From the NY Times: A gamble on special teams at the start of the second half also backfired. The Jets went for an onside kick, as they had done against the Colts in Week 4. But the Bears had done their film work and knew to be suspicious when Erik Coleman, who usually lines up on the right side on kickoffs, appeared on the left side. The Bears? Chris Harris recovered the short kick at the Jets? 44. . . . ?I really liked the play, I liked the situation, I liked the call,? Jets Coach Eric Mangini said, adding, ?You have to take a calculated risk.? http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/20/sports/football/20jets.html TBTF
Give them credit if they noticed that. We need to learn how to run a play like that (surprise OSK, not the obvious one) with standard personnel.
Even worse: But several Chicago players said they knew something was fishy when Kerry Rhodes, who usually lines up on the right side, switched to left. Former Jet Darrell McClover alerted Chris Harris moments before Mike Nugent's kick. "He hit me in the chest and said, 'Hey, I think it's coming this way,'" said Harris, who made the recovery. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/473086p-398064c.html TBTF
Even if we recovered it the decision was dumb. The risk wasn't worth the reward. best case scenario we recover at our 40 yd line or so but our o wasn't scoring. We gave Chi 3 free points and that was the difference in the game.
If we're planning on that in the futrue (not my favorite call, but not something I am going to bash anyone on), we need to run our regular kickoff routine with personnel moving around so there are no tendencies. We were moving the ball against Chicago, so I wouldn't say we were going to get it at the 40 and do nothing.
That was not a good play call. While our defense played very well yesterday We did not need to give the bears a short field.
I agree with you. Definately the wrong call at the game, especially considering the way the Jets D had played in the first half. The Bears were shut down in the first, so why not try to get off a good kic, and make em punt like they'd been doing all day? You'd get it at roughly the same spot, maybe a bit further back. I understand the 'emotional boost' or whatever you'd get from it, but still a a bad decision. Oh, and an F- to Fox for failing to show the kick live. :up:
How do people not realize the call was based on how well the D was playing. If anything it was a credit to the D essentially saying, "if we don't get the recovery I am confident you guys can hold them". The call, while not a slam dunk, was a good gamble given how the offense was horrible...again.
I thought is was a lousy call and poorly executed. I hope they never try that particular version of onsides kick again. Nugent was walking away from the ball after teeing it, OK. He then turns abruptly and tries to pooch it. I think any opposing team has plenty of time to react to this. I would have liked the attempted onsides kick better if they did it more tradidional, with Nugent looking as though he is taking his normal run at the ball and at the last millisecond kicks the top of the ball for the onsides kick. I think at that point in the game there was no real good reaason for that type of play. We were doning a great job defensively on controlling the Bear's Offense. I think in the third quarter, if we put Brad Smith in at QB, for a few series, and continued with the no huddle, we may have tired the Bears D out just that little extra where we may have been able to do some good in the forth quarter.
Recovering the on-side kick there is about surprising the other team, not executing the kick. The kick was a great one, but if the Bears were ready for it, it really didn't matter when it came.
That is because the Bears had plenty of time to react to it. That play will never fool anybody - even the Chiefs.
he was part of the last cuts I believe so he had a full TC under Mangini and McClover was our best STer prior to his injury in '05. He knew what look we'd give if we were attempting an OSK.
I heard the big problem was that the Jets players were all stairing off into space or fixing their cleats in an attempt to act like they weren't paying attention. Typically they are all poised and ready to go. That's when McGlover hit him. Makes sense..they tried to oversell it. I'm not in love with the play call, but I love a coach that isn't afraid to take risks. Plus Nugent could have gotten the kick a little higher..but it's probably tough to get it perfect with that kind of set up.
10-15 yds(it's more like20-25) still puts Chi on their side of the field and 1 good run doesn't put Chi in FG range like it did starting at our 44.
