So what's the main difference in the Jets "D" the last two games? Did they add something to the water they're drinking, or did Bowles & Co. actually make good adjustments?
The first thing you think of is Adams. Adams and Maye can play. He's really come on since they got home. Gettin home prolly helped them. Overall they're playing better as a team. Ealy has been a great pick up. Roberts has looked good at CB replacing Burriss. Claiborne's been good.The LB's have started to play better. It looks like Bowles is starting to get the personnel he wants, to play the way he wants. And they're coming to play, that's for sure, led by Adams. They're faster and deeper than they were too.
Has Bowles adjusted the basic scheme - gone to a 4-3 instead of a 3-4? Has he adapted his formations to the personnel he has? Up until the last two weeks it seemed like he was just being pigheaded and playing the schemes he wanted whether or not he had the players to fit them. I guess what I'm trying to understand is that given he had the same guys for the first two games and they got manhandled, and not that Miami and Jacksonville are powerhouses, but they've looked like night and day different, so I'm thinking it's more than just the players playing better, but I could be wrong.
Yeah, not sure what game you watched. The Jets were lucky with the Jaguars play calling and play of Bortles. I will give you that!
A bit off-topic but if anyone's looking for a good late night read and entertainment, go check out some Giants message boards. I was forced to sign up for one of them in order to read, in which I got a ton of errors while trying to sign up, but it was well worth it. Full meltdown mode. Also made me realize how great this community is and how intelligent in football a lot of the posters here are. Thanks for maintaining an excellent community @Petrozza and co. !
Why do you think I post here? There are some idiots but also a ton of smart people, which isn't common among football boards.
The lackluster quarterback play of the opposition certainly helped. But to answer the question, we flipped to a 4-3 under look. Still a 5 man front, but it runs a lot more like a traditional 4-3. We played our inside linebackers a little less staggered and more centered and the strong side defensive end in a technique tighter to the inside nose of the tackle. The good thing about this defense is that it allows the defensive lineman to play like 4-3 defensive lineman. Hand down, focusing on more one gap responsibility and pin their ears back a bit more to focus on pass rushing. Pressure was solid. Blitzes were called in the proper situations and executed well without tipping them off. I can live with giving up a little more on the ground if we can generate an organic pass rush without blitzing or stacking the box to execute those blitzes. Our defenses the past couple years have suffered from a bit of a hangover from Rex and wanting to break the NFL record for least rushing yards allowed. Stop the run at all costs, let the two corners worry about the passing game and that's it. We're finally starting to get out of that mentality.
Yeah, my cousin is losing it as a Giants fan too. Like he said it's not just being 0-4. They still have games @ Denver vs Seahawks vs Rams vs Chiefs @ Redskins @ Raiders vs Cowboys vs Eagles Not an easy road for a team with Super Bowl expectations.
He played it differently against both the Dolphs and Jags. And he's been mixing it up with different combinations. I think he's trying to get to the point that they can play differently against different teams and not be one dimensional.. I didn't think it would start well for them on the road, but getting home helped them too. It's a starting point and something to build upon. The players are all in. Now we have to see if they can keep getting better. At best they'll have a way to go tho. But the players are playing hard and are invested. Mogriffjr. can give you a better breakdown, he's good at that and pays closer attention, ask him if you come across him. But as far as the players go, there's a bunch of young guys that may be coming on, are playing fast, and it was fun to watch.
Just read their forum. The Giants success in the last decade turned them into a bunch of spoiled brats.
Well that was a pretty awesome game. It went so long the directv record thing ran out of time and I didn't get to see the very end but I'm elated they won that. Ealy was huge today. And McGuire too. I'm also slowly being forced to admit that McCown is a little better than I gave him credit for. Two soul-crushing 2nd half turnovers notwithstanding.
How about Jason Myers missing a field goal and your guy Chandler Catanzaro missing two attempts? Add any one of those kicks and the game is over in four quarters.
Thanks again! This makes sense. After all the money invested in this unit, it's nice to see them playing well for a change.
Thanks! It seemed strange to me that while Bowles had come here with the reputation of being a creative "D" guru, up until now we've seen nothing to justify that. Maybe it is just that he finally has a core of players who A) Are able to do what he asks of them; B) Have bought into what he's preaching. Whatever it is, I hope it keeps working and they improve on it.
They both missed kicks. I'm not sure what you're getting at here... the Jaguars were thoroughly outplayed for four quarters. That backward pass returned for a touchdown completely flipped the momentum in favor of y'all. We were also in field goal range or approaching it and moving the ball at ease. The Powell touchdown was flukey, yes, but it was also extremely early in the game before any real momentum was established.
Obviously my team did take advantage of that Jets error because Myles Jack ran all the way back. Odds also favor three plays and a kick over the fumble and defensive TD, so you could be talking about 23-10.
Good stuff here. Let me add a few things I saw as well. The jets actually played more “3-4”/ 3-3-5 today then usual because of the Jaguars and them wanting to run the ball first. So there were times you saw 3 down linemen in McLendon/ Pennel (operating as the NT) and then a mix of Big Cat and Mo/ Ealy as the DE’s. Ealy they like to have him more as the edge rusher and he can sometimes be that “LB” that rushes of sorts. Today we saw a bit of that with Ealy rushing off the edge along with Davis Bass and on occasion, Donahue. I only call it a 3-4 because they put Pennel and McLendon as run stuffing NT’s so that’s why I say they did play some 3-4. Now for the sense of exercise, I did mention the 3-3-5 and I say that because for one Ealy is by all intents and purposes a DE. But he’s listed as a LB on NFL.com and was regarded more of a pass rush LB in the 3-4. For this exercise, he will be a “LB”. So on the line for the most part, there were times it was Ealy, Mo, Big Cat and a mix of Bass/ Donahue/ Jenkins as your front 4 (usually Jenkins and Donahue don’t put their hands in the dirt.). Here Davis played the middle the whole game iirc, and then you had Lee, who played inside and some outside LB as well. Joining the “LB” corps sort to say was Adams, who they continue to operated more around the LOS because he’s so damn good stuffing the run and blitzing the QB. Along the secondary, Maye again is the deep safety, with Claiborne, Skrine and Roberts/Burris as the corners. I did see though the rare dime look with 4 safeties! So Miles entered the fray as the 4th safety. I continue to like the different looks on defense I’ve been seeing as the Jets seemingly have more versatile pieces.
I used to have DirecTV when I lived in Bengals/Browns territory. There is a way to extend the recording when you set it up before the program so if it goes longer than expected, you won't miss the end of it. Did you try that? The game ended at 4:35 ET. It seemed like the entire media thought Josh McCown is the best in a bad group who would be a backup on most teams throughout the offseason. Both RBs surprised me. I thought Matt Forte's absence would benefit the Jaguars. Kony Ealy is apparently on the right team if he does not mind at least 10 losses.
I look for positives, and acknowledge them. Root for them to win. I want to see our guys do well. I would've bet going into the season that they would play hard for Bowles, that the guys they had would rally behind him. I also thought that Bowles could learn from his mistakes, and he even admitted to one, to the broadcast crew I believe, that the crew talked about on air. It doesn't mean much right now, and the team has a way to go obviously. I have been disappointed plenty over the years and bashed them thoroughly too, even Bowles after the last two seasons. But I never bought in to some of the worst stuff being said about him, and the team, in the media and elsewhere, and their narrative, and the whole tank business either. They could crash and burn for all I know, but I'll hope they do well, that these guys succeed, until that happens.
