Not with the running game. Their running game was better than that of the Jets. By the season's average, Jets posted pitiful 3.8 yards per carry - Dolphins? 4.2. That's almost half a yard better per carry. And the best part is, Reggie Bush was the work horse back for the Dolphins when this happened - Bush ran between tackles, which he was unable to do with the Saints.
They never had Bush run between the tackles with the Saints. He was mainly used a receiver and on draw plays. The Dolphins used him like he was used at USC. Meaning -- in all the other ways he's capable of being used -- but also out of the I formation every once in a while, too. Yes, the Dolphins had better YPC than the Jets. But the Jets' 3.8 ranked 29th, so someone brought in from just about any staff could be said to be part of a better ranked running game than the Jets had. The Dolphins' 4.2 average still ranked below the league average of 4.3, by the way. So great, the Jets running game might improve... all the way to still below average.
Youre missing out key factors The Dolphins offensive line is actually worse than ours (talent wise) The Dolphins HBs are definitely worse than ours. Bush isnt a real complete back, and Thomas is dog shit. If youve looked at the Fins under the Sparano era they overall had a great rushing/blocking attack. Its just their Oline is old/beatup as shit now, and their backfield is full of trash. The Jets could legitimately challenge to be a top 10 rushing offense next year. I dont see us being a top 5 unless someone breaks out in the biggest kind of way, but top 10 isnt impossible. Eitherway id be shocked if we dont finish in the top half of the league at least
The Dolphins invested in short area power players who couldn't pass block. So they averaged 4.2 YPC -- still below average -- but were the worst pass blocking offensive line in football according to Jon Gruden. Not exactly a smart tradeoff when you're trying to develop a Mark Sanchez. Talent wise running back is more of a wash than what you're saying. Shonn Greene is a good back and showed it by averaging 4.2 YPC, exactly what the Dolphins averaged as a team and .1 YPC more than he averaged in 2010. The backups are more of a wash. Tomlinson was done last year and showed it. If Daniel Thomas is garbage I don't know what to call Joe McKnight. The Dolphins rushing attack was fine -- good, even -- when they had the Wildcat working. When it failed in 2010, they stumbled to 3.7 yards per carry, good for 31st in the league. So unless the Jets are going to run as much Wildcat with Tim Tebow as the Dolphins did in 2008 and 2009 with Ronnie Brown, why should there be much hope about this rushing attack? Your post is just so much pie in the sky optimism.
Good post. The other problem with this "Sparano the Savior!" nonsense is that he was also the HC while the fish deteriorated to their level last year. As HC, was he not responsible in some measure for this decline? It sure as hell was why he got fired down there. So, since Rex is a defensive guy, what role is Sparano going to have going forward in regard to developing the Jet roster on offense? Not a happy thought.
Happy thoughts? I'm coming from a place as a True Darksider where at times last year and this offseason I was looking ahead to the next GM and Head coach of this franchise...... So, While I get that we all shouldn't be giddy and making plans for a parade right now, IMO, the Sparano hire was TREMENDOUS and just about the last gasp chance of this Wildcat / Sanchez / Tebow / Reign in the Circus actually working out...... Before a major housecleaning - throw em all out move. What Sparano will hopefully clear up ASAP is all the confusion we saw last year that derailed drives. Sparano is in people's faces where Schott seemed to lay back and that obviously didn't work for this group... the OL has a SOB in their faces and IMO they NEED that so bad. This game is about doing a lot of little things well and the jets last year did NON of em!!!! - Clear up the confusion, clear up the penalties and IMO that's a MASSIVE step in the right direction Alone... Now clear up the game planning and Play calling that many of us railed against Schott about and I think that's step 2 - Now an offseason and Sanchez takes another step and has some better protection and we take yet another baby step..... baby Steps..... I'm coming from hanging off the GW bridge ready to let go.. Not some Sunshiny place of all greatness for all the FO does. baby Steps. That Miami offense also has rotating QB's and problems of it's own - they also took shots against our top Defense and burned them and looked pretty efficient for what they had - we should have a better OL, better QB and better weapons to throw to..... baby steps.
I understand what you are saying. I merely meant that Sparano's stay in Miami did not inspire confidence in his ability to develop the roster, even on O, although I do think by the end that Moore proved to be more effective than Henne.
Exactly. The more people look at Sparano as a savior for the offense, pointing to his time in Miami, the more they have to give him the blame for what happened with that Miami offense in 2010 and 2011. In other words, Sparano was either responsible for the Miami offense (and thus, responsible for that offense's sputter and decline from what was only mediocrity anyway), or he wasn't responsible for the offense so why exactly is he a good hire? It wasn't like he was some dynamo offensive coordinator who got his shot as a head coach and failed (and might therefore go back to his former glory in his old role). Sparano was plucked basically from obscurity having only been a running game coordinator and with one year of calling plays under his belt. What does he have to fall back on that's there to feel good about?
Miami was a bit of a bad place to be last season, especially for Sparano. When your FO is openly courting a potential replacement Head Coach during the offseason prior, it doesn't really put Sparano in the best of situations, especially considering the tough division he is in. I'm not swayed either way on Sparano yet, but I hope he can bring a fresh perspective on the offense. With not much to really go on playcalling-wise (From what I've heard, in Dallas he was mainly working with the running playcalling, which doesn't indicate his overall gameplanning skills), I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach to the offense. In terms of the OL, I do worry a little about depth at the position, but I'm hoping the younger players can develop this offseason and provide some of that. One thing I would like to see is a legitimate backup to Mangold at Centre, whether from within the current roster or through FA/trading. When he went down, that entire line just turned into multiple revolving doors, and the quick patches the Jets had in place just didn't cut it. It's impossible to replace a guy like Mangold, but the line still needs to be serviceable without him.
INJURY BUG????? What injury bug. Last season the Jets lost 3 starter games to injuries. In fact one of the most amazing stats of the last 4 years is how LITTLE the Jets OL has been affected by injuries over that time... compared to what's happening to most teams around the league Compare that to the 34 starter games the Pats lost on the OL. In fact only one starter played in all 16 regular season games. It also draws a comparison to the issue of depth on the 2 teams. The Pats started FOUR different centers over the course of the season and it hardly caused a ripple. The Jets starting C missed 2 games and the offense simply collapsed. That's just 2 freakin' games, Imagine the chaos 34 would have caused. And speaking on the larger issue. Even if the Jets manage to solve the RT problem with Ducasse or Hunter. Even if D'Brick's bad season was a hiccup and not a trend. Even if Moore's run blocking regains its former excellence. There is STILL the matter that not a single Jet back up lineman has had ANY significant playing time. Compare that to the the Pats where EVERY back up OLman has started multiple games Next to the Bears ignoring their OL issues this off season, the Jets choosing to pretend that their OL hadn't slipped significantly last season is surprising to say the least. The Pats pass rush improved last season, but that didn't stop the Pats from adding 5 pass rushers to their roster in FA and the draft. Meanwhile the Jets wait until the a 6th round comp pick to add a guard who might even be a very good player in 3 or 4 years.....but most likely will be teaching school a year from now. Such is the nature of low 6th round picks. If I were a Jet fan, I would only hope they the Jet FO knows something I as a fan doesn't know. Because on the surface there seems to be a disconnect here.
Oh, make no mistake about it - if Sparano succeeds and works well with Ryan, and these two run the team with great succes for the next fifteen to twenty years, I will be thrilled, and I am not saying I know that will not happen. Well, it might be unlikely, but that's not the point. The point, the only point, that should be made here is that people who seem to assume Sparano is going to succeed are just being rose colored glass wearing off season anything is possible therefore the best things will happen for the Jets homers.
Good analysis. This was a deep draft for OLers, and the Jets waiting until the 6th to take even one is not the best of signs for the team's future. The Bills, unhappy with their OT play and their OL depth, grabbed 2 OTs and an OG who can play C. I couldn't believe the Jets passed on DeCastro when they've got Moore (32) and Slausson (mediocre) as their starting guards, and then they passed on OT Adams in the second. Pitt picked up both of these guys, and along with Pouncey, have restocked their OL. DeCastro, who plays RG, would have been an immediate starter, likely a perennial Pro Bowler, and a big help to the run game. Watch the Steelers develop some virtually unknown RB into a star running behind that OL. IMO, the Jets FO, like most Jets fans, is banking on the Savior Sparano myth. The problem with that idea is that while Sparano was a good OL coach, as OC he's not going to be doing a lot of day-to-day coaching of the OL. Moreover, his OLs in Miami weren't all that good.
Looking for a Jets fan opinion here. Why does Rex and the Jets keep saying that Hunter is the starter at RT? Why dont they want a competition between him and Ducasse? Everyone knows what Hunter brings to the table... shit and garbage. Ducasse hasnt done anything to this point either but at least he has potential. Why declare Hunter the automatic starter instead of seeing what Ducasse has?
Oh, and the Jets should not have taken DeCastro. Anyone who takes a RIGHT guard in the top 20 is a moron. That is the easiest position on the o-line to fill. Not only that, but they guy cant even play tackle if needed. He is purely a RG. You can find guards anywhere in the draft.
Because it's embarrassing as hell to admit that you guaranteed a backup offensive lineman $2.45 million for next season. If Hunter isn't an effective starter and the Jets don't have somebody emerge to take his place then they spent way too much money on him in January. Right now the two figleafs the Jets have on the Hunter guarantee are that he might play well enough as starter to not embarrass them and derail the season, and that if somebody else emerges from who they have on hand they can claim they guaranteed Hunter to let the process work itself out as the other guy took the job. The third option will be to have a lucky cut drop in their laps and just hope that the $2.45 million is't what keeps them from getting him. If Hunter wasn't guaranteed they might have been able to afford Eric Winston earlier.
Here is what irks me,,,,,I think Callahan was one hell of an off line coach,,,,,I do not feel at all that way about Spprano. Regardless of who is coaching what system or scheme we still have 2 glaring problems ! First we still have Hunter starting at RT and we still have zero ,nil,nada offensive line depth ! I felt this way last year in August and I feel this way now , how can the front office NOT address the off line with any depth ? I mean if any of our startes get hurt I have no clue who will step in ,do you ? This is still amazing me !
If you want to be a "ground and pound" team, you certainly do take the best guard prospect to come out of the college ranks in a decade or more, especially if he plays RG, before #20. Since most teams are right-handed, they like to run to the right side of their OL.
The Bills went through this during the Donahoe regime. Donahoe just wouldn't spend $ or high picks on linemen, especially OLers, and it's a big reason the Bills have failed to make the playoffs in a dozen years: crappy OLs. He traded for Bledsoe and then left him out there protected by the likes of Benny "The Penalty" Anderson! It's a short-sighted policy that will bite teams in ass if their FOs practice it.
If you believe the report, the Steelers were willing to draft Decastro top 20 and took him at 24 Do you think the guys running that team are morons? Not to mention, I'm not sure how you know he is strictly a RG. There is no doubt in my mind he could play LG if asked to
From what I could tell, they were saying at this point in time on their offseason depth chart he is still considered the "starter", but they do expect a competition at the position.
