Two reasons. First, the Jets are paying too much money to Sanchez to rely on a system that takes him out from under center. He is supposed to be the QB of the future and investing more money into Smith to take snaps from under center away from Sanchez is a bad move. Second, if Sanchez can/has improved to the point where he is making the right decisions and moving the ball as effectively as a #1 pick should, where is the advantage to taking a weapon like that out from under center and breaking his rhythm with the offense? It would be better for Sanchez to keep him on the field and let him get into a comfortable flow with the offense rather than pull him off the field or line him up at WR. Also, the Jets had packages installed last season with Tomlinson running the wildcat and both Kerley and Joe McKnight have the athletic ability to run it, if not the experience. There are still athletes on the team with the potential to run the system The Jets don't need to abandon the wildcat completely this season just because Brad Smith leaves but they should be fazing it out.
Don't ALL QBs, even 'elite' QBs, need to come off the field for a few plays a game? If putting Smith in then still keeps the game momentum going forward, why knock it? Also, it keeps the other team guessing when a team mixes it up a bit (and I don't mean guessing about what they are going to do when Smith comes out, we ALL know that, I mean guessing in general).
Yes. Typically extra points, field goals and defense. Other than that, see Zach's post. A draw play, play action, and the occasional flea-flicker would also keep the defense guessing. One other thing that those plays would do: not take Sanchez off of the field.
I'll say this again. The object is to move the ball down the field and score points. Any way you can do that effectively should be done. And with our team it was very sucessful with Brad Smith.
You seriously think that taking him out of the game for 3 or 4 plays per game is going to "hinder his progress"? Seriously? If the WC is ineffective then I would be against taking Sanchez out, but it's an effective part of our offense that helps us WIN GAMES - which is the point of it all.
Obviously you didn't watch Jets football last season. Sanchez was on a rhythm, then came the WC, then Sanchez came out flat. More than multiple occasions.
In the first 2 games plays after a WC play Sanchez was 5 for 5 for 42 yards and 1 TD. Sanchez definitely came out flat.
I've reviewed the first 9 games and do not see Sanchez coming out flat after the WC was used. I'm not going any further in this quick research. vs. Ravens After the WC Sanchez was 2 for 2 for 18 yards vs. Patriots After the WC Sanchez was 3 for 3 for 24 yards and 1 TD vs. Dolphins After the WC Sanchez was 1 for 2 for 24 yards and 1 TD (the incompletion was a TD nullified by a Slausen holding Penalty) vs. Bills After the WC Sanchez was 1 for 3 for 10 yards vs. Vikings After the WC Sanchez was 2 for 5 for 18 yards vs. Broncos After the WC Sanchez was 2 for 5 for 8 yards and 1 INT vs. Packers After the WC Sanchez was 1 for 2 32 yards and 1 INT (Keller lost the ball to Charles Woodson before hitting the ground - which was B.S.) vs. Lions After the WC Sanchez was 1 for 2 for 31 yards vs. Browns After the WC Sanchez was 8 for 13 for 80 yards 1 TD and 1 rushing TD Totals of Sanchez passes on the same drive after being taken out for the WC (first 9 games): 21/37 245 yards 3 TDs 2 INTs 6.6 YPA Essentially the same as his season totals
The wildcat was a gimmick for this team and a tool to help minimize the exposure of a young QB in his first two seasons. If the Jets continue to use it as such then it will stunt Sanchez's growth as a QB. Just consider the following: Sanchez needs to grow as a QB and taking him off of the field, even for several plays per game, is going to hurt that. The best QBs are on the field for every offensive snap and if Sanchez is getting paid to do that(which having richest contract in team history says he is) then he needs to learn to be out there for every play. He may not be at that level yet but every play where he is taken off of the field is experience he is not getting and lessons he is not learning. This is his third season, the Jets have to let him grow. There is a reason why every time the Jets had a QB competition before Sanchez was drafted the snap count was a major focus of every article about QB play during training camp. Every snap a young QB gets matters. It's either a boost for a QB's confidence and skill or it is a lesson. Taking snaps away for a gimmick isn't going to help Sanchez grow.
I have absolutely 0 issue with using the wild cat because it is effective. That said I do have issue with giving someone big money so that he could execute the wildcat formation maybe 30 times the entire season Fact is that money would be far more useful used on our front 7, wrs, corners, pretty much any position that regularly sees time on the field. dont get me wrong I like Smith and think our use of it is beneficial to the team, but theres no way in hell you can say youll take our use of the wildcat over having Holmes/Edwards or Cromartie instead. And people talk about how 'Oh Smith played QB so he is awesome at the wildcat" we never throw it anyway, not to mention Miami obliterated teams with the wildcat and they only had Ronnie and Ricky. When your Oline is as good as ours you can still run the damn wildcat, and hell I bet Holmes would be more than sufficient to run it going forward similar to Djackson and the Eagles Though you have to give Smith credit where its due he did average a mammoth 8 YPC last season on 38 carries, thats pretty fucking awesome and 11.5 the previous year
Lets be honest here, 1 or 2 snaps a game isnt going to make or break Sanchez's growth. If anything it gives him a chance to regain his composure and talk with his coach for a minute or 2 before going back on the field. Do I think we should use it while Sanchez is steamrolling shit down the field absolutely not, but if the guy is rattled after a bad play why the hell not let someone go out there and snap the ball while Sanchez has a moment to get his shit together and talk with the coaches
Who is the wildcat QB for the Patriots? The Steelers? The Colts? The Saints? The Giants? The Packers? The Cardinals? These are the 8 teams to make the Superbowl since Tony Sparano implemented the wildcat. Of them, only the Cardinals used the wildcat outside of practice with Antrel Rolle which over the course of two seasons amounted to one rush for 9 yards and an incomplete pass to Larry Fitzgerald. The trend for this offense has mostly been teams with either developing, young QBs or teams with no long-term starter on the roster. The Jets were the former of the two. Now it's time to start giving him full responsibility of the offense without the gimmick. The wildcat doesn't need to be tossed out of the playbook in one fell swoop but Sanchez needs to be given more opportunities and more control. Running the wildcat takes more out of Sanchez's hands than simply one or two passes per game.
Every single one of those qbs is a hofer but eli. And eli got carried by one of the best defensive lines in the game. Whats your point ? Not to mention youre saying that 7 pass first offenses dont use a specialized rushing play ? Very interesting observation. And the Giants pretty sure won their superbowl the same year as the wildcat was developed so they never had a chance to develop their own. So in other words pass first offenses all with hall of fame quarterbacks didnt make use of a running play, big fricken whoop
