SB Nation - Steve Weatherford

Bills 16 Jets 13 (Overtime): Searching for Answers

John B — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:58:44 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

The Jets dropped a home game today to one of the worst teams in football. This is a team that lost last week to a quarterback who went 2 for 17. This is a team that lost to Eric Mangini's pathetic Browns. Every football team has at least one loss each season that just leaves you scratching your head. This one fits the bill for the Jets

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Mark Sanchez: This was as bad as it gets for a rookie. 10 for 29, 119 yards, no touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. He frankly looked lost out there. His decision making was terrible. His accuracy was way off. It seemed like the cold weather got into his head. It didn't seem like the California kid could grip the ball, the second time he was having trouble in two bad weather games.

Ok, we got that out of the way. Please go easy on the rookie. There's no tougher transition in the game than playing quarterback one year in college and in the pros the next. There are days he will look great like he did when he outplayed Tom Brady in Week 2 or when he led his team from a deficit twice in the fourth quarter in a road game on national television last week. Unfortunately there are also going to be days like today when the speed and skill of the pro game overwhelms him because he's not used to it. Even Peyton Manning had them. Don't act like one game defines his career.

Did you want Sanchez back in April? If you did, you had to know there would be days where his play would be miserable this year. That's just part of the deal. Don't call for his benching. He needs to learn. Baptism by fire. Doing that would be so short sighted. I still say he's better than Kellen Clemens.

The fake field goal or bad snap: This was just a really, really stupid call. With the game on the line, you can't ask Steve Weatherford to hit a 13 yard pass. He's not used to throwing it. That was a crazy risk on that spot on the field and one that wasn't going to work out. If it was just a bad snap and a field goal call from the bench, that's still not a great play. A 50 yard kick in the Meadowlands wind probably wasn't happening. The play is to line up with Feely holding and Weatherford as the kicker. Direct snap it to Weatherford, and let him pooch it with no returner deep. Flip field position and let your defense win the game.

Dustin Keller: A couple of drops. A killer penalty in overtime. Awful week in a quiet year for a guy who was supposed to break out this season.

Ben Hartsock: There's just no excuse for that holding penalty in overtime. Let Thomas Jones get tackled. Don't hold. It's still a shorter field goal try.

Calvin Pace: Bad penalty in overtime. Didn't do well in pass coverage. Cheap shot to take out Trent Edwards. I understand defenses take pride when they knock a quarterback out of the game, but that's only on a clean hit. He threw Edwards down when the play was over. That's a great way to put a target on Mark Sanchez's back in the second meeting.

James Ihedigbo: Cost the Jets 15 yards to start the fake field goal drive in overtime because he lost his cool and threw a punch. Don't you think the Jets could have used that yardage and kicked a 35 yarder instead of a 50 yarder. I really hate to call for a man's job, but Ihedigbo deserves to be cut tomorrow. He let down his teammates in a big way. When everything was on the line, he selifishly decided his own retaliation was more important than his 51 teammates. There's no room for that on the team. Nobody is bigger than the New York Jets. His job is to contribute on special teams. Today he showed that the team can't count on him. This wasn't a mistake on the field when he was trying to do his best like Mark Sanchez. This was a conscious decision. Nice story he made the team undrafted from UMass. He of all people should understand playing in this league is not a right.

Third quarter play calling: You're going into the wind. It's affecting your quarterback. He's got no confidence. He's throwing it up for grabs. He's inaccurate. Why throw it deep twice? That's asking for two interceptions.

The Defense: This is supposed to be an elite unit. You need to stop Ryan Fitzpatrick in a key spot in your building. You just have to.

The Good:

Thomas Jones: What can you really say? 22 carries for 210 yards. He carried the load offensively.

Leon Washington: 18 offensive touches for 145 yards.

The Offensive Line: They were consistently getting a push all game and winning battles. You don't run for 318 yards without a dominant performance by the offensive line. This unit is really rounding into form. They're starting to live up to their four first round pick billing.

Darrelle Revis: After a couple of early penalties, we didn't hear from Terrell Owens at all. Another man who went to Revis Island and was never heard from again.

Sione Pouha: He was controlling the point of attack before Kris Jenkins got hurt and consistently got a push after Jenkins left injured.

Vernon Gholston: I made it a point to focus on Gholston today. I really liked what I saw. He showed good power moves as a pass rusher. The Jets lined him up on the nose a few times in obvious passing downs. He flushed Ryan Fitzpatrick from the pocket a few times and generally made him uncomfortable. He understood his assignments on running plays and did a good job containing. It seemed like he really knew what he was doing, which was good considering how raw and lost he looked a year ago. Should we expect more from a top ten pick? Yes. Has he shown a lot of improvement? Yes.

Other Thought:

Dick Jauron never should have played for a long field goal at the end of regulation. That stadium is known for its crazy wind. He should have kept attacking. He almost cost them a win in the Meadowlands for the second straight year.

This obviously stinks, but it's important to keep it in perspective. The Jets are 3-3. They're still in the thick of the race in the division. They have a better record than the Bills and Dolphins. They are a game behind New England with a head to head win. You may not feel good about the way the team has arrived here. Would you feel better if the club started 0-3 and won three straight? Maybe, but the Jets would be in exactly the same spot.

Well go crazy and let this sink in. No team is ever as good as it looks at its best or as bad as it looks at its worst. Not everything will always click like it did today.

I wrote that after the Week 1 domination of the Texans. The same applies today in terms of the Jets not really being as bad as they looked. This team is better than it looked today. Things won't stay like this all year. Just remember it's a long season. It ebbs and flows. How many times did your perception of last year's team change? This team has the potential to play with anybody in the league like it did with the Pats Week 1. It has the potential to lose to anybody like it did with the Bills today. Just because the Jets look one way one week doesn't mean they will look that way the rest of the year. The Jets are still in decent shape and can turn this around.

I get it. This was a bitter loss, but there's a lot of season left.

Bills scrape out improbable road win over Jets

Brian Galliford — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:23:49 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Browse more photos »

No matter what your feelings about the 2009 Buffalo Bills - what your viewpoints of the future of the franchise are, or the coaching staff, or the quarterback, or anything else - it's still fun to see Rex Ryan's sad face.

Buffalo ended a three-game losing streak, as well as an eight-game losing streak in the AFC East, by scraping a 16-13 overtime win over Ryan's New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It's difficult to believe Buffalo pulled off a victory in this game when considering the fact that Trent Edwards left the game in the second quarter with a concussion, and the fact that the Jets ran for a whopping 318 yards. Helped out by five interceptions on Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez - who was several kinds of terrible on the day - Buffalo did enough to stay in it through three quarters. Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Lee Evans on a 37-yard scoring strike to tie the game in that stanza.

The Bills had an opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation, but some conservative play-calling on Buffalo's part left Rian Lindell with an impossible-to-make 46-yard field goal attempt into stiff winds at The Meadowlands - which the kicker pushed well to the right, sending the game to overtime. Lindell made up for it with 2:44 left in OT, knocking in a 47-yarder after essentially the same setup from Buffalo's offense - except this time, he had the wind, and the kick snuck through.

Buffalo may not have had the opportunity at Lindell's winning field goal had the Jets not mishandled a snap on a Jay Feely field goal attempt that never happened. The muffed attempt led to an ugly throw from holder Steve Weatherford, and the attempt was intercepted by reserve safety John Wendling for the Bills' sixth interception on the day.

We'll have more on the game tomorrow, including proper acknowledgement to rookie safety Jairus Byrd, who is quite the player, folks. That's decidedly not the way Buffalo drew it up. The run defense was putrid, and the offense, while improved overall, still was extremely underwhelming. But in the NFL, a win is a win - and this is not a poor opponent the Bills just beat. Savor it. It's not clear how many more we'll see this year. And no matter what, never, ever forget Rex Ryan's sad face.

Feelying Good, Jay Ties Jets Record

David_Wyatt — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:40:05 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Browse more photos »

Lost in all the disappointment last night was the work of one man who has been just about as consistent as you could want from the kickers position.He needs one more to pass the all time Jets record for consecutive field goals made, but last night Jets kicker Jay Feely tied Pat Leahy's record of 22 consecutive field goals made.

His signing came right out of left field. Going into the 2008 season, we were all set with Mike Nugent, the disappointment from Ohio State. He hadn't done anything majorly wrong, but when you spend a 2nd round draft choice on a kicker, he is going to have to be close to perfect. Again it's not his fault he was chosen so early, but the bar was set too high.

A lot more after the jump

As a Jets kicker, Mike Nugent made 75 of 92 which is not great but it's not that bad either. The problems arose on his kick-offs, during his first two years with the team, he managed just 3 touch-backs, an area that he improved on considerably in 2007, forcing 9. One quadriceps injury into the 2008 season and he lost his job. Signing with the Tampa Bay Bucs. He was then released after going 2-4 against the RedSkins and is currently looking for work.

Last season Jay Feely made 24 of 28 kicks and registered 7 touch-backs, and kicked a long 55 yarder. This year so far he is 8-8 with a long of 43, with three touch-backs in 5 games. He scraped one in off the post last night, but as long as it goes through, that's all that matters.

If you talk to Jay about superstitions like Dave Hutchinson did, your not likely to get the expected reply:

‘After that Seattle game when I was with the Giants (when he missed three straight potential game-winning field goals in a 2005 loss at Giants Stadium), I wore the exact same socks the next game just to spike superstitions,’’ said Feely, who made one of two the following week in a victory over the Cowboys.

‘‘I feel like I’ve gotten better every year,’’ said Feely, who has improved his kickoffs. ‘‘As you get older, you understand how to control your emotions. You understand what makes you perform the best.

‘‘I know I have to be loose when I’m out there. I have to have fun. So I’m running around like a kid before games, catching punts, saying ‘Hi’ to people. I’ve learned if I’m too tight, I don’t kick my best.

‘‘You go through tough times and if they don’t break you, then you learn from them. I messed up as bad as I could in that Seattle game with the Giants and it didn’t break me, it made me stronger.’’

One thing that Jay has had to do this year, is learn how to adapt to a new holder. The one area that the Jets struggled with during the pre-season was the punting position. Jets went through Punters like Brett Favre does retirement parties. Reggie Hidges, B.J Conley, Ken Parrish, Glenn Pakulak, A.J Trapasso and now Steve Weatherford have all held for Jay who has starter this season off with a bang.

So next Sunday could be the day that Jay Feely passes the record held by Pat Leahy, a kicker who played 18 seasons with the Jets between 1974 and 1991. Leahy set the record over two seasons in 1985 and 1986. The record being set against Denver in a 22-10 victory. A 27 yard chip shot, Jay can only hope to be presented with a kick from within 20 yards.

Leahy was unable to add to the record the following week as the Jets hosted the New Orleans Saints, where he was presented with just one field goal opportunity

Who doesn't love this scene, the later part about Ray Finkle

Ace Ventura - Pet Detective - Ray Finkle's House (via zombieguy619)

(disclaimer: this is by no means meant as a dig at the Dolphins or Dan Marino, it's just one of my favourite moments, and you don't find too many films with parts about kickers)

Dolphins 31 Jets 27: Bitter Classic

John B — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:31:20 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Browse more photos »

If the Jets lose the division by one game, they will remember this one all offseason. It was back and forth all night. The game was won, but Miami just flat out took it back from them.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Defense in the Trenches: Sometimes a loss requires deep analysis. This is not one of those times. What happened last night was the Dolphins offensive line totally outplayed the Jets up front. Especially late in the game, the Jets were losing individual matchups and badly. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are terrific backs. They don’t need much room. They had plenty of holes to work in that game. They took huge chunks of yardage on just about every play late and held the ball over 33:00. This defense is full of playmakers, but nobody stepped up when given the lead with 5:00 needing one stop. Where was Shaun Ellis? Where was David Harris? How about Bart Scott or Calvin Pace? Kerry Rhodes? Kris Jenkins was the one player in there consistently beating his man and getting off blocks, but that wasn’t enough. The Dolphins put together three go ahead drives in the fourth. The Dolphins put together three go ahead touchdown drives in the fourth. It was frankly because their offensive line kicked the tail of the Jets front seven. They don’t try to deceive you on offense. You know what’s coming. It’s all about executed, and they sure executed.

Revis Island Invaded: Football’s a funny game. Darrelle Revis shuts down Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, and Marques Colston. Then he gets burned in a critical spot by Ted Ginn. I know Ginn is really fast, but so are Moss and Johnson. The best corner in the NFL picked a bad time for his first critical failure of the year.

Not calling timeouts: Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but I’m not sure why the Jets didn’t burn their timeouts once the Dolphins reached the red zone and it was obvious they were going to at least tie the game. Leave some time on the clock for a hot Mark Sanchez. Bad time management.

The Good:

Mark Sanchez: Way to bounce back from a rough game. You had to love the command and comfort he showed leading the 2:00 offense before the half. Also had to be impressed with the rookie rallying the team from fourth quarter deficits twice in such a hostile environment. All of those great catches Braylon Edwards made? Only possible because Sanchez put the ball perfectly in a spot for his receiver to make a play. Great effort in a high pressure game in enemy territory.

Braylon Edwards: Talk about making a big impact right off the bat. The book on Edwards is he makes the difficult catches and drops the easy ones. All 5 of his receptions were tough ones in traffic. He looked like a guy ready to break out as though he has new life. Then again, wouldn’t you feel the same way if you were released from football Siberia a few days ago? He’s going to provide major life for this offense.

David Clowney: Those of us who have been waiting for this moment were thrilled. Clowney had 4 catches for a team leading 72 yards, including a 53 yard one. Mr. August has arrived in the regular season. If this truly was a coming out party, this offense just became much more dynamic with Edwards and Clowney on the outside. No defense can stick eight in the box and sacrifice a safety with both of them on the field.

Leon Washington: 11 offensive touches, 57 yards. It’s time to really start thinking about making him the number one back.

Brad Smith: Smith’s been great on special teams coverage, but we haven’t seen much of his athleticism make things happen on the field. His 19 yard catch and run and broken tackles to covert a fake punt into a first down are glimpes of what he can turn into if he can ever become a more complete receiver.

The two fake punts: The coaching staff obviously saw something on film and prepared superbly. I disagree with the television announcers. I think the first one was called from the bench. It didn’t look like Steve Weatherford was facing any heat. In any event, brilliantly executed both times. I’m a bit leery on the first one. The Dolphins were up 7-0 then, and the crowd was rocking. If that blew up in the Jets’ face, the game could have gotten out of control. I wasn’t a huge fan of depending on the punter to beat a linebacker to the corner. As long as it works, though, I’m not complaining. The second one would have been an excellent call even had it failed. They definitely caught the Dolphins sleeping. Miami probably thought there was no way there would be another fake. It was the perfect spot for a gamble on the Dolphins’ side of the field.

The offensive line: I saw all five guys winning matchups and keeping Sanchez clean against a very stiff pass rush. They also cleared holes all night for Washington. It really looked like a group of four first rounders.

Other Thoughts:

• Chad Henne really impressed me a lot. He made nothing but good decisions, didn’t force anything, and showed a lot of composure when the Jets brought heat.

• Also credit Miami’s coaching staff. They made a lot of good tactical moves like double tight end sets to push out the edge further on blitzes. Also leaving in extra blockers for Henne and rolling him out to escape pressure.

• The Wildcat is here to stay. I don’t see any other team using it as a blueprint against the Jets, though. No team runs it like the Dolphins

• I feel like this was a statement game for Miami. I don’t just mean for this year even though they just asserted themselves as contenders. This game shows that last year isn’t a fluke, and they are here to stay.

More than anything, I came away really impressed with this Dolphin team. I didn’t think they would have this kind of success against this defense in a million years. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very disappointed, but unlike last week, I feel like the Jets didn’t lose this game. The other guys won it. It’s going to be one heck of a ride in the East this season, and we probably just saw the first of many battles between two young quarterbacks on the rise.

Jets 24 Titans 17: Not Perfect But Still Perfect

John B — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:02:32 -0000

More photos » by Tim Larsen - AP

Browse more photos »

Doesn't 3-0 have a nice ring to it? It feels like 5 years since the Jets have gotten off to this hot of a start, and that was against a perceived much softer schedule. Today's 24-17 win over the Titans had letdown written all over it. The Jets had every reason to have a hangover after such an emotional win last week. They were up against a proud and desperate opponent. That didn't matter. Gang Green will ride into the Superdome next week for a showdown with the also undefeated Saints as arguably the team to beat in September.

More after the jump.

The Good:

Mark Sanchez: Sanchez played well at the start and at the finish. He was 17 for 30 with 2 touchdowns. He also turned it over twice. He struggled through a bad cold stretch in the middle of the game but caught fire late to lead the Jets to yet another victory. He's now the first rookie since a merger to lead his team to a 3-0 start. What impresses me about Sanchez more than anything is his makeup. After the Jets jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, the Tennessee pass rush seemed to rattle him. He left the ball exposed and coughed up a fumble. From that point, it looked like he lost confidence. He was flustered in the pocket and struggled to grip the wet football. For a lot of rookies, that can mean game over. They start pressing and are overwhelmed by negative vibes. Sanchez shook it off and finished hot. He did enough to win the football game.

Special Teams Coverage: Mike Westhoff's boys forced a pair of turnovers that led to 14 points. The first was on a devastating hit by Jason Trusnik to rookie Ryan Mouton. The Titans inexplicably kept the rookie with shattered confidence in to return punts. He later committed a second unforced error on a punt. First, he called for a fair catch with nobody near him. He then misjudged the flight of the ball and had to backpedal. Then he muffed the ball. This is where the excellent coverage came in. Brad Smith was the first guy on the scene. He hit Mouton and pulled him away from the ball, giving Larry Izzo enough time to fall on it. Execution on these plays was the difference in the game.

Jerricho Cotchery: Who said this guy wasn't a number one receiver? 8 catches, 107 yards, and a touchdown today.

Adjustments: The Jets were relatively more conservative on defense than in the first two weeks, not blitzing as often. The fear was Chris Johnson would get behind the defense. Once the Titans started moving the ball, Rex turned up the heat. On the last drive, Collins constantly had men in his face. Kerry Collins finished the game hitting under half of his passes.

The offensive line struggled in pass protection. On the decisive drive, Brian Schottenheimer left extra blockers in so Sanchez had more time. Mark started finding Cotchery.

The Secondary: Even though Collins caught fire in the middle of the game, it was because he was making perfect throws into tight coverage. Give the other guy credit. There was nothing wrong with the way the secondary was playing.

Eric Smith: This guy's been a different player under Rex Ryan. He picked off a pass and was involved in a few other passes defensed.

Bart Scott: This guy does everything well and is really fun to watch. He had 9 tackles and was always around the ball even when he wasn't making the play.

Kris Jenkins: Another week, another domination of an offensive line.

Sione Pouha: He was consistently getting a push when he was in there. At the start of the season, defensive line depth was a concern. Returning players like Pouha and Mike Devito looked very flawed. Things have sure changed. It's amazing how much of a difference coaching can make in improving players.

David Harris: The future Pro Bowler was quiet for three quarters then picked off a pass and registered a critical sack in the fourth.

The Pep Talk: Give the coaching staff credit. You had to be concerned about the team starting flat coming off such an emotional win. The Jets were flying all over the place at the start of the game and had a 14-0 lead before the Titans even got the football.

The Bad:

Thomas Jones: The offensive line struggled, but Leon Washington had much more success running the ball than Jones. TJ only had 20 yards on 14 carries. He had a tough time breaking tackles and wasn't finding his holes. It's too early to write him off, but in the back of our minds, he's a concern right now.

Offensive Line: Not enough running lanes opened. A pair of sacks. A rookie quarterback constantly under pressure. The Titans weren't sending the house either. They were just outexecuting the Jets up front.

No Shonn Greene: I get why the Jets didn't use him. A bad weather game isn't the best time to break in a rookie for the first time. Still, he's the best power runner on the team, and today was a day where any yards on the ground were going to have to get grinded out in the trenches.

Steve Weatherford: Only a 36.4 average on 9 punts, including a 23 yarder in crunch time. The search for a punter is not over. It's time to bring in some more guys for a look.

Getting Sanchez Ready for the Elements: There aren't many bad weather days in Southern California. Mark Sanchez isn't used to handling a wet football. It was clear for days that weather was going to be a factor. Every ball he handled all week should have been dumped in a bucket of water first.

Be Who You Are: Again, I get why the Jets didn't blitz much early. It was to keep Johnson in check. Still, the Jets are a team strongest blitzing. Adjust your style only if your opponent makes you. Do what you do best. Make the opponent adjust to you. This was an excellent defensive performance, but the Jets were having issues defending the pass until they went back with their familiar aggressive style.

Other Thoughts:

I guess everything really evens out in the end. Four years ago, the Jets suffered a devastating Week 3 loss to Jacksonville in no small part because of a disastrous outing by a rookie return man named Justin Miller.
I'm not upset the team didn't play a perfect game like the first two weeks. Things were eventually bound to go wrong. I'm very impressed with the character these guys showed fighting back. There will definitely be tougher times at some point this year, but the Jets passed their first test with adversity.
Make it two straight weeks Dan Dierdorf makes an excuse for an official blowing a call. It came on Leon Washington's pass. Nick Mangold blatantly held on the play, but Washington's facemask was grabbed. Only the holding got called. Dierdorf said the reason there was no facemask call was the holding. Apparently he didn't realize there can be penalties on both teams on the same play.
I'm not upset because Chris Johnson broke some big runs. He's a great player. He's going to get his. The important thing is he wasn't able to go crazy all day like he did against the Texans. The Jets held him mostly in check aside from those few big runs. It was all or nothing, all or 4-5 yards.

This sets up a showdown down in New Orleans next Sunday. The Saints will put their dynamic offense against the elite Jets defense. Who would have thought Rex would have the team playing this well so soon? With the rookie quarterback and the new system, I honestly thought this was a year away. This start exceeded my wildest expectations. Let's keep it going!

PS Miami's 0-3 :-)

Camp Battle 2009: Special Teams

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:29:09 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

4 months ago: Jacksonville Jaguars long snapper Joe Zelenka snaps the ball to the punter during special teams practice at the NFL Jaguars football training camp, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Browse more photos »

Special teams are often the most overlooked aspect of football. No one remembers an eight yard punt return or a touch back on a kick off. However, when something goes wrong (or right) then Special Teams is perhaps the most important part of any team.

2009 was not a banner year for the Jaguars' special teams. After an excellent fake punt by Montell Owens on opening day, the Jaguars special teams constantly missed tackles, shanked punts, and played below par in general. Their play, along with some "encouragement" from Coach Del Rio, led to Joe DeCamillas being sent packing. New coordinator Russ Purnell is looking to make the Jaguars' special teams a top unit again. However, do the Jags have the players to do that?

Josh Scobee

Josh Scobee was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. Many questioned the drafting him, as he had a big leg, but accuracy issues.

Scobee is entering his 6th season in the NFL and had easily his worst year since his rookie year. Scobee only had 10 touch backs last year, one fewer than 2008 when he missed 8 games. Worse, after seemingly overcoming any issues with his accuracy, Scobee was only 50% from between 30-39 yards in 2008.

The lone bright spot for Scobee in 2008 was that he was 4 of 5 from 50+ yards, which shows he still has one of the biggest legs in football. Perhaps this is the only reason Scobee doesn't find himself in a competition, as does Adam Podlesh.

The main thing for Scobee in 2009 is to regain his kickoff ability. Scobee went from being one of the league leaders in touch backs for the last 3 years to being in the middle of the pack last year. If he doesn't regain that, then Scobee begins a slide towards being "just another kicker."

Adam Podlesh/Steve Weatherford

Another Shack Harris special, Podlesh was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 draft. However, unlike Scobee, Podlesh hasn't demonstrated that he was worthy of using a draft choice on. Podlesh has been in the bottom third of the league in punt average, net average, and inside the 20.

Podlesh currently finds himself in a battle with Steve Weatherford for the starting punt job, and a spot on the team. Weatherford isn't that great of a punter, but showed more than Podlesh had in a short time starting last year.

Either way, the punting position has to improve for the Jaguars to have a better record in 2009. There were too many punts that bounced into the end zone, didn't hang high enough, or were just plain shanked last year.

Joe Zelenka

Not much to mention except that the longest tenured Jaguar and one of the most consistent long snappers in the league will be coming back for another year. I'm a proud member of the Joe Z fan club, are you?

Kick Returning

The biggest difference is that Maurice Jones-Drew won't be handling any of the kick returning duties in 2009.The kick returning duties are up for grabs. Brian Witherspoon seems to have the upper hand at the position going into training camp. Spoony set franchise records in kick and punt returning, not to mention reportedly having run a 4.16 40 time. However, I would expect the Jaguars to give him some competition to at least keep his competitive spirit going.

The current favorite to challenge for punt returning duties is 4th round pick Mike Thomas. Thomas only had one year of kick returning duties at Arizona, but took two for touchdowns and was named 1st team All-PAC 10 as a punt returner.

Kick Coverage

The worst area for the Jaguars special teams was their kick coverage. The Jaguars ranked 28th in the league, giving up 50 returns of 20 yards or more. The Jaguars were also middle of the pack in punt coverage.

The empahsis this year is on getting hang time on the ball and tackling, two things that weren't present often last year. Special teams ace Chad Nkang is no longer with the team, so a new gunner will need to emerge.

-John

Poll

Which kicker will rebound from their sub par 2009?

Scobee

126 votes

Podlesh

10 votes

Both

46 votes

Neither

16 votes

198 votes | Poll has closed

Final Defensive and Special Team Stats for the 2008 Saints Season

Saintsational — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:00:07 -0000

As promised, here are the final defensive and special teams statistics for the 2008 season. As you would expect, these aren't as impressive as their offensive counterparts.

Rushing Defense

Left End

Left Tackle

Left Guard

Up the Middle

Right Guard

Right Tackle

Right End

Plays: 62

Plays: 58

Plays: 65

Plays: 87

Plays: 62

Plays: 51

Plays: 45

NFL Rank: 10

NFL Rank: 15

NFL Rank: 3

NFL Rank: 28

NFL Rank: 4

NFL Rank: 23

NFL Rank: 20

Avg Gain: 5.19

Avg Gain: 4.72

Avg Gain: 3.66

Avg Gain: 3.75

Avg Gain: 4.32

Avg Gain: 3.86

Avg Gain: 5.89

NFL Rank: 15

NFL Rank: 24

NFL Rank: 12

NFL Rank: 22

NFL Rank: 13

NFL Rank: 26

Passing Defense

Short Left	Short Middle	Short Right	Deep Left	Deep Middle	Deep Right


















Plays: 165	Plays: 82	Plays: 161	Plays: 55	Plays: 29	Plays: 35
NFL Rank: 7	NFL Rank: 27	NFL Rank: 23	NFL Rank: 1	NFL Rank: 9	NFL Rank: 20
Avg Gain: 5.80	Avg Gain: 7.09	Avg Gain: 5.87	Avg Gain: 8.00	Avg Gain: 18.10	Avg Gain: 8.03
NFL Rank: 13	NFL Rank: 24	NFL Rank: 25	NFL Rank: 7	NFL Rank: 31	NFL Rank: 2

Team Rankings

Team	Yds / Game	Yds / Play	Rush Yds / Game	Rush Yards / Play	Pass Yards / Game	Pass Yards / Play	Int. Rate	Sacks / Pass Att	First Downs / Game	Punt Return Avg	Kickoff Return Avg	3rd Down Pct	4th Down Pct	Red Zone Pct	Goal to Go%	Points / Game	Point Diff. / Game	Yard Diff. / Game
NO	339.5	5.44	117.8	4.24	221.7	6.74	2.85%	5.32%	18.7	10.7	24.0	39.81%	57.14%	48.33%	70.97%	24.6	4.4	71.2
Rank	23	22	17	19	23	21	14	22	18	25	23	19	19t	9	21	26	10	3

Individual Stats

Interceptions	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
J.David	5	83	16.6	42	0
S.Fujita	2	19	9.5	17	0
K.Kaesviharn	2	13	6.5	13	0
U.Young	2	3	1.5	3	0
T.Porter	1	25	25.0	25	0
J.Bullocks	1	23	23.0	23	0
M.McKenzie	1	14	14.0	14	0
J.Vilma	1	8	8.0	8	0
Team	15	188	12.5	42	0
Opponents	18	270	15.0	95t	2

Punting	No	Yds	Avg	Net	TB	In	Lg	B
S.Weatherford	26	1094	42.1	34.2	3	5	61	0
G.Pakulak	24	1144	47.7	37.8	2	3	70	0
B.Graham	3	126	42.0	35.3	0	1	44	0
Team	53	2364	44.6	35.9	5	9	70	0
Opponents	66	2711	41.1	35.2	4	23	65	0

Punt Returns	Ret	FC	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
R.Bush	20	3	270	13.5	71t	3
L.Moore	6	13	40	6.7	11	0
S.Green	0	1	0	0	0	0
Team	26	17	310	11.9	71t	3
Opponents	34	7	363	10.7	42	0

Field Goals	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+
G.Hartley	0/ 0	5/ 5	4/ 4	4/ 4	0/ 0
M.Gramatica	0/ 0	0/ 0	3/ 3	2/ 5	1/ 2
T.Mehlhaff	0/ 0	1/ 1	1/ 2	1/ 1	0/ 0
Team	0/ 0	6/ 6	8/ 9	7/ 10	1/ 2
Opponents	0/ 0	13/ 13	15/ 16	5/ 7	1/ 3

Kickoff Returns	No.	Yds	Avg	Long	TD
P.Thomas	31	793	25.6	88	0
C.Roby	19	472	24.8	62	0
S.Green	4	133	33.3	60	0
T.Copper	2	35	17.5	18	0
A.Stecker	2	10	5.0	10	0
L.Moore	1	36	36.0	36	0
R.Meachem	1	9	9.0	9	0
B.Ortega	1	8	8.0	8	0
M.Campbell	1	0	0.0	0	0
M.Karney	0	0	0	0	0
Team	62	1496	24.1	88	0
Opponents	76	1827	24.0	83t	1

Defensive Player Statistics

Player	Tkl	Ast	Comb	Sack	Sk Yds	QH	Int	PD	FF	FR
J.Vilma	98	34	132	1	5	4	1	6	2	3
S.Shanle	60	27	87	2	12	3	0	5	1	0
R.Harper	73	7	80	0	0	1	0	9	1	0
S.Fujita	62	18	80	0	0	0	2	3	1	0
W.Smith	43	19	62	3	23	11	0	1	1	0
K.Kaesviharn	47	14	61	0	0	1	2	4	0	0
R.Gay	49	4	53	1	6	1	0	15	0	0
J.Bullocks	28	7	35	0	0	1	1	6	0	0
K.Clancy	26	8	34	2	8	4	0	3	0	1
C.Grant	27	6	33	3	20	9	0	2	0	0
U.Young	27	6	33	0	0	0	2	8	0	0
S.Ellis	20	10	30	4	16	8	0	4	0	0
B.McCray	25	4	29	6	35	13	0	0	1	0
T.Porter	23	2	25	1	8	1	1	5	0	0
J.David	21	2	23	0	0	0	5	10	0	1
M.McKenzie	21	1	22	0	0	0	1	3	0	0
B.Young	11	2	13	1	0	0	0	0	1	0
J.Charleston	9	1	10	3	25	3	0	0	0	0
A.Glenn	6	1	7	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
H.Thomas	6	1	7	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
J.Dunbar	4	3	7	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
J.Craft	2	4	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
L.Torrence	4	1	5	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
A.Lake	4	1	5	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
C.Reis	3	1	4	1	3	1	0	0	0	0
R.Ayodele	2	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J.Savage	1	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
T.Evans	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
M.Mitchell	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Team Totals	703	188	891	28	161	62	15	90	8	5
Opponent Totals	724	172	896	13	92	55	18	107	10	7

**Tkl=Tackle Ast=Assist FF =Forced Fumble FR=Fumble Recovery BL=Blocked Kick**

Special Teams Defensive Stats

Player	Tkl	Ast	FF	FR	BL
U.Young	15	2	0	1	0
J.Dunbar	13	0	0	0	0
T.Evans	12	1	0	1	0
C.Reis	9	1	1	0	0
R.Harper	9	0	0	0	0
M.Mitchell	8	1	0	1	0
J.Charleston	6	2	0	0	0
B.Ortega	5	1	0	0	0
J.Bullocks	5	0	1	0	0
P.Thomas	4	1	0	0	0
L.Torrence	3	1	0	0	0
A.Stecker	3	0	0	0	0
K.Kaesviharn	2	1	0	0	0
J.Craft	2	1	0	0	0
C.Roby	2	0	0	0	0
S.Weatherford	2	0	0	0	0
S.Fujita	1	0	0	0	0
A.Glenn	1	0	0	0	0
J.Savage	1	0	0	0	0
D.Barnes	1	0	0	0	0
G.Hartley	1	0	0	0	0
G.Pakulak	1	0	0	0	0
T.Holt	0	1	0	0	0
Team Totals	106	13	2	3	0
Opponent Totals	85	12	1	2	1

**Tkl=Tackle Ast=Assist FF =Forced Fumble FR=Fumble Recovery BL=Blocked Kick**

Turnovers

Fumbles Lost: J.Shockey 2, R.Bush 2, S.Green 1, P.Thomas 1, O.Sobomehin 1, D.Brees 1 Total: 8

Opponent Fumble Recoveries: J.Vilma 3, J.David 1, U.Young 1, K.Clancy 1, T.Evans 1 Total: 7

Chiefs-Chargers Week in Review

Chris Thorman — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:42:37 -0000

via NFL.com

I feel like it's been a haphazard week of coverage here at Arrowhead Pride so I wanted to take a minute to recap all the going ons of this past week. We've had roster moves, injuries and all that other good stuff to talk about. Here we go...

Injuries

I'm sure you saw Kolby Smith go down in last Sunday's game clutching his knee and it turns out he is done for the season and has been placed on injured reserve.

LB Derrick Johnson strained his hamstring against the Bucs and is out for this weekend's game.

S Jarrad Page (groin) and CB Pat Surtain (quad) both did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Surtain has already been ruled out for Sunday's game and the team has left open the possibility of Page playing.

S Dajuan Morgan tweaked his leg a bit in yesterday's practice, prompting Herm to say, "We’ll see where he’s at." Finally, DE Turk McBride is also listed on the injury report with a shoulder problem and both are questionable to play this weekend.

Roster moves

Because of recent issues with corner back play, the Chiefs signed CBs Richardo Colclough and David Macklin this week. They also added RB Omar Cuff to the practice squad and DE Wallace Gilberry to the active roster.

WR Kevin Robinson and TE Michael Merritt, both 2008 rookies who have yet to see the field, were activated this week. Merritt was placed on Reserve/Non-Football Injury on August 30th, while Robinson had been on Reserve/Physically-Unable-To-Perform since August 26th. Merritt won't play this week but may get a chance later on in the season. Robinson is currently third on the depth chart for the kick return position, making the possibility of him taking the field small.

To make room for these new additions, the Chiefs cut P Steve Weatherford, because Dustin Colquitt will play this weekend. TE John Paul Foschi and WR Nate Hughes were let go as well. Finally, just-signed CB Tyron Brackenridge was let go and DT T.J. Jackson was put back on the practice squad after spending time on the active roster.

For a full list of recent transactions, click here.

Depth chart

With Kolby Smith out for the rest of the season and Larry Johnson suspended this weekend, Jamaal Charles steps into the starting role, with Dantrell Savage backing him up. Right before last week's game against the Bucs, RB Jackie Battle was promoted from the practice squad which now makes him the #3 running back.

The full depth chart is here.

The Chargers

The 3-5 San Diego Chargers are coming off of a bye week and Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune gives us a quick synopsis of what's happening in San Diego:

The location of the bye week couldn't be any better, what with the Chargers precisely at the halfway point of their season, coming off two straight losses, road-weary from a trip of more than 11,000 miles across eight time zones. They've used the break to install a new defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, and get themselves back into their best physical health of the season.

The Chargers literally are in the best team health of the season, with only WR Chris Chambers and CB Antonio Cromartie limited in practice and their center is out with an illness. Both Chambers and Cromartie are likely to play on Sunday.

Of course, the biggest news coming out of San Diego over the bye week was the hiring of inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera as defensive coordinator. The Chargers' 25th ranked team defense caused former Charger DC Ted Cottrell to be fired after giving up 37 points in Week 8 to the New Orleans Saints.

Quick look at the Chargers:

Team Stats - Game Averages

	Pts	Yrds	Pass	Rush
Off	28.0	343.0 (12th)	246.4 (7th)	96.6 (24th)
Def	24.9	371.6 (26th)	265.1 (32nd)	106.5 (16th)

Misc News and Notes

Last night on Thursday night football, the Broncos defeated the Browns on the strength of three 4th quarter touchdown passes by Jay Cutler.

I have to feel for the Broncos as a Chiefs fan when I read that they will likely place their 4th running back on injured reserve this season.

If you've got time today, check out this CBS preview of the game this weekend.

Wow, 19 rookies on the Chiefs' roster right now.

That's what I've got for this morning. The Kansas City Chiefs play a rare 3:15 PM central time game this weekend so make sure you come by for the open thread.

WR Laveranues Coles' Concussion a Big Break for Chiefs Secondary

Chris Thorman — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:07:00 -0000

via NFL.com

The New York Jets have ten, count 'em, ten players listed on their injury report so far this week. And only two of those players participated fully in practice on Wednesday, meaning they'll almost assuredly play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

OUT	DNP	LIMITED	FULL
K Mike Nugent (right thigh)	WR Laveranues Coles (head, thigh)	TE Chris Baker (back)	DT Kris Jenkins (back)
	TE Bubba Franks (hip)	WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder)	LB Calvin Pace (foot)
	T Damien Woody (calf)	G Brandon Moore (foot)
		S Eric Smith (head)

WR Coles actually has a concussion, as does safety Eric Smith. When asked about the injury, Coles said, "Unless any of y'all are going to fork over some cash, don't ask me no more damn questions about it. Talk to Eric and talk to the doctors."

The Chiefs only real injury is the strained groin of punter Dustin Colquitt, which is why the Chiefs signed punter Steve Weatherford earlier this week. Donnie Edwards will be back this week after dealing with an ankle injury.

The Jet's injuries, although unfortunate, do give a decent advantage to the Kansas City Chiefs. With their leading receiver Coles out of the lineup, the Chiefs young secondary may catch a break this week after literally watching the Carolina wide receiving corp run right through them in Week 5. The Titans didn't need to pass last week since they racked up 332 yards rushing the ball.

Even with the injuries, I'm stuck with the feeling that Brett Favre is going to shred the Chiefs' secondary.

Raiders @ Saints: Preview

Saintsational — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:00:05 -0000

Key Matchups

Saints Defense vs. Raiders Running Backs

The bad news is that the Raiders have three good running backs in Justin Fargas, Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. The good news is that Fargas and McFadden are both coming back from injuries and the Saints defense is coming off of a spectacular performance against much feared Adrian Peterson. We know this unit is up to the challenge and can be succesful. The performance of Jonathan Vilma and our defensive tackles will play a crucial role in stopping the run. Forcing JaMarcus Russell to go to the air a lot and win the game with his arm will increase the Saints chances of walking away with a victory.

Saints Special Teams vs. Raiders Special Teams

To punt or not to punt. The Raiders actually do a good job on special teams coverage and exhibited that skill against Devin Hester last year. Chances are they aren't as afraid of Reggie as other teams might be. Look for them to punt to Reggie. If they do, Bush will have very little room to work with. Some big blocks like the ones he got from Stecker and Dunbar will be necessary.

Saints Secondary vs. Raiders Passing Game

If the defense can actually force the Raiders to rely on the pass then it will be incumbent on the secondary to do their job in the backfield. Obviously some pressure from the line will help immensely but the corners cannot allow Russell to beat them deep with that cannon arm of his.

What The Saints Need To Do

Establish the Run

The Raiders do not have the same great run stuffing defense that the Vikings do so there is no reason why the Saints shouldn't at least attempt to pound the ball up the middle with D. Mac. Making the Raiders respect the run game will open everything up for the rest of the offense.

Stop Turning it Over

The Saints have now gone 22 straight games with at least one turnover. Ridiculous. That must come to an end. Turnovers are the easiest way to lose a game.

No Penalties

I hate having to even mention this. The Saints have given up 225 yards in penalties the last two games. That's more than the Lions can gain in one game! This is a mental and discipline issue. Clean it up!

60 Minutes of Football

The Saints have had trouble closing games. Whether it's missing field goals, coming up short on third down or giving up big passing plays late in the game, the Saints need to play a complete game for the entire length of the game. If this game is closer than we all hope in the fourth quarter, the ability to finish will be important.

Players to Watch

Taylor Mehlhaff

The kids first real game. He's gonna be nervous as hell so let's all pray that he doesn't get put into a must make situation. Weatherford has been taking the kickoffs as of late so look for Mehlhaff to take over duties there as well.

Jeremy Shockey/Marques Colston

Will they be back? It's questionable.

Deuce McAllister

Don't let him leave your sights.