This team hasn't been ground and pound at all. I don't know if it was just misdirection saying that was coming or if that was the plan but the RBs aren't producing as needed. Obviously Greene is not the answer. It seems like Powell is the future of our running game.
We'll see Moon. I think that Matt Schaub and Alex Smith are both better than Sanchez given the talent on the roster supporting both QB's. Although both Qb's have more time in service than Sanchez, I think both have more upside than Sanchez as I'm starting to think Sanchez's career might need a reboot somewhere other than the NYC TriState region.
I don't want to sound like I'm getting way ahead of myself but Powell should get increased reps. I thought he was a good change of pace in the Pitt game before it got out of hand and I certainly saw more from him than I saw out of Greene yesterday. Give him a shot at least, right?
I agree with Powell getting more reps. Greene was a power back who looked like a workhorse. What the heck happened? He is not even close to what he was. A pass-catching 3rd down back also needs to be high on our wish list.
So you want a RB who can teleport through the O-lineman's body? As far as I know, the guy with the ball can't gain any yards if the guys in front of him aren't moving anyone. That's kinda how football works....not too complicated.
I think it is safe to say the Jet O is not being effective running the ball so far. It is not as advertised this past off season. Now why that is the case and what to do about it are different questions, but are the Jets being effective in the running game? Clearly not.
This whole offense is a failure, everybody including the QB, Wr's and RB's, the line can't run block, even though their pass blocking has improved...
The reason that Sanchez looks overwhelmed (again) is that the Jets can't run the ball reliably (again) that's all it is. The WR's aren't helping things out but the big deal is that the Jets can't move the ball on the ground. I don't think it's news to anybody that if a defense can focus on Mark Sanchez and his WR's the results are likely to be pretty ugly. The reason the Jets looked so good game one is that Chan Gailey is an idiot. He had his defense selling out to stop the run early on and Sanchez got on a roll because for once he didn't have everybody focused on him. Mario Williams even said that the first half plan was to stop the run when he was asked about the lack of pressure the Bills got. It was a gift from a clueless Bills coaching staff that got suckered into trying to stop a non-existent Ground and Pound. Well now the NFL knows that Jets can't run the ball and the WR's are iffy and Keller is hurt and man, Sanchez isn't going to move the needle much when all the other team is focused on is shutting him down in that situation.
People misconstrue the Ground and Pound. It's not an offensive philosophy. It's about closing teams out with the running game in the 4th quarter or being able to win short yardage situations consistently which obviously the Jets can not do right now. I think the run blocking has been OK. Not great but adequate enough that a decent back can find some yardage here and there and take some pressure off the passing game. You definitely see a difference with Powell in the game. I can't take watching Greene plow into the backs of his own blockers anymore. There are holes there but Greene doesn't see them. Powell will at least try to slip around a crowd or a pile where Greene just runs into it. Powell gets 4-5 yards, Greene gets 2-3 yards with the same blocking. One of Greene's best runs was when he actually bounced outside because he didn't want to run into the pile in front of him. Powell definitely needs more PT.
I said back in April that I didn't think we had the personnel to run the power-o running game that Sparano wanted to run. http://forums.theganggreen.com/showthread.php?t=71803&highlight=power
Grounding and pounding our way to 2 Yards per carry. This is embarrassing, considering what the Raider offense had done the 1st 2 weeks (including getting crushed by Miami) and what we were able to get done against Pittsburgh: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...-after-latest-loss?module=HP11_headline_stack
He's nothing to write home about either. You think he could even make the NE practice squad? The lack of talent at the skill positions, for a team that fancies itself as a Super Bowl contender, is an absolute joke.
Greene is clearly not a starting NFL back at this point. He doesn't have the skills to do all the things backs need to do these days. He's like a throwback to the days when you could just hand somebody the ball and let them plow ahead for 3-4 yards and a cloud of dust. Powell is more interesting. He has ok hands and he actually can get to the outside on his own without having the entire side of the defense wiped out first. I still haven't seen him make anybody miss but Greene can't even get outside the tackle on his own. BTW, the Jets have a silly lack of talent on that side of the ball at this point. Bradway strikes again!
Does anybody know when Clark Gaines, Kevin Long and Scott Dierking are getting into the Hall of Fame? I don't want to miss the induction ceremony. Look guys ... you don't need a superstar RB to have an effective ground game. Those guys I mentioned are an example of that. the Jets were one of the best rushing teams in the NFL, going ground and pound with those three players carrying the load. Don't get me wrong ... I would love to have a stud at RB, but we can still move the ball without one. What you need are a few steady guys who hold onto the ball, being led by good run blocking up front. We won't break off any big runs, but we can keep the chains moving. The only change I would make is to give Powell the bulk of the carries. I thnk we'd be fine with him as our starter, and using more of Greene and McKnight later in the game.
