I think Rich nailed it and while I like Danny Woodhead, I think his inexperience showed bigtime. Rich said he blew containment both times. Just because he's not starting doesn't mean he's good enough for special teams. Two for the Ages By Rich Cimini Let?s try to put in perspective the whole kickoff-return disaster. Consider: Before Ted Ginn Jr.?s first touchdown, the Jets had covered 2,842 kickoffs in regular-season franchise history, and only 17 had gone for touchdowns. That?s an average of one out of every 167 returns. Only once, in 1970, did they allow two touchdowns in a season. So what happens yesterday? It occurs twice in seven minutes, on back-to-back returns - Nos. 2,843 and 2,844. Like Rex Ryan said afterward, ?Some things just don?t make sense.? After studying the DVR, here?s what went wrong on the kickoffs: 1. Ginn?s 100-yard return. Jay Feely kicked a line drive down the middle (?The dreaded straight ball,? a golfer would say) when he was supposed to kick it into the right corner. The lack of hang time put immediate stress on the coverage unit. The left side of the coverage unit lost their containment, caving in toward the middle of the field. At one point, the Jets had four players inside the hashmarks and three others a yard or two outside the hash - a virtual team meeting. They covered it as if Feely kicked it where he was supposed to, failing to react to the middle kick. Things started to unravel quickly. Ryan Fowler lost track of the ball and over-ran the play, getting caught up in the trash. Danny Woodhead was the outside man on the left, responsible for containment. He reacted as if his feet were nailed to the carpet. He looked slow and overmatched. He let Ginn out of the gate. Wallace Wright took a bad angle, but still had a shot along the sideline. He slid off Ginn like butter on a hot frying pan. Donald Strickland gave chase, but he wasn?t fast enough to make it close. Touchdown. 2. Ginn?s 101-yard return. Why they decided to kick to him again is a questionable decision. Why not a squib? Considering the way the Jets were playing on defense, dominating, they could?ve afforded to give up a little field position. But it?s almost like STC Mike Westhoff, backed by Rex Ryan, were too stubborn, not wanting to admit their coverage unit wasn?t good enough to contain Ginn. This time, Feely?s hang time was better, but the kickoff still was in the middle of the field. This evolved into an exercise in bad tackling. Larry Izzo had the first shot and missed badly. Fowler came flying in and whiffed. Still, they were in position to get him down. At one point, Ginn was surrounded by seven players - Izzo, James Ihedigbo, Vernon Gholston, Eric Smith, Wright, Jamaal Westerman and Feely. Ginn had only five blockers in the area. A 7-on-5 situation would seem to favor the Jets, but they treated Ginn as if he were radioactive. Ginn broke free from the less-than-angry mob. Gholston and Westerman over-pursued. Drew Coleman couldn?t get off a block. Then it was Woodhead _ yes, him again _ and he blew containment again. He should be removed immediately from this role. Once Ginn got to the outside, he was a goner. Again. Twice in one quarter. The Lotto odds have to be better than that sort of double disaster. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2009/11/two-for-the-ages.html#ixzz0ViYvhuSg
Most due... Ginn doesnt have a lot going for him. But the dude can flat out fly. Its about the only thing he can do, lol... but running fast is the one thing he can do...
On the first one, he started around the outside guy and i looked at a buddy and said.......watch this. The guy may be faster than anyone in a STRAIGHT line run in the NFL. Players, take the normally appropriate angle but he ends up outrunning that angle. He is a long strider for sure.
Agreed. Hes not the most explosive player in terms of acceleration... but he has the fastest 20-60 in the league. Once he gets going... and those burners come on... hes gone.
Sooo, what's the point of this? We all saw the kick returns and saw the Jets kick coverage units blow it, bad positioning, bad tackling, etc. What does this tell us that we didn't already know?
No doubt.. that cat has some fast happy feet... now if he could learn how to hang on to a football... lol
Its just a breakdown of what happened, who was at fault, who lost containment, who missed tackles, etc... Just a breakdown... as you have with any other big play.
Having Woodhead in there is a mistake, the guy is 5'8.. he's not going to be shedding blocks anytime soon.
The Cult of Chrebet is not going to be happy about this article. I could almost hear Woodhead shouting his measurables at Ginn as TG burned past him for the first return.
Woodhead was a disaster on containment. Sitting on that side of the field where he caught both kick returns I had a clear view of Woodhead running inside the hash marks. Basic knowledge when you are the outside guy on kick off coverage, you cover the sideline. He made the mistake twice and should be replaced for his efforts.
I'm not even sure why Woodhead is in on kick coverage other than to earn his roster spot. He's clearly overmatched out there. I wouldn't mind seeing him take a few carries on offense and head out in 4 WR sets, but he has no business being out there on kick coverage.
I really don't get why Woodhead is on the team. What exactly is so special about this guy? Brad Smith is a terrific special teamer.
I just want the Woodhead experiment to be over. He looks like a midget out there. Great, you put him in open space and he may be able to squirt around. yay.
That's the rub -- Brad Smith is OUT and wasn't there yesterday. If BS is there, we win the game. The Jets have historically had great special teams -- they give up a KR for a TD usually 1 or 2 every few years, tops. 2 in 1 quarter is ridiculous.
Cimini is a terrible writer who had nothing else to write about today. If it was obvious for Nantz and Sims to point out during the game, then it is definitely obvious now.
Yeah, Rich Cimini knows nothing about football, the Jets, or special teams...only covering the team for 20 years...hanging around them 24/7 for months and following them closely in the offseasons. But he's a terrible writer...got it.
