SB Nation - Eric Smith

Rhode To Resolution

David_Wyatt — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:41:06 -0000

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The whole Kerry Rhodes saga has unravelled and unravelled fairly quickly in front of our own eyes, their have been several angry comments aimed at Rhodes on here over the past week or so, and some that have questioned him to no end (some of them made by yours truly), but I thought that Rhodes made baby steps in an attempt to resolve the issue yesterday with a few of his post game comments....although they were of course mixed in with his all too familiar, I'm going to show the haters what I can do.....maybe on another team. Not directly quoted but it was that kind of vibe.

"I have gotten a lot of great feedback as far as people wanting me here and some people don’t," Rhodes said after the game. "So, just those guys that don’t believe that I can do anything, I am sure another team wouldn’t mind having me on the team to show them, that’s all."

The above comments are infuriating to fans who just want him to ignore some tweets that he gets from some angry fans and just play the game. I'm sure it's very frustrating for him to have people question him all the time, however surely he can see that by addressing them he is isolating an even bigger proportion of the fan base. I'm not a Kerry Rhodes hater, but after this incident I'm certainly not a Kerry Rhodes fan either.

However despite his hints that he may seek employment elsewhere after this season, saying that he might not mind a change, and the only reason he would leave is to show the 'haters' (which sounds so immature) I don't think he really wants to go anywhere. He said himself he enjoys the city, and his outside football activities only thrive in an area like New York.

So in time it started to feel like high school, do you remember when someone really wanted to do something, but they wanted everyone else to want them to do it, so they would pretend like they wanted no part in it. Which of course encouraged everyone else to compliment them, tell them how great they were, how it wouldn't be the same without them, an EGS (ego boost scenario) something that Kerry has received from hundreds and probably thousands of his twitter followers.

Let's be perfectly honest here, I don't believe that Kerry wants out of New York at all, this is the perfect city, the perfect environment to host a personality like Kerry's. So for the first time yesterday, I saw a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel or perhaps the road, when Kerry made this comment

"Right now I am trying to win and help this team win and that is what I am doing right now."

Not earth shattering granted, but it's at least a start to a resolution and perhaps the bridges that have been burned can be resurrected over the last three games, so what does Kerry have to do to continue on the 'Rhode To Resolution"?

Stop addressing hateful tweets that he is sent, ignore them, block them, or delete them
Advance on his comment above, how winning is the only important thing and all he has his mind on is the New York Jets
Stop trying to prove himself to the 'haters' a group of people he really shouldn't care about
Show his support to his team mates, come out and say that he wants his job back but in the mean time, Eric Smith has his full support, he may be supporting him behind closed doors, but with the need to repair relations with the fans, a public comment would go a long way
Stop with the mysterious answers about next year and beyond, if asked, just reply that the focus is on the upcoming game and nothing else matters
Dedicate himself entirely to his on field play. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed to admit weaknesses in his game, fans appreciate the truth, and comments about how your working to improve go down as well as a JD & Coke

Can we please have the old Kerry Rhodes back, the one who looked like he was working his butt off on every play, who hit people and hit them hard, who was loved by the fans and returned the love in return. The one who was still trying to show the league how good of a player he was, the hungry one with fire in his eyes. He has the athletic ability, but is he willing to work to resolve this issue and work his way back into favour. I think following the above method would be a starting point.

New York Jets Pass Defense vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pass Offense

John B — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:03:42 -0000

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Rookie quarterback melts down. That was the story last week for Tampa. We know how they feel. In his first four starts, though, Josh Freeman had looked pretty good for a rookie with a 7 to 5 touchdown to interception ratio. Accuracy had been something of an issue as it is with many rookies. However, Freeman offered a glimpse of what he may become two weeks ago with a 20 for 29 250 yard game against Atlanta. You may remember I was against taking Freeman in the Draft last April because he threw a ton of interceptions in college and seemed to have a high bust factor. He's given the Bucs room for cautious optimism this year.

I tend to think a second straight rough week is more likely than a bounce back this week. This is a really good Jets defense that will throw looks at him he has never seen. He's also going to have to do without his top wide receiver in any likely scenario. Our friends at Buc Em seem to think Antonio Bryant will be able to hold his own against Revis. I respectfully disagree with our friends. As they point out, Revis shut down Andre Johnson and Randy Moss. Is there anything Bryant can do that Moss or Johnson can't do better? I don't think so. I understand the pass rush does aid corners, but the reverse is also true. Part of the reasons the Jets have had so impressive rushing the passer has been that the coverage has held when blitzes have been picked up, which gives rushers extra time to get to the quarterback.

The Bucs will probably have Freeman focus on Kellen Winslow to make his throws safe. Winslow is Tampa's leading receiver with 58 receptions and 633 yards. This could be a game for Kerry Rhodes to reassert himself. I'm not sure I like the matchup between Winslow and Eric Smith. Winslow's way more athletic.

Beyond that, it's not clear what Tampa has in the passing game. Both Michael Clayton and Sammie Stroughter are battling injuries and quite possibly could miss the game, which would leave Maurice Stovall and his 18 receptions in the starting lineup. With Revis on Bryant, the Jets can scheme their coverage around Winslow because Lito Sheppard should be able to handle his assignment without much help.

Another problem will be protection. Tampa Bay's tackles, Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn, and center Jeff Faine are all in the top seven at their position in terms of pressures allowed. This could force the rookie to make a lot of mistakes. Guard Davin Joseph in in the top five while Jeremy Zuttah is in the top fifteen. It's a young line that is still a work in progress.

Rhodes Lets Off Some Steam On Thurman

David_Wyatt — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:59:47 -0000

… admitted to reporters today that he yelled at secondary coach Dennis Thurman in practice. Clearly, Rhodes, who initially was miffed by the demotion, is irked by the uncertainty surrounding his role.

… Rhodes is saying he has been told he’ll be back with the starters. But, in practice, he apparently has been rotating with Eric Smith, leading to today’s heated moment.

Asked if there’s a rift between him and Thurman, Rhodes said, "Me and D.T. No, not right now. Today I was a little mad."

Why?

"Just the in-and-out thing," Rhodes said. "It got to me a little today. I was a little more emotional. I felt a little way about it today."

Rhodes said he’s having trouble adjusting to the rotation.

"You can’t get into a flow that way, especially me," he said. "I’ve never done that, so it’s kind of different."

Asked about his role in general, Rhodes said, "It’s funny … kind of. It’s irritating … kind of. But it’s something I have to deal with. I can’t just not show up and not be here … After the year, we’ll re-evaluate things then."

Rhodes said his relationship with Ryan is fine, but it wasn’t an enthusiastic endorsement of his coach.

"Hmm, let’s see how I can characterize it," he said, pausing for a few moments. "I still like Rex. Yeah, I still like Rex."

Told it wasn’t convincing, Rhodes, "You heard the words out of my mouth. I said, ‘I still like Rex.’

Many thanks to The Jets Blog for posting this up, just taken it from there and Bassett offers some excellent points at the bottom of the post so make sure you head on over to the post to read those.

I think I have said just about all I can on Rhodes, and this just screams toys.......thrown.......everywhere. The relationship is damaged and I don't think it can be repaired, it is actually to a point where I will be surprised if Rhodes is back.

I don't want to continually jump on the guy, because when it comes down to it, he is a Jets player and will support him as such, but he gets no preferential treatment because he posts a few tweets here and their. He seems like a good guy, but Kerry Rhodes doesn't come above the New York Jets.

He obviously didn't get into too much of a 'flow' as the starter otherwise he wouldn't of been demoted, show your support to Smith and get on with your job. This is really turning into a Kerry Rhodes thing instead of a Jets thing, he is actually becoming a distraction now. He is not the first person to loose his starting spot and he won't be the last, the real test comes in how people handle that adversity....and quite honestly, I don't think he could of handled it any worse.

We certainly will re-evaluate things after this year Kerry, you can book your flights out of town now though, you will get quite the discount for advanced bookings. he obviously doesn't want to be here, if his play didn't advertise that fact some comments in their certainly did.

Larry Izzo Goes to IR

John B — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:17:30 -0000

Larry Izzo was placed on injured reserve today.

The New York Jets have placed linebacker and special-teams ace Larry Izzo on injured reserve with a back injury.

The Jets have also signed linebacker Josh Mauga and center Michael Parenton to the practice squad.

Izzo, who signed a one-year deal with the Jets in the offseason, was tied with Eric Smith for the team lead with 18 special-teams tackles. He has 275 special-teams tackles in 200 games with New York, New England and Miami.

I think the stats are a bit deceiving here. I found Izzo's play very disappointing. Sure, he made some tackles, but there were also a lot of errors a guy with the reputation of veteran special teams ace shouldn't make from foolish penalties to his missed tackle on Ted Ginn that turned into a touchdown. I wouldn't be too upset if he wasn't back in 2010.

Rhodes Hasn't Won Back Starting Job

John B — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:28:25 -0000

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Rex Ryan still isn't ready to anoint Kerry Rhodes his starter at safety.

Rhodes thought he was about to regain his safety position in the Jets' base 3-4 scheme after meeting with defensive backs coach Dennis Thurman a week ago. Rhodes said he thought that was the "one thing" he needed to do before Rex Ryan inserted him in his old spot.

But Ryan, who replaced Rhodes with Eric Smith two days after the Nov. 22 loss to the Patriots, still won't commit to giving back Rhodes his starting role. Rhodes was mostly in on nickel and dime situations the last two games, though he played much more in Thursday's win over the Bills.

"I want this thing to play out," Ryan said Monday. "I want to see how the week goes, see the preparation and game plan before we name a starter in the base group. One way or another, both of those guys are going to play a bunch, Kerry and Eric.''

I take this to mean Rex is really still unhappy with Kerry because there's no doubt which of the two is more talented. We all know Kerry thinks a lot of his own ability. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Rhodes may end up punching his ticket out of town if he doesn't take it well.

Do you think this is the right move?

McGee, Byrd questionable for Thursday night Toronto tussle

Brian Galliford — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:38:46 -0000

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While Terrell Owens puts on his best giddy face for the cameras and scores of reporters covering the Buffalo Bills' latest excursion to Toronto, there's actual news to discuss about tomorrow night's divisional battle with the New York Jets.

The injury reports are out, and two of Buffalo's main defensive cogs are questionable: starting cornerback Terrence McGee and starting free safety Jairus Byrd. McGee, who has missed the Bills' last three games recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery he had during the team's Week 9 bye week, is considered a game-time decision. Byrd is as well, as he deals with a groin injury that has bothered him off and on since before training camp.

Demetrius Bell, John McCargo and Ashton Youboty have all been ruled out. Just like in last week's victory over Miami, Jonathan Scott is expected to start at left tackle.

For the Jets, they'll be without two cornerbacks - Dwight Lowery and Donald Strickland - as well as guard Robert Turner. Mark Sanchez, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Shaun Ellis, Calvin Pace, Jim Leonhard and Eric Smith are all listed as probable, and all will play.

Bills/Jets: Five Questions with Gang Green Nation

Brian Galliford — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:00:42 -0000

by Seth Wenig - AP

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The Buffalo Bills are 4-7. They're playing under the direction of an interim head coach. A year ago, the Bills were 6-5, and though they had lost four of five and were about to lose three straight and four of their last five, they were in (semi-)serious playoff contention at that point in time. Based on that fact alone, the Bills have clearly regressed from 2008 to 2009.

One clear area of progress, however, has been playing divisional games. Buffalo was swept by the AFC East in 2008, losing two games each to Miami, New England and New York and otherwise ruining a solid 7-3 out-of-conference record. To this point in the regular season, Buffalo is 2-2 in divisional games, registering victories over New York and Miami. Buffalo takes on the Jets this weekend in Toronto looking to sweep our green friends from New Jersey for the second time in three years (Buffalo swept the Jets in 2007).

Joining us this morning is John B from SB Nation's Jets blog, Gang Green Nation. His Q&A with Buffalo Rumblings starts now, and you can see his reciprocating interview here.

What's the latest on the Mark Sanchez knee situation? Will he be hampered at all on Thursday?

I don't think there really is any situation. He left the game briefly on Sunday, but he was back for the next series. Sanchez was wearing a knee brace. He's shown good mobility so maybe it will cut back on that a bit, but he really didn't seem to show any effects from the injury once he got back into the game.

Speaking of Sanchez, I'll get the obligatory status update on him now. Since he threw 5 INT against Buffalo, he's thrown 7 more in 5 games. He's only completing 53% of his passes, and the Jets are 2-6 in their last eight. Obviously the hype has cooled off considerably, but are you still seeing signs of a franchise quarterback?

I think so. The Jets implemented a code system before last week's game, which essentially is the coaching staff giving him guidelines for how acceptable taking a risk on a throw is in a given spot. It worked. His decision making was very good.

There have been games where he's looked like the worst quarterback in the NFL. That's to be expected of a rookie. The good is there have also been games like Miami and Jacksonville where he looked comfortable leading the team back from deficits. He's still a work in progress and needs to protect the ball better. Still, I think back to 2007. At the end of that year, I said to myself that Kellen Clemens hadn't given any indication he was the answer. I won't have the same feeling with Sanchez at the end of the year.

The Jets are obviously leaning heavily on Thomas Jones, as he's carried the ball at least 21 times in each of the team's last six games. Is he wearing down? Should the Jets be using Shonn Greene more?

He's gone over the century mark in 3 of the past 5 games so I don't think he's slowing down. His numbers look pretty good, but it's even more impressive when you consider having a mistake prone rookie quarterback has meant a lot of loaded fronts. Greene has fumbled twice in the past four games so I think Jones will continue to carry a heavy load.

What's your read on just how much the Jets have missed Kris Jenkins? Statistically, the Jets don't appear tangibly worse defending the run.

There are a few factors at play. The Jets have used more four man fronts. Also, his replacement in the starting lineup, Sione Pouha, has done a good job holding the point of attack. They miss Jenkins a lot, though. He's a disruptive force on the defensive line. Opponents always have to worry about him in their blocking schemes. Pouha can tie up blockers. Jenkins consistently beats them and makes plays in the backfield.

Bills fans may not be aware of the situation at safety with Kerry Rhodes and Eric Smith. Mind sharing the Cliff's Notes version of Rhodes' benching and where the team moves from his 2-INT performance against Carolina?

Long story short on Kerry Rhodes: Unheralded fourth round pick from Louisville in 2005. Impressed the coaches enough to start all 16 as a rookie. Broke out in 2006 and 2007 playing at a Pro Bowl level. Got a big contract before 2008. Stopped making impact plays immediately after, although he started talking himself up to the media a lot more. Got burned on a decisive play in a loss to Jacksonville and looked miserable in coverage at New England and shied away from contact in run support. Got benched for Carolina game and had a pair of interceptions.

He won't start this week. The guy who replaced him against the Panthers, Eric Smith, led the team in tackles in that game so Rex Ryan has said he's sticking with Smith. Rex said that Rhodes has earned himself more playing time for the game in Toronto than he had last week, though.

Eric Smith Keeps the Starting Job

John B — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:49:29 -0000

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For the second straight game, Eric Smith will start at safety for the Jets instead of Kerry Rhodes.

Eric Smith is the starting safety, but Kerry Rhodes has earned more playing time for Thursday's game against the Bills in Toronto after responding to his benching with two interceptions Sunday against the Jaguars. "Kerry's going to start in more packages, you might not notice how much, but he's going to play a ton," Rex Ryan said Monday. "I probably will start Eric in what you call the base package."

I do like to see Rex rewarding Rhodes for his play on Sunday, but I'm not sure I'm in agreement with the decision here.

I'll reiterate that Rhodes is the better player. It didn't really matter against Jake Delhomme. It might not against Ryan Fitzpatrick. At some point, though, the Jets are going to face a quarterback capable of making big plays in the passing game. I want the guy with better range in the lineup. That's Rhodes.

The Great Safety Debate

John B — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:45:08 -0000

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Based on the good games Eric Smith and Kerry Rhodes had yesterday, the question is out there. Who starts at safety against the Bills? There's a case to be made for both.

The Case for Eric Smith

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Smith played a great game as a starter. Rhodes had his finest game of the year appearing in subpackages. It seems like this move was made to improve the defense. It worked out that way.

The Case for Kerry Rhodes

Promoting Smith was never meant to be a permanent move. It was done to light a fire under Rhodes. Mission accomplished. Yes, Smith played well, but Rhodes is a better player. Eric even at his best doesn't have the ability to the playmaker Kerry does. You've made your point. Your message was received. Now go with your best.

I'm inclined to think it's time for Rhodes to return for the starting lineup. I mean there's a reason the Jets signed Jim Leonhard in the offseason. They didn't trust Smith as a starter. There's also a reason Rhodes got his big contract after 2007. He has the tools to be a real game changer when he's motivated. I think the benching got him motivated.

What do you think?

Poll

Who should start at safety against the Bills?

Eric Smith

108 votes

Kerry Rhodes

103 votes

211 votes | Poll has closed

Jets 17 Panthers 6: Finally Back on Track

John B — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:30:15 -0000

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The Jets scored a win today, 17-6 over Carolina at the Meadowlands. New York is now 5-6. You had to like the fight this team showed after absorbing a butt kicking at New England last week. Is it too late to save the season? Perhaps, but the Jets at the very least can build some momentum and feel good about themselves heading into the offseason with a strong finish. This was a great start.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Darrelle Revis: I'm not really sure you can say much more about this guy. Steve Smith has incredible talent. He had 2 catches for 2 yards because Revis was covering him most of the day. It's just a given at this point that the Jets can take your top receiver completely away from you. Revis showed good awareness when the ball took a lucky hop to him on the first interception and found the endzone on the return. The second interception showed his elite catch up speed an ball skills. It all depends on whether the voters are paying attention, but I could see a Defensive Player of the Year Award for Mr. Revis in the not too distant future.

Kerry Rhodes: Let's give the coaching staff some credit on this one. Rhodes had been disappointing this year before this game. He looked like a new man out there as if a fire had been lit under him. He had a pair of interceptions. He drew an offensive interference call. He did well as a blitzer. We all expected to see him make a major jump this year. It didn't happen until now. Maybe this will be a turning point in a disappointing year like Dustin Keller's game against the Dolphins before the bye.

Eric Smith: You'd have to imagine he goes back to a reserve role next week after the game Rhodes played, but Smith was good in coverage and registered 8 tackles to lead the team with Jim Leonhard.

Jim Leonhard: Once again, 8 tackles. The safeties played big role in holding Carolina's dynamic running duo, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to a combined 75 yards on 25 carries.

David Harris: He was good against the run. He was good in coverage. He was good as a blitzer. What more can you ask from a starting linebacker? He had 7 tackles and a sack.

Mark Sanchez: Bad throw on the interception, but otherwise you had to like what you saw out of Mark. He made smart decisions, protecting the ball. He didn't try to do too much. It seems like he realized he's got a great defense and doesn't need to try and force impossible plays to win games. I know a lot of you wanted to see more progress out of Sanchez. I think we got that today. He was very efficient, and I can't think of a play he left on the field.

Defensive Line: Nobody really stood out, but these guys held their own in their matchups against a really good run blocking team. It's impressive the way this defense stepped up.

Dustin Keller Minus the Fumble: 4 catches for 68 yards. He was getting open over the middle a lot. It really feels like he's turning the corner.

The Bad:

Lack of Correcting Offensive Mistakes: The only thing I'm really going to complain about today seems to have occurred in preparation. There seems to be a lack of fundamentals from the offensive skill players. Against the Jaguars, Braylon Edwards had a killer fumble. That's the kind of thing the staff needs to catch on film and correct. Today when he ran in open field, he palmed the ball, leaving it exposed. Mark Sanchez has been leading head first into defenders since training camp. He did it against the Titans on a touchdown. Today he did it again (and this doesn't even touch on the play he didn't slide when he got hurt). Shonn Greene fumbled for the second time in four games after not fumbling at all in college. Dustin Keller cost the Jets an easy touchdown by not protecting the ball. I know it's speculative. I know the blame ultimately falls on the players. Maybe the staff has tried to correct these things. I'm still perturbed by the lack of fundamentals.

The Jets should celebrate. For the first time in a while, they have something to feel good about. They just can't celebrate too long. A short week, a trip to a foreign country, and an opponent coming off a big win today await.