Since Jet fans always need a scapegoat and something to bitch about, it looks like the SOJF have already found their new source of frustration - the linebackers. So much bitching about them being old and slow, it's pathetic. Last year it was Wayne Hunter, this year it's Scott/Harris/Pace. When will it end with the scapegoating? Why can't we just admit that no team is absolutely perfect in every facet of the game and just ride the wave of the season?
While it can get old, there's no fault in being objective. Our LBers outside of Harris have been declining for a while, even to the naked eye. A lot of people wanted at least one of their replacements this offseason and apparently, the Jets FO did too when they selected Davis in the third. It's a fact. As long as the rest of the D stays healthy, the LB corps will be a comparatively weak spot.
Yeah because that was so undeserving to Wayne Hunter. Our LBs played poorly in week 1 but its just the one game and Thomas didn't play most of it. Bart missed a couple tackles. I expect Harris to play better and I expect our pass rush to play better D line especially against the Steelers O line. I thought Pace had a good game. Its hard to complain about any part of our D the way they played the first 3 quarters. In the 4th quarter everyone played soft and prevent to run clock.
The OP once again mystifies me. Scott concededly had an uneven game, but some of that, the missed tackles in particular, may have been aggressiveness enabled by the big lead. Like his attempt to strip Spiller, no doubt figuring Landry had him lined up, which he did, but whiffed. But mentioning Pace in the OP??? Pace had a very solid game. He hit Fitz a few times, drew a holding penalty, was solid in run D (no missed tackles for him), and there were also some pressures. In fact one of his hits led to an interception. This is JUST what we should have been hoping for from Pace with Thomas's return. People here are too focused on what Pace's contract will lead to next off season, but right now he is a solid contributor to the pass rush (particularly when you consider no one else was doing much in that department besides Pace). Finally, Pace sometimes lined up with his hand on the ground, showing versatility, probably dictated here in part by Pouha's absence and Ellis's somewhat mediocre play. Maybin's lack of contribution also shows Pace's importance. (Pace is one player I find too many Jet fans consistently underrate. I don't get it.) Harris, unfortunately, was more uneven, but he played mostly a good game. More good than bad, and his missed tackle in Spiller's second big run was so obvious and visible, it detracted from his overall image, if you will. I tend to think people overrate Harris, but in this game, he was a mostly solid contributor. I think Scott will be fine, and of course the OP did not mention Thomas, who also made contributions, and is probably still a bit rusty. Imo the LB's will be fne.
Calling WFH a "scapegoat" implies that he didn't deserve any of the shit that was said about him. He sucked... plain and simple.
I dont think its being a 'scapegoat.' Their linebackers could be the weak point of their defense this year, I dont think that is outlandish to say.
The LB might be a weak spot on the D but as somebody mentioned in another thread, the same was true in 09 and 10 when our D was well ranked.
if our LB corps is our whipping boy at end of year, we are in seriously good shape. BTW, agree...Fans of this team always need to bitch about something. It's like water to a fish.
Earth to OP: the Bills averaged 7.5 yards a rushing attempt on Sunday. if you think the LB's aren't going to get bashed after a performance like that you are out of your mind.
Spiller had a 56 yard TD run in the first half. Fast backs have made the Jets defense miserable since Vilma left town. They have nobody that can seal the edge well at this point and every year they have a few backs take them down. They lost to the Raiders last year primarily because they couldn't contain McFadden. They lost to Denver because they couldn't contain Tebow. That's the difference between the playoffs and missing them and it was on the LB's last year.
If anything, I agree with those who are saying it's the run game. However, I'm not exactly ready to pass full judgement on the run game (or any of our offense) after one game. Honestly I think the D just let up a little bit (which still isn't good) after it was 41-7 and there was no way we could possibly lose. The LBs are definitely something to watch, but we'll see. Yardage-wise I think our D as a whole can play much better than it did on Sunday, especially against the run.
There was a lot more going on than the LBs last year. And thankfully, Tebow is no longer a threat to the Jets and McFadden shouldn't be. There aren't a whole lot of guys in the NFL that have the sort of speed. Obviously we'll have to see Spiller again but the Bills obviously have major issues that make him irrelevant.
Thank you for proving my point. You're isolating a single aspect of team performance and blaming the entire downfall of a team on them. It doesn't work that way in football. It's equally as ridiuclous as people on here scapegoating Wayne Hunter - an OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - as the predominant reason for missing the playoffs last season. Let's face it - if the success of your season is predicated on a right tackle, it means you're awfully bad in numerous other areas of the team. While I believe there are certain aspects of the team that are more to blame for others (last season it was Sanchez and Schotty) that doesn't mean you can only look at a single part in a vacuum and claim that our season is dependent on it.
A terrible offensive lineman can destroy an offense singlehandedly. There were other problems last season, but like 2007 with Adrien Clarke the offense primarily devolved last season because the QB never had a consistent space to throw from. By the end of the year this was just assumed by Sanchez and he was getting the ball out in under 2 seconds on every play regardless of whether he had a good read or not. He knew that if held the ball any longer than that he was going to get hit. If you don't understand how bad Hunter was based on watching him in the offense last year, and on what that effect caused elsewhere then you really don't know much about football.
Bradway, nobody here is making excuses for Hunter. But let's be real, if we had Brady or Manning in there - hell or perhaps Joe Flacco - instead of 2011 Mark Sanchez, do you not think the Jets would have been better off? Same goes for a better receiving corps, RB, blocking tight ends, etc. Had we been better in those areas, Hunter's effect still would have been negative but it would been manageable and we probably sneak into the playoffs at 9-7. I think we can all agree that Hunter was terrible, and I've argued in the past that much of that can be due to complicated scheme and Sanchez's own abilities. However, it is what it is and Hunter was awful at his job. With that said, while he definitely had a deleterious effect on the offense, it wasn't to the extent that many of you might think.
