SB Nation - Dustin Keller

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

John B — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:20 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

-- FILE -- In this Nov. 22, 2007, file photo, New York Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens looks to pass during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Irving, Texas. Clemens was considered the favorite to be the starting quarterback until the team traded up from No. 17 to No. 5 and took a player they believe is the future of the franchise. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez,file)

View full size photo »

The Jets do not want this game in the hands of Kellen Clemens. Part of this has to do with how well the Jets run it. Part has to do with how poorly the Bucs stop the run. As much as anything is how little faith this organization has in Clemens. The Jets wouldn't have traded for Brett Favre if they thought Clemens was ready to be their guy. They certainly wouldn't have traded up for Mark Sanchez. Last week's horrendous performance against the Bills didn't inspire much confidence.

If there's one thing I'd like to see the Jets do it's let Clemens work without a huddle. He's been in this system for four years. He knows it inside and out. If you remember back to 2007, Clemens did some of his best work in late game situations. In other spots, he seemed tentative and unsure of himself. Going no huddle speeds things up for him and doesn't give him enough time to overthink. It also limits the defense's ability to substitute and throw exotic looks at him.

In recent weeks, Tampa Bay has switched from Jim Bates' system into a Cover 2 scheme. I predict things will be a bit different this week. The Bucs will load up the box with a lot of eight and nine man fronts. They want to take away the run and force Clemens to beat them. Tampa has a quality starting corner in second year man Aqib Talib. The other starter, Ronde Barber, was formerly a top corner. At 34 his skills have diminished, and his best years are behind him. Talib should be able to hold his own against Braylon Edwards or Jerricho Cotchery. Whoever doesn't draw Talib should have an edge against Barber, and Clemens should look in that direction.

Also look for the Jets to target Dustin Keller. Think back to Mark Sanchez's midyear struggles. The Jets seemed to make Keller Sanchez's first read to make things safer. Without much faith in their quarterback, we could see a similar focus. The Bucs have some solid linebackers in coverage in Barrett Ruud and Quincy Black.

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

Browse more photos »

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.

Jets 17 Panthers 6: Finally Back on Track

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

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Browse more photos »

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.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Carolina Panthers Pass Defense

John B — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:14:53 -0000

More photos » by Greg Trot - AP

Browse more photos »

The Panthers enter this game with a top five pass defense, giving up only 185 yards per game under first year coordinator Ron Meeks. Meeks is a disciple of Tony Dungy and favors the Tampa 2 defense. This scheme depends a lot on the front four to generate a pass rush. There is very little blitzing. In fact, the Panthers only have 2 sacks all year from non linemen. It is primarily an execution based defense. You more or less know what is coming, but it is not all that easy to beat.

Julius Peppers is Carolina's best pass rusher. The 6'7" 283 pound end could probably fit on the line in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 system. He leads the team with 7 sacks on the year. He is being slowed by an undisclosed hand injury, which has limited his playing time recently. His play has been somewhat up and down this year. Tyler Branton also plays end for the Panthers. He has 2.5 sacks and 16 pressures. Rookie Everette Brown from Florida State will also see time at end. He spent a lot of time subbing for Peppers last week. Charles Johnson, a part of Carolina's nickle package on the pass rush, is battling a pectoral injury. His status is unclear. No Carolina tackle has a sack this year. Based on this, the key matchup will be Peppers against D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Peppers has 7 of his team's 18 sacks this year. If D'Brickashaw does his job, there's a good chance the Jets will keep Mark Sanchez clean.

Linebackers and secondary players in a system like this play a lot of zone coverage. The middle linebacker in particular must be very athletic and cover a lot of ground. The safeties are playing Cover 2 deep, which means everything in front of them in the middle of the field falls to him. Jon Beason mans this role for the Panthers. He's been good near the line, leading the team in tackles and been solid in coverage. Carolina is thinner at outside linebacker. Standout Thomas Davis, who was excellent this year in zone coverage, is on injured reserve. So in backup Landon Johnson. Another starting outside linebacker, Na'il Diggs, is banged up with injured ribs and quite possibly could be out Sunday. That could leave young players James Anderson and Dan Connor outside. They both have been adequate against the pass, but it could leave Dustin Keller opportunities to find seams.

Carolina will likely start Richard Marshall and Chris Gamble on the outside at corner. They comprise a solid tandem. Gamble had a rough game against the Dolphins last week, but he has good cover skills. Marshall has been a solid performer all year. At safety Charles Godfrey is battling an ankle injury for the Panthers. If he can't go, he'll be replaced by rookie Sherrod Martin. Martin has started the last 4 games and arguably played better than Godfrey, who has struggled. Chris Harris, the other safety, has also had some lapses. Still, this defense is a Cover 2 with an emphasis on safeties playing conservatively to prevent big plays. I'm not sure I'd count on Braylon Edwards or David Clowney as vertical threats. A good route runner like Jerricho Cotchery will probably be the primary target working to find holes in the zone.

49'ers Drop Tampering Charges Against Jets

David_Wyatt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:17:00 -0000

ESPN Mike Sando has reported that the 49'ers have dropped the tampering charges against the Jets they filed earlier this year regarding Michael Crabtree

San Francisco 49ers president Jed York is dropping the team's tampering charge against the New York Jets over Michael Crabtree, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Monday.

NFC West blog

ESPN.com's Mike Sando writes about all things NFC West in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation

The 49ers filed tampering charges with the NFL regarding their then-negotiations with first-round draft pick Crabtree. Former player Deion Sanders said he knew two teams that were willing to pay Crabtree what he wanted while he was holding out from the Niners. The 49ers investigated and filed the charge against the Jets.

The 49ers signed Crabtree to a six-year contract in early October. He has 22 catches for 292 yards and one touchdown since joining the 49ers.

Crabtree caught 97 passes for 1,165 yards and 19 touchdowns last year during his sophomore season at Texas Tech. He finished his college career with 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 TDs.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

We said at the time here at GGN that we expected nothing to come of this, not only because it would make absolutely zero sense for Mike T to be involved in tampering with Crabtree because of the deadlines for the trading of rights, but also because tampering charges are so hard to prove, unless they had phone records of actual conversations (remember that just having records of calls to his agent from the Jets would not of been enough with Dustin Keller also being a client) then nothing was being done.

So there we have the end of that.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. New England Patriots Pass Defense

John B — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:39 -0000

More photos » by Peter Morgan - AP

Browse more photos »

The Patriots have offered a number of different defensive looks the past few weeks. Watching the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago, I noticed a subtle move. Vince Wilfork lined up at right end in the 3-4 trying to create a mismatch against the left side of Miami's line. Last week against the Colts New England operated a lot out of the 4-3 with Ty Warren out of the lineup and Derrick Burgess and Tully Banta-Cain at end. Warren is fighting an ankle injury. He's questionable. Whether he starts or not, I think we'll see a few wrinkles from Bill Belichick, changing up the looks on Mark Sanchez.

I would guess we could see Wilfork at end a few times trying to use his power against D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Alan Faneca, who may struggle to contain him. If the left side gets tied up, it will free up edge rushers, such as New England's best, Tully-Banta Cain (3 sacks). Banta-Cain is questionable with a rib injury. I could see Belichick utilizing a look like this to use Rex Ryan's overload blitzes against him. With Warren banged up and Jarvis Green also nursing an injury, we'll see a lot of Mike Wright on the line. Wright has been effective as a pass rusher.

I think the Jets should max protect to keep Sanchez standing. The Pats are probably going to attack him. They've seen on film the rookie mistakes he's made and will try to force more. I'm also expecting eight in the box. Belichick teams try to take away what you do best. For the Jets, owners of the league's top rushing attack, that's run the football. Patrick Chung has also been an effective blitzer from the safety spot.

If the Jets can keep Sanchez standing, they have some decent matchups. Braylon Edwards is a tough matchup for Leigh Bodden. He might need help in the form of Brandon Merriweather and other safeties, which will leave Jerricho Cotchery against an aging Shawn Springs, returning to the lineup from a knee injury and a mix of rookie Darrius Butler and Jason Wilhite. Cotchery always seems to play well against New England. He'll have a good chance to do so again. Dustin Keller should remain Sanchez's primary read, though. It's important not to make mistakes. Keller's a safety valve, and aside from Merriweather and Jerrod Mayo, New England's linebackers and safeties aren't great in coverage.

The Jets did a lot to exploit New England's pass defense in the second half of the first game. This was without Braylon Edwards. As long as they can keep Sanchez upright, they'll have some favorable matchups again. I do not expect this platform to affect Sanchez. Less than a year ago, Mark lit up the Rose Bowl. Obviously, this is a tougher defense, but the pressure of the game won't get to him. Aside from Banta-Cain and Wright, the Pats don't really have any great pass rushers in their front seven. Adalius Thomas and Derrick Burgess have ability but haven't really lit the world on fire this year. The Jets just need to do what it takes to keep Sanchez standing.

Jaguars 24 Jets 22: A New Low

John B — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:40:03 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

View full size photo »

The Jets are 4-5 after their 24-22 loss to Jacksonville in the Meadowlands today. That makes 5 losses in 6 games. It's the 4th of those 5 to be decided in the final 2:00. It's yet another crushing loss in a season that started so well.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Kerry Rhodes: I've officially had enough of hearing Kerry talk about how great he is. Tone it down until you back it up on the field. Despite the defense's success, he hasn't transformed into the playmaker many expected. He was burned on the decisive play that set up a chip shot field goal.

First Half Defense: The Jets did not force a punt in the first half, and the front seven was completely manhandled. Jacksonville's run blockers constantly sealed their men and gave Maurice Jones-Drew holes to explode through. He almost because the first 100 yard rusher against New York this season in the first half alone.

Last Drive Defense: The pass rush wasn't there. I know this is a great defense, an elite unit. It would be nice if they could get the big stop, though. This is the third time in six games the other team has put together a game winning drive late in the fourth.

Rookie Mistakes by Mark Sanchez: This game was not a total wash for the rookie quarterback. He made some plays that flashed his promise and showed signs of what he will become with more seasoning. There were subtle errors, though, like not elevating the ball Quentin Groves interception. Don't get me wrong. It was an incredible display of athelticism and coordination by Groves. Great, great play. However, part of being a quarterback in the NFL is to make sure a quick throw to a receiver is high enough to get over a lineman. There was the timeout on the goal line he burned in the second half with plenty of time left on the play clock. There were a few attempted throw aways that Jacksonville defenders touched. These didn't affect the game, but it's playing with fire. If you're throwing it away, put it in the second row, not within reach of a defender. These things come with time and illustrate how tough it is to win with a rookie quarterback.

Dustin Keller: I know it's really tough to get on him. His 6 catch, 58 yard day was productive and encouraging. He's starting to emerge in the passing game. There were also a couple of key drops. In addition, a guy with his athleticism ought to be able to make somebody miss or break a tackle every now and then.

Braylon Edwards: Again, tough to get on him with 79 yards on 3 receptions, but his fumble was a killer. So was his drop on the two point conversion after the Jets took the lead in the fourth. It was not an unforced error but still a ball a number one receiver can't let hit the ground. He also never should have thrown it on his option pass. He had open field and a blocker in front of him and could have picked up a first down by tucking and running.

Lowery/Sheppard Combo: Dwight Lowery and Lito Sheppard are good football players. They have been good to very good this season. They had trouble with Torry Holt and Mike Thomas. Darrelle Revis shut down Mike Simms-Walker, but Jacksonville's top wideout scored a touchdown when Revis wasn't on him.

First Play Call: One thing I've always said about Brian Schottenheimer is that he has incredible acumen of X's and O's but doesn't know how to apply his knowledge. It reminds me of this teacher I had in high school chemistry. He was a brilliant guy who knew the concepts inside and out. He just couldn't communicate them so nobody in my class left with the slightest clue about chemistry. The first play of the game made sense on the chalkboard. It ended with Jerricho Cotchery wide open. The problem is it's really too hard for a rookie quarterback to roll left and make an accurate long throw against his body. The result was failure.

Let me talk about the Edwards throw. Part of the blame goes on Braylon for making the throw with open field in front of him, but why would you want him throwing with the game on the line? He's not used to doing it. It's not what he does best.

Darrelle Revis Returning Punts: Let me go on record. This is a horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible idea. I know he was great returning punts at Pitt. I know he had an incredible return against West Virginia. I watched that game and was blown away. There is absolutely no reason for him to be returning punts. By far his most important role on this team is shutting down the other team's best receiver. Why get him hit and potentially injured by running punts back? Is the risk worth the benefit? How much better will the team be with him instead of Jim Leonhard even if he is a little better as a return man? By the way, his long on 2 returns was for 3 yards.

Lack of Intensity: I'm sure we'll hear all week about how Rex Ryan giving the team 6 days off during the bye led to such a sloppy performance. That's a really simplistic explanation, but the poor performance full of mistakes in the first half will give these people plenty of ammo.

Up Men: The Jets got lucky on Jacksonville's surprise onside kick. That's all there is to it. The front line left early. They've been doing it all year. It was only a matter of time before somebody exploited it. The Jaguars executed, and the Jets got a few lucky bounces. It was frustrating to see these guys continue to leave early even after that. This needs to be corrected.

The Good:

Thomas Jones: He hit holes, broke tackles, and grinded out tough yardage on his 77 yard, 21 carry day.

Mike Devito: He played really well in the middle of the line, winning his matchups and getting off his blocks.

Jim Leonhard: He was all over the field with 7 tackles and a sack.

Brad Smith: Made some nice plays on coverage units.

Jaguars Fans on This Site: All week Jaguars fans graced us with their presence here on GGN, and I can't say enough about them. They were classy, knowledgable, and added a lot to our discussion here. In the year and change I've run this blog, I've come across some great fan bases. The Bills and Texans come to mind. The Jaguars fans we came across this week top the list. Congrats on the win. Good luck the rest of the way. Please do continue to stop by.

Halftime Adjustments: The Jets played much more inspired football in the second half.

Other Thoughts:

You really can't say enough about Maurice Jones-Drew. It's been a long time since a football player impressed me like he did today. He's the total package. He's got speed and vision. He hits hits holes. He's bruising between the tackles. He's a threat as a receiver. He blocks well. He's got football intellect and is selfless like when he went down on the 1 instead of padding his stats with a touchdown so the Jets wouldn't have a chance to get the ball back. He was the difference.
David Garrard also gets props. He made the plays on that last drive.
It's funny how things even out. Two weeks ago, the Jets pretty much manhandled the Dolphins but essentially handed them the game by making silly errors. This week, the Jags really had the better of the play for most of the game, but a missed field goal, a guy tripping himself going into the end zone, and a botched exchange from the one foot line were enough to almost gift wrap the Jets a win.
I find this a bit easier to swallow than the Miami game. It's one thing when the opponent plays better than you like the Jaguars did. It's another to constantly shoot yourself in the foot like the Jets did two weeks ago. There was no doubt the Jaguars were the better team today.
It's frustrating because it's clear the Jets are on the verge of being a good team, but they just can't finish games. Kind of like Mark Sanchez. He makes plays that show the ability is there, but it just hasn't all come together yet.

Well, these are surely not the circumstances you want heading to Foxborough. This team is in bad shape after a series of bitter losses. At this point, the Playoffs have begun. The Jets probably need to win their last 7 to make it. How disappointing.

New York Jets Pass Offense vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pass Defense

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

by Peter Morgan - AP

View full size photo »

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.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Now With 33% Less Negativity!

Sugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Is Albert Haynesworth capable of rallying a team to fight their hardest despite the circus going on all around them? If not, then who?

Browse more photos »

As I watched the Monday Night Football game last night, I was thinking, "I could totally live with just having to deal with a team that was slightly underachieving but had some hope for the future." Instead, we get the added debacle of our current ownership and management mess. But I'll save thinking and writing about that for tomorrow. Today, my thoughts are squarely on last season's anomaly--that is, starting 6-2 and finishing 2-6. Watching that first half of the season, you would have been hard-pressed to find someone--anyone--that would have picked the Redskins to miss the playoffs. The losses to teams like Pittsburgh and the Giants notwithstanding, the team had a very real chance to get the wins necessary to make the postseason. But the free falling Skins could not save themselves.

Is it possible that we have a team that can reverse its 2-5 start? Not probable, but possible, yes. No team has a tougher schedule in November than the Redskins. Our opponents combine for a .750 winning percentage. Going on the road this week in Atlanta will be very tough, especially with those guys coming off a loss to their division rivals.

Assuming that the coaches can solidify the offense from an X's and O's perspective, the only thing that can turn the Redskins around is if they adopt an attitude that they are capable of winning every game they have left on the schedule. This plus the kind of "bunker mentality" that "nobody is giving us a chance" is how teams band together and fight just hard enough to beat teams they might not otherwise be capable of defeating.

The problem with this theory is that teams that adopt that kind of attitude usually do it in the process of rallying around someone or something. Coach Zorn could be that person to rally around, but he has been so publicly castrated that you almost feel like rallying around him is the same as dancing on the deck of the Titanic. Players have been shown clearly who is in charge, even if that authority is ripping the franchise apart. Chris Samuels would always take it upon himself to make sure guys played with pride and professionalism no matter what the record. His leadership is at least somewhat diminished now that he is no longer wearing pads. Who is going to step up and assume the role of rallying the troops? London Fletcher? Greg Blache? Jason Campbell seems to always have his glad game on, so maybe he is the guy that keeps the players focused on the season. I look forward to your comments on this one.

Ten Yard Fight - 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1) I hope all you mediocre fantasy teams out there capitalized this week on the bye weeks of Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, Big Ben, Randy Moss, and even guys like Cedric Benson, Matt Cassel, and the Steelers defense. I did and it was great, until I realized that all of the teams I beat (in a cumulative scoring system) had studs on the bench. I'll take it, but it is yet another reminder that my team is woefully undermanned coming down the stretch.

2) In the Jets-Dolphins game, the high passer was Mark Sanchez with 265 yards, the high rusher was Thomas Jones with 102 yards, and the high receiver was Dustin Keller with 76 yards. Chad Henne threw for a paltry 112 yards, Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown each had 27 yards rushing, and Williams led all Dolphin receivers with 41 yards. Final score Dolphins 30, Jets 25...huh?

3) It was good to see the Rams get their first win of the season...against someone besides the Redskins. Although by the associative property of scheduling (or is it transitive?), their win against a team that beat the Redskins means they are...wait, it just means we're all in the same crappy neighborhood. If you want an example of a guy who is playing as if his team is undefeated and every game is a playoff game, look no farther than Steven Jackson.

4) I realize that Calvin Johnson is hurt, but you simply HAVE to let Matthew Stafford go deep more often if you're calling plays in Detroit. That guy has a cannon for an arm and he actually has great touch on his deep balls. I predict that next year, the combination of Stafford, Johnson, and Kevin Smith will be one of the most potent offensive threats in the league. (I bet they draft an offensive lineman to help that come true...Vinny...Vinny?)

5) Speaking of playing with pride, the game nobody outside of Tennessee and Jacksonville featured two runners that blew up for exciting play after exciting play. Chris Johnson busted out for 228 yards and Maurice Jones-Drew had 177 yards. MJD had a staggering 22.5 yards per carry on 8 carries! I was a little concerned for Chris Johnson with Vince Young starting for the first time this season, but it all seemed to go okay, huh? Looking ahead, I see Vince Young enhancing the rushing the attack of the Titans. They will turn his arm loose on a few more deep throws I imagine, and between him, Johnson and LenDale White, they should be able to keep the ball moving on the ground nicely.

6) In my fantasy column I write for SB Nation, I urged Kyle Orton, Knowshon Moreno and Tony Scheffler owners to start somebody else this week. My thought was that the Ravens defense, coming off of a bye, playing at home, and trying to save some face after giving it up in recent weeks were not to be messed with in any fantasy format. Well, I got one right.

7) I saw something crazy on the television when I was watching the various games this weekend. Fans in the stands were holding these weird things in their hands that had words and messages written on them. All different kinds. They were holding them up and waving them around. Made me think back to a time when you saw that here in D.C. I think it was earlier this season...no wait, I forgot, the rule against signs here has been around forever. (Serenity now!)

8) This Sunday night, NBC is giving us yet another NFC East matchup: Dallas vs. Philadelphia. I guess I'll get to watch The Simspons and Family Guylive that night. It kills me because I love watching football on Sunday night. It's quiet in my house, I can actually pay attention, and I can relax and just sink into a game. I can think of no matchup I would prefer less than this one. Will it be a good game? Probably. Will I flick over to it a million times over the course of the night? Of course I will. But the screen will be filled all night with that which makes me vomit. At least if we beat Atlanta, one of the announcers might throw in an ill-advised, "And with the Redskins beating the Falcons earlier today, the NFC East race could really tighten up here in the coming weeks."

9) Game #1 I am looking forward to this weekend (besides the Skins game of course): Cincinnati hosting Baltimore. I picked Cincy to win that division and a win at home over the Ravens on Sunday would really put them in the driver's seat (they already beat the Ravens on the road and the Steelers at home.) I will be interested to see how the Bengals move the ball after what the Ravens did to the Broncos. Carson Palmer is a step up from Kyle Orton, and his receivers are probably better across the board as well. If Cedric Benson can get a few hard first downs on the ground, the Bengals should be able to move the ball well enough to score. I think Flacco is officially in a bit of a rut. I won't call it a sophomore slump because he is still playing relatively well. Either way, defensive coordinators are figuring out ways to contain him.

10) Game #2 I am looking forward to this weekend: Detroit at Seattle. Just kidding. The Monday Night game next week between the Steelers and the Broncos at Invesco Field (Mile High) is going to be a great game. I can just feel it. Josh McDaniels is already working to make sure his team doesn't begin a free fall. Who knows better than Redskins fans how six wins in the first half of the season can turn into a slide all the way to 8-8? The Steelers are coming off a bye and they need this conference win, since winning their division is going to be dicey. This will be a great Monday Night game.

I'm going to toy with predictions in this column and see where it takes me. We'll keep a running tally of how good or awful I am at picking games. I'll pick winners, but I will only pick games where both teams are .500 or better (unless you want to see me pick the Packers over the Bucs and claim how smart I am.)

Patriots over Dolphins

Cardinals over Bears

Giants over Chargers

Broncos over Steelers on MNF in OT

We'll start with those four picks. See you next week.

Dolphins 30 Jets 25: Sick to My Stomach

John B — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:36:03 -0000

I don't think the Jets could have gone into the bye on a worse note. Today's 30-25 loss to Miami at the Meadowlands stings. It drops the Jets to 4-4, one and a half games in back of the Patriots in the division, two in the loss column. The Dolphins are just half a game back, even in the loss column, and holding the head to head tiebreaker in addition to a 3-0 division record. The Jets are 1-3 in division.

Beyond the frustration of losing is the way the Jets lost. It's very difficult to win in the NFL when you're spotting the opponent 21 nonoffensive points. All of these points had more to do with what the Jets didn't do than what the Dolphins did right.

More after the jump.

The Bad:

Kickoff Coverage: I guess it goes without saying that kickoff coverage belongs here when the opponent runs a pair of kicks back for touchdowns. The Jets looked like they were Purdue against Ted Ginn. There were so many errors on the kicks, it wasn't even funny. There was Jay Feely drilling it too low on the first one. Danny Woodhead didn't contain to the outside. Wallace Wright took a bad angle to Ginn. Larry Izzo whiffed on a tackle on the second one. Guys didn't stay in their lanes. Against a speedster like Ginn, that's asking for trouble. I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one guy on kickoff coverage released between now and the next game.

Larry Izzo: Wasn't he supposed to be on the roster for his special teams play? There was his missed tackle on Ginn, but there was also the inexplicable running into the punter penalty. He had no shot at blocking a punt and still dove into the punter. Izzo is a candidate to be that guy released.

Shonn Greene: Even when Mark Sanchez has been bad, I've gone easy on him. It's rough adjusting to the NFL for a quarterback. So much is different from college. A rookie running back doesn't get the same kind of slack. Sure, there are some things that are different. One is the extra blocking duties. The defenders are also bigger and stronger. Still, you have to hold onto the football. His unforced fumble was a total gift to Jason Taylor.

Justin Miller: Is he in game shape? He looked pretty ordinary on returns (5 for 115). It seemed like he had trouble getting quickly to his lanes and breaking tackles.

Alan Faneca: Lost a ton of one on one battles, including a decisive Randy Starks sack.

The Good:

The Defense: The defense deserved better. It only allowed 9 points, and 3 were the result of a short field. The blitzes got to Chad Henne this time, even though the 'Fins did many of the same things they did in the first game like max protecting and rolling him out. 6 sacks on Chad Henne and only 112 passing yards. Henne got rattled and made some terribly inaccurate throws when he heard footsteps. Ronnie Brown had under 3 yards per carry. Ricky Williams was just over 3. Just a dominant performance by the defense. It avenged its only poor performance of the year. This unit has played much better than its 4-4.

Mark Sanchez: No question the rookie was the best quarterback on the field. The disastrous third quarter put the Jets behind two scores. Although the coaching staff was very conservative early, they had no choice but to let Sanchez cut it loose. Mark put 22 up in the second half (with an assist from Davone Bess) and had the Jets on the verge of a winning touchdown. The Dolphins covered New York's receivers on the goal line, and the offensive line had a breakdown. Not Mark's fault. He did make an incredible throw to Dustin Keller on fourth and long to prolong the drive. Great touch on the ball.

Dustin Keller: Where has this guy been all year? 8 catches for 76 yards and a great grab on the receiving end of that fourth down play. I'll give the coaching staff some credit too. Miami's struggled covering the tight end, and it seems like the calls made Keller Sanchez's primary read. Is this the start of big things? Will he become Mark's safety blanket? Stay tuned.

Braylon Edwards: 4 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Certified Dolphin killer. And if you ever question his heart, watch the way he fought his way into the end zone on the touchdown grab.

Thomas Jones: Another 100 yard day. The average wasn't too great, but put it in context. The Dolphins were loading up the box all day. There were a lot of times nothing was there. He made a lot of guys miss.

Sione Pouha: Miami's vaunted rushing attack gained 2.3 per carry. Pouha was a force inside clogging lanes. He had 5 tackles and opened things up for others.

Shaun Ellis: Nice of him to finally show up this year. He had 1.5 sacks and generally won his matchups on the line. The way Miami was leaving extra blockers in, guys were going to have to win their matchups to get to him.

David Harris: 5 tackles and a sack. He was all over the place.

Bart Scott: 8 tackles and the sack that got the Jets the ball back for their last drive with a chance to win. So was he.

Defensive Approach: Give the staff credit. They adjusted well from the first game. The Wildcat was held in check. The Jets did a much better job of staying in their lanes. They also sent extra men from the secondary. It worked. It may have left them vulnerable to the pass, but they closed on Brown well and forced him to eat it for a big loss and got a ball deflected both times he was looking to throw it. The fact is the formation is usually a running formation. Passes are going to be few and far between. When they do try to throw it, Brown isn't putting it up unless he has a guy wide open and isn't under pressure. He's not trained to throw. It's always best to attack him with extra men even if it leaves a guy open. Force the running back to make a throw.

I also liked the Pace-Gholston-Ellis-Westerman line on passing downs.

We saw plenty of the Ellis-Green-Pouha-Douglas line and Pace-Harris-Scott linebacking look I predicted to stop the run. It worked.

Again, Henne was on the run all day and got hit so much he felt heat and rushed his throws even when there was none.

I don't expect this to be a fun bye. This team should not have lost this game. The Jets lost the first game to Miami because the Dolphins outexecuted them. They lost this game because they self-destructed. Give the Dolphins credit for not self-destructing I guess, but there's no way this team should be 4-4 at the halfway point. That's where we're at, though. At this point, we have a mediocre football team on our hands.