Yes, it looks as if our opponent has scored first in all 6 playoff games...whether we won all 6 coin tosses and actually deferred, I have no idea
I really think the whole deferring argument is dumb. Even if your strength is offense I think it makes sense to get the ball to start the second half. If you are down you get the chance to instantly cut the lead, if you are up you get the chance to build on the lead. I have always preferred deferring just because I think it is a bigger advantage to start the second half with the ball than to start the game with the ball. Always will think that until I see concrete evidence that it isn't.
It usually is. There are exceptions, though. For instance, if a team plays very well with a lead, take the ball first. The Pats, for example, are very comfortable when they have the lead. It's one of the reasons they're able to run it up. Or, if you are playing a team that has a good ground game and will want to establish the run, you may want to take the ball first. Then, if you go up two scores after your first two drives, you could force them out of their game. As for the Schotty talk, he's not nearly as awful as he's made out to be. To some extent, he is the victim of armchair playcallers, all of whom know more about football than the guys who do it for a living. Video games and fantasy football have made this even worse for HCs, OCs, and GMs. That said, he certainly has some flaws, and if the Jets could make a legitimate upgrade, in-house or from the outside, do it. But don't make a change just for change's sake. Schotty is not the devil incarnate.
My issue is not with deferral so much, although I do think it unwise to slavishly adhere to some predetermined plan or dictum regardless of the opponent or situation. My problem is that the offense doesn't score on its first possession, not necessarily THE first possession of the game. I do agree that if the opponent plays better when they get the lead, then it would seem to be to the Jets' advantage to get the lead first. Schotty may not be the "devil incarnate" but he is almost certainly one of his minions! LOL!!!
The big problem may be with play scripting. A lot of offenses begin with a script for the first 10 plays. I recall doing that even in smalltime, DIII college. It may be that this offense works better out of a rhythm, extemporaneously, than in following a script. That may be what plagues early drives.
Exactly...it's not the deferring that bugs me, it's the constant way we seem to play away from our strengths. How long did Rex and Pettine stick to the constant blitzing when the results were horrible? They still haven't figured out how to get off the field on third down. They can't get Cromartie to play bump & run. On the Steelers opening drive he gave up a 3rd & long because he played off his man way too much. 1 yard & goal to go? Try two poorly planned and executed pass plays and then run your small back up the gut. And don't forget to burn as much time off the clock as you can...cause your only two scores down late in the game. Brilliant. You want to defer the opening possession even though it stopped working mid-season and your defense can't create a turnover to save its life? Fine...fix the other shit.
It's common sense, these guys know more football than all of us on this board combined. It's basic football, attacking the weakness of a D. Unfortunately, things don't always go according to plan. I'm sorry if this groundbreaking info for some of you guys. Does scoring first mean a team loses? using a baseball analogy, wouldn't you rather be the home team and get "last licks"? The only postseason game in those 6 where the opponent scored on the opening drive was at pitt last week. That is also the only postseason game where we fell behind more than one score in the 1st half of a postseason game under Rex. being down 3-0 or 7-0 insn't the end of the world, it's when it gets to 10 or 14 or 17,... that the gameplan needs to be altered and it becomes much more difficult to win. I am w/ you. I always want the ball to begin the 2nd half. and yet under this regime that doesn't know what they are doing we went to back to back title games for the first time in our history, won playoff games in back to back years for the first time in our history and they have the most playoff wins under any coach in franchise history.
Bullshit. He NEVER goes after the weak link in the D- he just doesn't do it. And I'm starting to think that a few posters on this board know more about calling a game than Shitforbrainsheimmer. It's not "groundbreaking" in saying that his playcalling, for the most part, is vanilla, unimaginative and uninspiring.
The only two games this year where Schotty immediately attacked a teams weakness were both Buffalo games. They can't stop the run and we came out and ran it down their throats and lived off the playaction. Some examples of Schotty not attacking a teams weakness was DEN and GB both teams with major injuries when we faced them who were average at stopping the run and we passed it close to 40times both games. Recent example is the steelers game. Steelers strength is their LB core and their DT, so we came out in all basic I pro sets and ran straight up the gut. Even though in our previous meeting we were so successful running to the outside we put up the most rushing yards this year against the Steelers, but come playoff time nah lets just run it up the gut. Steelers weakness is their secondary when they are spread out (see every NE game or the SB vs AZ) and even though we have the personel to stay in a 4 WR set all game (DK as our 4th) and still keep LT in to help in pass protection I can't really recall ever seeing much if any of this formation. Its a shame really and its going to make me sick to watch GB pick them apart when I know we'd have a pretty damn good shot at winning it...
and yet we have been in the title games 2 straight years- once w/ a rookie and the 2nd time w/ a developing 2nd year QB.
As a wee lad in high school, were you always happy getting to 3rd base instead of closing the deal with the hot chick?
I never really had those problems so you could answer that better. For a franchise that had been to 2 AFC Championship games in their history, making 2 back to back isn't a big deal? It sucks losing them but you cannot get to a SB w/o first playing in a conf title game so I'll take the bad w/ the good. Hopefully one day we can break down that SB door and if we do it int he coming years and a big reason will be b/c of Brian developing the QB.
You're right- forgot that you didn't get laid until college, and that was with the "friendly" girl, i.e. "Ms. Personality." Listen, if we make it all the way to the SB it's going to be due, in no small part, to Shitforbrains coming up with some more-imaginative and consistent playcalling. The examples provided above by a previous poster are perfect examples of where he fell short. Ask yourself this, if he was the OC in last year's AFC championship game with Indy, do you see him calling as many plays as Indy did which served to exploit our #3 and #4 CB's? NO FREAKING WAY.
I get the point you are trying to make but no coach was calling those plays. Manning changed every play at the line.
Sounds like you are trying to tell us something? Again, b/c a gameplan is in place doesn't mean the gameplan is executed perfectly. Most teams script plays to begin games then how the game is unfolding will dictate whether they stick to a gameplan or have to alter it. Obviously w/ Pitt getting a big lead and controlling the clock it altered our gameplan. It's easy to say attack the Pitt corners but they have a great pass rush and they are great against the run so it's not easily executed especially w/ a young QB. I hope Rodgers can execute but how many QBs had great passing days against pitt this year? I think maybe one or two and those two were Brayd and Brees. Everything looks great on paper but if it was as easy knowing a weakness and attacking it wouldn't more offenses have success agisnt Pitt? Every team has a weakness, the coaches on the other side do their best to cover up those weaknesses. You don't win as many games as we have w/ a young QB if the OC isn't doing a good job.
Even better, a QB made the kind of plays at the line that Shottenheimmer can't do with any consistency.
I am far from what one would call a football scholar. However, this was so glariningly obvious it was sick. All year the OLine guys would talk about the play Blast 60 - they didn't run it once. Up the gut, up the gut. Terrible. They could have picked up a lot more yard with a sweep or misdirection play. I'd take third base...justsayin
My biggest problem with deferring is simply about field position. With our ST's, we usually get it out to the 30 or better. One first down, and it's near midfield. Now the defense can go out and start with good field position even if we have to punt it away. Conversley, when we defer our offense is usually left with bad field position on it's first posession, and that's only if the defense can open with a stop, something it didn't do with any regularity. While I understand this can happen to start the second half, I prefer to get a team down early rather than playing from behind.
