant play (Of course, the QB and WR must be on the same page, but that can be coached.) To properly defend against this, either the D must give up minimal yardage in slant pattern, or commit 2 defenders on 1 WR (1 inside, 1 outside) Why haven't I seen any of these? ----------------------------------------------------------------- I have a few more "ideas" but I thought these were the most glaring problems this offense has shown in the past few weeks.
You can examine the nuances of every formation they have in the playbook and still come up empty because you haven't talked about the most important thing...establishing the run and sticking with it, which ultimately wears down defenses and sets up the passing game. Shottenheimer and Mangini abandon the run way too quickly. They run out of shotgun spread sets on 1st downs, often getting incompletions. They refuse to run on 3rd and 4's. 4th and 1's. That's the real issue. We have a horse in Thomas Jones, a good run blocking OL, a good fullback, a great edge runner in Washington who we never use on a sweep or send to the edges. What the hell is the OC pass happy for? Even in bad weather this jerkoff thinks pass 1st. That's the main issue.
Stuckey in the slot >>>>> Leon in the slot Leon's great on screens, and we block well on screens...but screens require the element of surprise and the Jets offense hasn't been doing much surprising lately. I have to agree with concussion that we abandon the run way too early most games. Part of that has to do with the fact that Jones is not that dominant of a lead rusher and rarely have I seen him really push the pile this season. Those 1 and 2 yard pickups are just as important as the longer ones sometimes, and we don't convert those consistently enough for me to think we have a GREAT running game.
You're absolutely correct...we have 3 pro-bowlers (although I say that with a grain of salt) on our offensive line, and to tell you the truth, the only long runs of the year have been to Woody and Moore's side. We are a running team...we run to set up the pass. I guess they figured when they ran all over Tennessee and kept the ball for 40mins, that it was unfair? I will say that 99% of people on this board know less about football than most head coaches forget in a day. But if we, the non-coaching side, can tell you what the hell is wrong with this team, then something is wrong! So we beat the Pats, and the Titans, and are on top of the world. I don't believe for one second that the players got "full of themselves" and thats why they lost down the stretch. Fine, they got big heads going into the Broncos game, but that should have been their wakeup call. I just don't get it, and I'm sick of this bullshit team year after year. Our offensive playbook is retarded...We are the only team in the league that sends two WR up against a cover two zone, and two TE's. Defensive backs must just laugh at us...they double cover both WR's, and they know that one TE will block, and one will run a 5yd pattern. Then stick one LB on our RB who will come out of the backfield, and PRESTO!! You've beaten the Jets. We really need change, and change quickly. Mangini is a dope. I'm still IN SHOCK over the call to kick a FG on 4th and 1 from the Seattle 2yd line. So what if we didn't make it on 4th and 1, you make the team drive 98 yards to score!! It all went downhill from there...This game really made me think twice about this shitty organization, and whether or not I can stomach shelling out money for more season tix next year, and this stupid PSL. At least Giants fans have an investment...
History has proved times and times again that you don't have to have a dominant running attack to have a successful offense, while having it wouldn't hurt. I am raising these point simply because this offense just doesn't seem to WANT to run - or REFUSE to run would be better words. I'd prefer to see them set up the running attack first and foremost, but they just don't do it in any stretch - and I am in a way resigned to it. I'm so fucking fed up with 3rd and short shotgun calls, if you saw any of my previous postings before. Anyway, whether they want to run or not, that doesn't invalidate the points I have raised. Route running has been lacking imagination for weeks, and attempt to create any type of mismatch has been at best null. The offense has been stale, bland and tasteless for the past 4 weeks - no fucking wonder they suck. I mean, look at the short passing routes - hooks, quick out, quick slant, zig out, drag, whatever. How many of them are utilized? Or long patterns? Jets could line up 3 WRS on on side, with Cotchery alone on the other - forcing the deep safety to cheat on the strong side. Then set Cotchery on skinny post. As he's tall and physical, his lack of top class speed can be neutralized with skinny post pattern. (Yes, this was one of the ideas I have referred to above.) Instead... Unbalanced WR formation? That's like heresy to Jets brass. Ok? This offense severely lacks imagination in any stretch - that's all I was trying to point out.
So Stuckey can run the ball from the backfield too? What are you reading? I am not comparing Stuckey with Leon.
The coaches don't want to run the ball. Thus putting the WR's in a one dimensional offense that sets them up for failure. You cannot resign ANY offense, specially the Jets to not committing to the run and being a successful football team. There is no one or the other. We MUST run the ball or we will lose, plain and simple. We must sustain and grind out drives to keep the opposing offense off the field and our defense fresh. Remember the time of possession against the Titans? That was all about running the ball and a complimentary short passing game. These coaches forgot what we were good at because they got too fancy with their own playbook and forgot fundamental football.
Like I said, I agree that the this team must establish running attack. But not establishing running attack doesn't necessarily mean this offense will be scoring 3 point against the worst defense in the league. The passing attack plain sucks - and not having a good running attack (which takes the focus away from the passing attack) magnifies the effect. Doesn't mean there is no room for improvement with this passing attack in any means.
Does it really matter?? Favre will throw a few picks,get sacked by Joey Porter twice and Pennington will score the game winning TD on a QB scramble!!! REVENGE IS COMING 12/28/08 to a GIANTS Stadium near you!!
People will tell you whether Leon is good or not from the slot, but the truth is he hasn't been given an opportunity there so no one knows.
Speaking of that, we all rip on The Three Stooges, but never the position coaches below them. What the hell is Bryan Cox doing on the sideline? How can he be coaching players that exhibit so little fire on the field? That guy was a maniac on a football field.
In the snow the receivers have an edge over the DB, that is why they were throwing. We had them early by passing the ball. The game was atotal breakdown on the O, favre played poorly but there were also plays where the ball was dropped and other cutesy stuff they were trying that didn't work. I think the D is poorly coached but in reality this team has about the record they desrve. Did you really think we would be better than 10-6, maybe 11-5 at best?
I KNOW Leon is good from the slot. Everyone knows it but the coaching staff. When have we ever thrown a slant over the middle to leon? When have we run a straight power sweep with Leon? The only thing we use him for are screens, which easily get sniffed out and put him in traffic. We need to send WR's deep, and send Leon from the slot underneath coverage. Here's another novel idea, send Keller out there too. Don't tell me we can;t move the ball down the field with Favre, Jones, Washington, Keller, Coles and Cotchery on the same field.
You seem to understand where I am getting at... i.e. classic I-formation personnel (Coles/Cotchery/Keller/Richardson/Leon, not Jones) - then line up in an unbalanced shotgun (Cotch alone on the left, Richardson in the backfield with Favre, Keller split wide on the right, Coles and Leon in the slot) I do think Richardson is a legitimate running threat (that this Offense coordinator rarely tapped) and you've got 2 LBs covering 2 slot WRs, basically. Unless the QB does something severely stupid, the situation is won by default. Of course, if the D gets too cute with DBs, watch how Leon can still run from the backfield with proper blocking ahead of him. *Simply speaking, the offense is asking the D "where are we going? here or there?" -> the answer is, of course wherever you don't go.*
