SB Nation - Damien Woody

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Buffalo Bills Pass Defense

John B — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:09:55 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

You may remember the first meeting between the Jets and Bills as one of the most disastrous showings in the history of quarterbacking by Mark Sanchez. A week after holding Derek Anderson to a 2 for 17 game, Buffalo intercepted Sanchez 5 times in an overtime victory. More than any other factor, their pass defense won the Bills that game. Through one week of Rex Ryan's codes to Sanchez, things have worked out. Sanchez made good decisions against the Panthers, and the Jets won the game. Mark didn't try to do too much. If the Jets want to leave ~~Orchard Park~~ Toronto with a win, they could sure use an efficient game from the rookie quarterback.

The Bills will look to use the same formula everybody use against the rookie quarterback, attempt to generate pressure. Aaron Schobel leads their club with 6 sacks. He's probably the best pass rusher they have, although slowing him down will be an easier task for D'Brickashaw Ferguson than handling Julius Peppers. Schobel hasn't been a model of consistency this year, though. Chris Kelsay, who is battling a shoulder injury, is the other end. He has 3 sacks. You'd have to think Damien Woody has a favorable matchup.

In the middle, Marcus Stroud returned from a knee injury for the Miami game. He is a guy who always occupies attention. Neither he nor Kyle Williams register many sacks, but their job will be to get a push up the middle and flush Mark Sanchez from the pocket. We may find out a lot about the status of his knee and that brace.

Buffalo blitzed sparingly under Dick Jauron. Since Jauron's dismissal, the numbers appear to have increased a bit. Paul Posluzny is the most likely guy to come from the middle. It could present a test for the middle of the line dealing with the tackles.

Cornerback Terrence McGee has been limited by a knee injury for the Bills. Drayton Florence will start next to him. Florence is having a nice year, but he and a gimpy McGee are a good matchup for Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery. They do have a pair of good cover safeties in Donte Whitner and George Wilson.The problem could be the run defense for the Bills, though. The Jets ran all over them in the first meeting. You have to think the biggest adjustment they will make will be to stop the run. That probably means they'll want their safeties up and won't dedicate them as much to the passing game.

Buffalo has been decimated at the linebacker position by injury. In one regard, that might help them in this matchup. Bryan Scott is starting at outside linebacker. He was converted from the safety position and is a good pass defender, which leaves the Bills in good shape covering Dustin Keller. Posluszny is also a good pass defender. The other starting linebacker, Chris Draft, was limited in practice with a neck injury and is probably the weakest cover linebacker the Bills have but is still solid. It will have to be a day for the receivers. Sanchez should have time to find them. Again, after the rushing numbers the Jets posted in their first meeting, the Bills won't be overly aggressive for fear of being caught up field.

GGN: Mock Jets 2010 NFL Draft 1.0

David_Wyatt — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:48:18 -0000

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Got a lot of free time this morning. Most years I do my own mock 7 round drafts for the New York Jets, they always seem to spark a lot of conversation, so I thought while I have a little free time this morning, why not get my first version up for the 2010 draft.

Right now I consider us to be planning for next season, I know we can still mathematically make the post season, but let's be realistic, how many out there actually believe we will. I also obviously don't know where we will be drafting, but there is a good chance in my opinion that we will finish around 6-10 on the season, so a top 10 is possible.

Here are some of the players that I would be interested in acquiring if I were Mike Tannenbaum, as always it would be great for you guys to step in and name some alternatives and offer comments on picks you agree with and picks you think are ridiculous (there is bound to be one)

So let's get started after the Jump

First Round Selection- Eric Berry, Safety, Tennessee

I'm making this selection based on a few factors. One that Kerry Rhodes is traded. Like I commented on another thread Daniel Jeremiah a former Baltimore Ravens scout commented a few days ago that he would not be surprised to see Rhodes get traded this off-season because he was the kind of player that would annoy Rex. Low and behold a few days later we hear that Rhodes will be dropped this Sunday.

Rex Ryan's defence relies on a play making safety, so who better than a player that has been talked about as being in the same mould as Ed Reed. Difference between him being talked about in comparison to Ed Reed and Kerry Rhodes being talked about in comparison to Ed Reed is, Berry's hype is coming from scouts who know what they are talking about.

Some have suggested that their is a possibility that Berry could play corner in the NFL, mainly because his coverage skills are excellent. However with his play making ability (7 INT last season), putting him in as a free safety in a system like Rex's would be a match made in heaven. He could come in and instantly start. He has 4.4 speed and can hit like a ton of bricks.

The one thing about Berry is that he just has the football instincts. He seems to smell the play before it is even their to be made, he has excellent short area quickness, has the speed to make up ground, one scout described him as a 'physical and violent player'. It seems like the match is just too perfect.

If he drops to us, he is too good to pass up. If he starts falling, we should make every effort to move up to get him if need be, but the way our season is going, he could just be their when we select.

Second Round Selection- Arthur Jones DT, Syracuse

Now there is a strong possibility that he is long gone by the time we select in the second round, although he was initially listed as a late first round selection, he recently suffered a knee injury that may well drop his stock into the second round, which means that a team may well be able to cash in. His weight has often been an area for concern, he was listed at 293 before the season, and he has slowly been adding weight, although some question whether this will effect his quickness.

One of the main areas of Jones game that interests me is his initial quickness of the snap, he spots the gaps and hits them hard, and this has contributed to him recording 38.5 tackles for loss at Syracuse which is a school record. He does have 145 career tackles which is good for 10th all time. He could well move over to a 3-4 DE, and then move back in when we revert to a 4-3.

He will need work and his injury status does worry me a little bit, but if we can snap him up in the second round then why not take the gamble.

Third Round Selection- Traded to the Browns for Edwards

This is a conditional pick that I'm a little bit confused about, initially Schefter reported that the conditions would never be met, but then the conditions were released (don't have them on hand) that seemed very achievable. So for now, I'm going to leave this as a 3rd round selection that is traded to the Browns.

Fourth Round Selection- Ed Wang, Offensive tackle, Virginia Tech

Nearly everywhere I look I see Ed Wang projected as a fourth round selection, and for me that is an absolute steal, because he has an excellent blend of size and speed that would be valuable at the right tackle position. Damien Woody is doing a very decent job, but we need to start looking to the future, and bringing in players like Slauson in the 7th round is not going to do the job.

Wang started his career as a RT, but because he was consistently the best lineman on show, the Hokies moved him to LT to protect the QB's blind side. Virginia Tech have rushed for over 2000 yards this season, and Wang has done a excellent job of getting out creating lanes for the running backs. We are a run orientated team so he seems to fit in with what we would be trying to do.

His best performances have come in the crunch, he was excellent in the 2008 Orange Bowl, and although I didn't see the ACC Championship game, apparently he was superb there as well. Unfortunately his consistent performances are forcing him up many draft boards, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him taken in the 2nd round if he has a strong combine performance. Having him here is a reach of epic proportions, but you really never know who will fall on draft day.

Fifth Round Selection- Traded To The Browns For Braylon Edwards

See above.

Sixth Round Selection- Shay Hodge, Wide Receiver, Mississippi

It's not often you will find a 6th round selection who looks like they may have 1000+ receiving yards in his final year. Although most draft sites have him listed as a 6th/7th round selection and I'm not sure why. I have watched very little Mississippi football this season, but his name always appears on the highlights, and that may well be because of his 7 TD's this season. He has really broken through late in the season with 3 of his last 4 games going for over 100 yards. I really don't think he will be here, but if the draft guru's are right and he is a 6th round selection then I always like taking a gamble on a receiver late in the day.

Seventh Round Selection, Gerald Williams, Tennessee

In the 7th round, you really are taking a punt in the dark, I know next to nothing about Williams, but added depth on the defensive line and giving Rex a project, why not, may help to settle Berry as well.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Run Defense

John B — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:24:04 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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The Jaguars have one of the worst statistical run defenses in football. The Chiefs did little to try and exploit it last week, running only 12 times. Part of this was due to them playing from behind. The Jets are going to test Jacksonville's new 4-3 base defense much more up front.

Jacksonville hopes its strength will come from up the middle and tackles John Henderson and Terrance Knighton. Henderson is a multi time Pro Bowler. Knighton is a rookie space eater. He's been pretty good defending the run, although he's less likely to beat his man and penetrate. He's more of a Sione Pouha type. Atiyyah Ellison will rotate in with them, a guy who doesn't do anything poorly but also doesn't do anything particularly well.

Derrick Harvey will line up at one end. He weighs in at 281 pounds, big for a 4-3 end. His play against the run seems to have improved a bit with the move to the 4-3. On the other side, the Jaguars will play a pair of smallish ends, Quentin Groves, a small speedy guy who is something of a liability in the run game and Bryan Smith, an even smaller player. They are in there to provide the pass rush. Jacksonville hopes the Jets run away from them, which they might if they are lined up against D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Gang Green is best running it right.

Daryl Smith is Jacksonville's best linebacker against the run. Smith does everything well. For my money, he's one of the most overlooked players in football. He's had success at both middle and outside linebacker during his career. He'll start outside on the weak side. Justin Durant, who starts in the middle does a decent job against the run. Jacksonville wants the tackles to keep him clean. Strong side backer Clint Ingram is the weakest defending the run. I would expect the Jets to target him.

As always, Jacksonville will probably stick 8 in the box against the rookie quarterback, but neither safety Reggie Nelson nor Gerald Alexander has provided Jacksonville much in run support this year, which is stark considering how much their 3-4 base struggled against the run until they switched their scheme last week.

What are the keys? Knighton played nose in the 3-4 so he'll likely line up against Nick Mangold. Mangold has to control him on his own. The idea for any nose tackle is to occupy a pair of blockers. Nick has been great controlling his assignments to this point against more decorated linemen. The strength at the center position springs the run game because the Jets have an extra blocker who does not need to dedicate himself to blocking the nose. The Jets will. Knighton lined up on the left side against the Chiefs. If he does again, that will leave Brandon Moore, Damien Woody, and Tony Richardson to take on an end and linebacker. This looks like it could be a favorable matchup for the Jets.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:39 -0000

by Peter Morgan - AP

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Jacksonville's defense looked transformed against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The unit had struggled all season long to generate pressure against opposing quarterbacks all year, 5 in the first 7 games, but registed 3 last Sunday and applied constant pressure. Playing against a suspect offensive line and a quarterback who holds the ball too long had a lot to do with it, but the Jags also changed their scheme. After running a 3-4 defense, a poorly thought out Mangini style scheme change, Jacksonville reverted to using the 4-3 as their base. The Jaguars did display some 3-4 against the Chiefs and zone blitzed a lot to try and confuse the protection. Against a rookie quarterback, expect a lot more of this. Also expect the four first round picks and Brandon Moore on the offensive line to do a lot better against the Jaguars.

Jacksonville's 4-3 has strength built up the middle. John Henderson is still playing at a high level. He registered a sack, a hit, and 5 pressures against the Chiefs. He's joined by Terrence Knighton, a 325 rookie from Temple who does not have a great burst to get to the quarterback but freqently occupies a pair of tacklers to open things up for others. 2008 first round pick Derrick Harvey played inspired football against Kansas City, displaying good power moves and athleticism against Brandon Albert, the talented young left tackle from Virginia. He'll look to duplicate his performance against another young talented left tackle from Virginia, D'Brickashaw Ferguson. The way D'Brickashaw and Nick Mangold are playing, I feel comfortable with the Jets' ability to hold Henderson and Harvey in check.

Bryan Smith will start at left end in place of another 2008 pass rushing draftee Quentin Groves. Groves is raw but has a lot of athletic ability. He can get to the quarterback but it really best served as a situational pass rusher. The Jags will probably use him as a rusher both with his hand on and off the ground. Aside from then, his playing time could be limited because he struggles against the run and is giving up over 60 pounds to Damien Woody. Can you say mismatch? Smith is even smaller than Groves. It will be important for him to get off the line quickly and use his speed against Woody because unless he gets on top of Damien quickly, he will be overpowered.

Daryl Smith is going to play a key role for Jacksonville. The outside linebacker is excellent in pass coverage and will probably draw Dustin Keller frequently. The Jets made Keller Mark Sanchez's primary read against Miami to try and keep things simple and safe. Keller responded with his best game of the year. Keller is going to give Smith all he can handle (as well as linebackers Justin Durant, who is solid in pass coverage and Clint Ingram, who is something of a liability). Smith will also be used as a blitzer. He had 2 sacks and 3 pressures against the Chiefs.

On the outside, there will be plays to be made. The secondary of Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox at corner and Reggie Nelson and Gerald Alexander has been suspect all year, and you can only blame the pass rush to a certain extent. The Jags are giving up over 240 yards through the air. Alexander is nursing a shoulder injury. Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery have the edge here and will all day. Keller also will have a great chance to exploit the safeties in coverage. I'd also look for David Clowney to have an impact. The Jaguars will be aggressive, and the Chiefs burned them long on a safety blitz.

I think the Jets handle the pass rush well. They have a significantly better offensive line than Kansas City. If he has to, Brian Schottenheimer can leave in extra blockers as he frequently did against the Dolphins and give Mark Sanchez time to find the matchups that favor his receivers.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Oakland Raiders Run Defense

John B — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:42 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

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It looks like the Jets finally got their run game working last week. A potential matchup between Richard Seymour and Robert Turner if Damien Woody can't go is troublesome. On the other hand, undersized Jon Alston lining up on the right side is good for the Jets in their run game. So is the matchup between Tommy Kelly and Brandon Moore/Nick Mangold. Seymour is only one player. The Jets should be able to pound it on the right side and will pull Alan Faneca plenty. In a game where they'll likely treat Mark Sanchez with kid gloves, Ben Hartsock will replace Dustin Keller in the lineup perhaps more often than usual. The Raiders are not strong against the run. They give up 145 yards per game.

They'll surely pull their safeties up, but the Jets need to be able to run it effectively anyway. There's too much talent up front and in the backfield. Thomas Jones finally got on track a week ago. Leon Washington looks as dyanmic as ever. This is not a well coached defense. There should be plenty of opportunities to earn yardage after missed tackles. Against an undisciplined unit, I would throw a lot of the Seminole formation at them. That requires guys to stay patient and not overpursue. Washington can make them pay for not doing so.

I'm not sure whether the Jets will be able to execute. I know they should be able to execute. If they can't, it will be a major red flag for when the schedule gets tougher.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Oakland Raiders Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:30 -0000

by Kathy Willens - AP

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After Mark Sanchez's meltdown last week, the Jets are going to try and run it a lot on the 28th ranked run defense. When they do throw it, though, somebody who has been quiet this year is going to need to step up. Jerricho Cotchery's status is up in the air. If he can't go, Braylon Edwards will have to deal all day with Nnamdi Asomugha. Aside from Darrelle Revis, there is no better corner in football. (Some might argue Asomugha is better than Revis, but you won't find any of those people residing on this site). There's a good chance the Raiders are going to be able to totally take Edwards away. Asomugha literally takes away half the field. Nobody ever throws the football near him.

That means Dustin Keller needs to step up and finally deliver a big game. Arguably no Jet has been more disappointing this season. He's got an edge in athleticism on Thomas Howard, Kirk Morrison, and Jon Alston, Oakland's linebackers (Alston may start for injured Ricky Brown).

David Clowney needs stretch the field. You can bet your life the Raiders are going to move safeties Tyvon Branch and Hiram Eugene down into the box and force a struggling rookie quarterback to beat them. He's fast enough to win one on one matchups with Chris Johnson if he can beat the physical corner's jams. It's time for him to pick up where he left off in Miami.

Also expect Leon Washington to play a major role in the passing game. Sanchez might be a bit gun shy after last week, and the coaching staff will probably want to give him safe calls, like getting the most explosive playmaker the ball in space.

Damien Woody's status is a concern. Oakland's defensive end rotation of Richard Seymour, Greg Ellis, Jay Richardson, and Trevor Scott have combined for 10 sacks this year. Is Woody healthy enough to play? Can he handle the rush? Can Robert Turner if Woody can't go? Can D'Brickashaw Ferguson handle Richard Seymour's finesse? The good news is the starting tackles for Oakland, Tommy Kelly and Gerard Warren, are easier to handle, which could allow the Jets to give Turner help. Lord knows the Jets don't want Sanchez pressured into bad decisions.

Jets Lose as a Team

John B — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:23:55 -0000

As painful as yesterday was, take heart in the fact the players aren't throwing Mark Sanchez under the bus.

"We have to do a better job across the board," said Bart Scott who had eight tackles on the night. "When you lose, it is a team loss. This is not the offense's loss, the defense's loss, the special teams’ loss. This is a team loss and we all contributed."

"You win as a team, you lose as a team," (Damien Woody) said. "When you lose, everybody could have played better. That’s the way everybody in this locker room has to look at it."

"We didn't create a spark. I don't believe I had a return yard," Leonhard said. "We need to do something. We need to find a way to get the momentum back."

This is something that gives me hope these guys can recover. It's quite a contrast to the end of last season when guys like Thomas Jones and Kerry Rhodes seemed to go out of their way to call out Brett Favre. Not that Favre was good in those games, but nobody on the team was doing the job. The way to get this turned around is for everybody to focus on what they can do better, not finger point. It looks like that's what's happening.

Do you think the Jets will turn things around?

'What If' Scenarios

David_Wyatt — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:21:05 -0000

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So moving towards Monday nights showdown in Miami we have been greeted tonight with an injury report that makes me a little bit nervous. Not so much with the player that is out (Donald Strickland) but with the players that are questionable, most notably Jerricho Cotchery and in particular Damien Woody.

So god forbid one or both of them are unable to play, what happens? where do we turn? and will it be suitable replacements?

Well let's take Jerricho Cotchery first, and although he missed his 2nd straight day of practise today, I'm confident he will be lined up across from Edwards come game time on Monday night. No particular reason, just a hunch.

However if he can't go we will see a rotation of Brad Smith, David Clowney and Wallace Wright. None of whom fill me with that much confidence. Smith's routes are still pretty raw and although he can make that odd spectacular catch, always struck me as a juggler. Wright has really shown nothing and Clowney has potential but we have barely seen him like up this year. We all know he can run a post, but can he work in the intermediate and short routes. I really don't know because I haven't seen enough of him, no-one has, in NFL regular season games.

However that does not worry me as much as the Damien Woody injury. People seem to have faith in Hunter, but I just don't. I don't think he can turn his shoulders and deal with the explosive outside rush. I don't think he gets enough push off the line. A 3rd round pick who has been in the most part disappointing.

I guess we will have to wait and see, but I'm hoping that both are ready to go on Monday.

If Sheppard can't go then we will see the normal rotation the past few games, Lowery as the 2 and Coleman as the Nickel. Coleman has actually not been half as bad as I thought he was going to be, so credit to him. Kerry will play.

New York Jets Run Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Run Defense

John B — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:54:44 -0000

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Miami ranks second in the league against the run, only surrendering 61 yards per game. The average against them is 2.9 yards per rush. This is going to be a tough team to get the run game going against, but the Jets' offensive line needs to start living up to its potential. The Dolphins are one of the rare teams to operate primarily out of a traditional 2 gap 3-4 defense. Every coach with such a scheme is from the Parcells-Belichick school. In this system, the linemen are responsible for tying up defensive linemen, holding the point of attack, clogging 2 gaps, and freeing others up to make plays. Other teams with a base 3-4 like the Jets want their linemen to pick a gap, win a matchup, penetrate, and make a play.

Former Jet Jason Ferguson anchors the middle. Paul Solai is his backup at nose tackle. This will probably be the area to watch in the run game. It's up to Nick Mangold to win battles up front by himself. He's certainly capable of doing so. If that happens, the other linemen get freed to hit the second level. It comes down to whether Channing Crowder and Akin Ayodele can get off the blocks of Jets linemen. Advantage New York if that's the case. I'm sure we'll see plenty of 8 man fronts. Yeremiah Bell is strong in run support. If Mangold wins his battle, though, the Jets are going to be able to get the ground game going.

At end, Miami will rotate Randy Starks, Kendall Langford, Tony McDaniel, and Phillip Merling. Langford is the starter opposite the right side of New York's line, where the Jets like to run a lot. Damien Woody' status could be a key here. I know how much everybody loves Brandon Moore, but he's looked very ordinary when the man next to him hasn't been good. Moore has been something of a liability without a strong tackle like Kareem McKenzie or Woody. He hasn't been able to help compensate for weaker players like Adrien Jones and Anthony Clement.

It's also time for more Shonn Greene. Teams are stacking the box against the Jets. There hasn't been a ton of room to run. Get the physical rookie in there to grind out yardage.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Miami Dolphins Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:00:23 -0000

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Two words: Dustin Keller. The Dolphins have been abused by tight ends this season. Tony Gonzalez had 5 catches for 73 yards for Atlanta against Miami. Dallas Clark went off with 7 catches for 183 yards in Week 2. Antonio Gates had 5 for 64 the next week. This means this week's gameplan is probably going to be Keller heavy. The Dolphins cover the tight end like they're the 2008 Jets. The middle linebackers, Akin Ayodele and Channing Crowder, and the safeties, Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson, have been bad in coverage. An athletic tight end like Keller is a matchup problem.

Jerricho Cotchery might face his toughest test of the year facing Sean Smith, a rookie corner from Utah, who is huge at 6'3" and has displayed great cover skills in the early going. A lot does depend on how much Braylon Edwards will play and how much the playbook he feels comfortable with. If he can actually get on the field and make an impact, Smith is the best fit to match up with his physical tools. That would leave Will Allen on Cotchery, which is a matchup the Jets want. In not, Jerricho is in for a tough matchup against Smith, and Brad Smith will go against Allen, which seem to favor Miami.

Mark Sanchez is going to have to make sure he protects the football this week. It seems likely for the Jets defense to hold Miami down. Miami's easiest path to victory will be forcing turnovers to produce a short field. On obvious passing downs, they will have three terrific pass rushers on the field, Joey Porter, Jason Taylor (ironically the one Miami linebacker who has kept his mouth shut this week), and CFL sack king Cameron Wake. Miami's coaches have watched tape on Sanchez. They have seen how loose he is holding the ball. I can guaratee you the defensive coaches have been preaching to their guys to go for the strip.

The Jets don't necessarily need their passing game to win this game. They just need it not to lose the game.

Damien Woody's status is up in the air. He left the game against the Saints and didn't practice on Friday with a foot injury. You would have to think the game being on Monday would be a benefit since it gives him an extra day of rest, but there's a real possibility he's sitting this one out. Robert Turner would start in his place. Considering the way Woody handled Joey Porter in Week 17 last year, it would be a big loss. The Jets would definitely have to give Turner extra help handling Porter.