Yes. He was good in Miami when Brown went down from what I remember. He looked great tonight, 170+ total yards, I'll take that.
Just look at this past offseason, I find it hard to believe that this Jets team will not be MUCH improved from last year and if you were to ask me, this is a MUCH better Jets team than we had in 06 when we actually made the playoffs. When we made the playoffs in 2006 we had Chad Pennington as the starting QB, we now have a HOF leader in Favre who can actually stretch the field. When we were running the offense with Pennington, because of his previous injuries to his throwing arm, opposing defenses would stack 8 and sometimes even 9 in the box against two starting rookies on the offensive line in Ferguson and Mangold. With Favre at the helm, I would LOVE for the opposing D's to stack 8 in the box for the simple fact we have a SOLID O-Line and two WR's in Coles and Cotchery who can simply DOMINATE one on one coverage. We all know what Coles and Cotch can do as WR's with Pennington and Kellen... Thats why I'm pretty pumped up about having Favre as our QB. Favre may just be the best thing that has happened to this Jets rushing attack. Last year our rush Defense was really hard to watch, same with the 06 team... Sometimes our D would just get blown off the blocks. I honestly see 3 upgrades for this rush defense from last year. #1-Jenkins is a MUCH better fit for a 3-4 Defensive line because he actually has the size and strength to anchor the D-Line as our NT, I'm just glad that we upgraded over Robertson with a proven veteran on the D-Line in Jenkins. I know Jenkins has always played the 4-3 D but @ the same time... Robertson was ALWAYS a 4-3 DT TRYING to play the role of a "3-4 NT" and it was simply hurting the whole defense. Jenkins over Robertson in a 3-4 scheme any day of the week for me as a Jets fan. #2-Calvin Pace will be replacing Victor Hobson who was a solid player but @ the same time, he's simply not a Calvin Pace type of player. Pace has a motor with each and every play, he recorded something like 100+ tackles last year with the Cards with 80 something SOLO tackles, I have watched A LOT of film on Pace since we signed the guy and all I can say is this... The man KNOWS HOW to tackle in the open field and he also puts really solid pressure on the opposing Quarterback on passing situations. He can play a little inside MLB and he can also drop into the flats. I'm pretty much excited knowing that we have Pace as an OLB in this 3-4 D in replace of Hobson who was solid but below average in my eyes. #3-Vernon Gholston. He's gonna make rookie mistakes, it's only natural but at the same time, he has the power, speed, quickness and talent to be a dominating OLB for this Jets Defense for years to come. When you think of playmakers you think of players like Merriman and Ware and in less than 2 years, I feel Gholston can be an X-Factor for this Defense. With Gholston starting in replace of Bryan Thomas, I look for our pash rush and rush Defense to be stronger here in 08. No matter how it plays out, I'm just excited that we have Pace, Jenkins and Gholston in replace of Hobson, Robertson and Thomas and lets not forget that David Harris is a freaking beast in the middle of a 3-4 Defense. It's also a good feeling knowing that we have Bryan Thomas on the sidelines ready to step in for an injured player or even make an impact in a lot of 2nd halfs of ball games during the season. Revis should be that much better in 08 and Elam should also play at a more confident level. As far as rushing the ball... Thats the Key. I also see 3 reasons why this Jets offense should be better here in 08. #1- Favre can stretch the field 10 times more than Pennington could ever dream of... With Favre, if opposing D's try and stack 8 in the box, he can audible to a passing play and the opposing D's could be in no mans land with the players we have. Coles, Cotch, Smith, Baker, Keller, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington can ALL make the Defenses pay for playing to aggressive. Favre WILL keep the D's honest and the rushing game will be better off from previous years. #2-Faneca! Not only does Faneca IMPROVE the run game as our starting LG, who is he replacing? A bum by the name of Will Montgomery? That was hard to watch last year. Not only is Faneca one of the better run blockers in the game today, but he also has the ability to help players around him such as Ferguson and Mangold in the run game. Just look @ what Thomas Jones did with the Bears when the went to the SB... Everyone knows what the Bears Defense did for the team, they were the reason why they made it out of the NFC and we all know how horrid Grossman was as a starting QB, their WR's really made less plays than what they should have, but the Bears had a strong O-Line and without Thomas Jones... That Bears team would not have even MADE the playoffs. Benson would not have carried the work load and thats exactly what Thomas Jones did for Rex and that Bears Offense... He ran his heart out and followed his blocks. Lets put Thomas Jones and Leon Washington behind Favre, Ferguson, Faneca and Mangold and lets enjoy this rushing game because Thomas Jones WILL get his in 08 and Leon may just be the X-Factor for this Offense as a 3rd year player. #3-Woody over Clement! Enough said. Clement was a 3rd stringer trying to play the role of a 1st string starting RT and it wasn't working! That bum was one of the worst starting RT's I have EVER seen and it's almost impossible that Woody could play below his level... Almost impossible. Bubba Franks should also help on the O-Line in 3rd and 1,2 or goal line situations. Well I guess thats more than 3 reasons. Lets not forget that O-Lineman get better with time and experience in the trenches and Mangold and Ferguson will BOTH be 3rd year players which is important. Faneca over Montgomery, Favre over a Noodle arm and a 1st year starter in Kellen, Woody over Clement should all help this Jets rushing attack and lets not forget that last year was Thomas Jones first year behind this Jets O-Line. My main concern is the first 3 games... I feel WE WILL beat the Dolphins but then again, anything can happen. And if this Jets team can find a way to steal a game against either NE or SD... A 2-1 start would have the Jets flying high baby!
If the pre-season games are any indicator *they usually are when it comes to bad things* the Jets are in for a long season unless they can get the running O/D straightened out in no time. True, this might not even be that much of a factor against the Pats, since Pats suck at run D and run O as much *maybe not as much as the Jets, but it's proven they suck at it. All of last season's games are, even though Pats won them all, testament to how atrocious Pats run O/D are.* But other than that, this glaring hole in run O/D will come back to haunt the team. I'm thinking, maybe Jets DE are too light.
Mangini learned under BP and BB, I have a feeling Mangini is running BASIC plays during this preseason...Why would Mangini show the NFL world his blitz packages and plays to contain the run? When week 1 starts, the game plan will be in full affect. I dont let preseason worry me because we actually have a solid team here in 2008.
If the Jets do what they should do, and that's come out and whoop the Dolphins bad, then I'll get really excited. Week 1 of the season and I'm already concerned about a trap game.
Who's the Dolphins starting QB? Pennington? If so... They have no WR's, who? Ginn Jr? hahaha... We could stack the box with 8 men all game long and guard the flats, our LB's will take it to the house in INT's on simple out routes... Im not worried of Chad and the mighty Dolphins!
LOL As much as I dislike the Patriots, I'd rather whoop their ass with Tom Brady than without. The spoils of victory would be that much greater.
Pennington will pick this defense apart week 1...unfortunately. This is a slightly improved team from last year, but the glaring defensive weaknesses are still there: 1: No pass rush 2: Can't stop the run 3: Patchwork secondary (Rhodes is the exception and Revis shows promise is by no means a shut-down corner) Favre gives some exciting false preseason hope, but if we're 3-5 midseason (L-L-L-W-L-W-W-L) and he has more INTs that TDs the honeymoon will be officially over and he's gonna wish he stayed in the bayou.
Wow... I'm glad I don't look @ the Jets in the same way as you do... Why even bother being a fan if you ALREADY know whats gonna happen? For anyone to think that Mangini and the Jets showed our blitz packages during the presason must not understand the game of football... Its all a cat and mouse game, preseason is simply about getting up to par with the speed of the game and getting players who need reps some more playing time... And IF the preseason means anything, the Jets are a solid team because we went 3-1, lol, 2bad it really means NOTHING @ all.
Just to be objective – you guys know how funny it is when we read this crap on the Dohphags boards…imagine a New England stalker that takes the wiener out of his mouth long enough to read this???
Me neither. There's something wrong with the guy...either he's going blind, there's no holes that he can fit through, or he's just fatigued. Whatever it is it has to be fixed...he just doesn't seem to fit right now. Hopefully the Jets have just been being coy and Jones is ready to tear it up. If not, bring on Leon and lets give him his shot.
I don't agree here. It might not fire on all cylinders right away, but I believe the pass rush will come on at the latest after the bye week. Maybe wishful thinking but there's no question that the players are in place to make it happen. Can't argue with the rest though.
Fuck the Pats. We can beat them. Seriously, they're beatable. We've played them pretty tough under Mangini too, and this roster of ours is pretty fuckin talented...
On a second thought... If the Jet D is playing vanilla scheme, they would be hard-pressed to defend rush. In 3-4, basicall all down linemen are responsible for 2 gaps - and if they don't scheme against the belly run to neutralize it (meaning they stick to vanilla D) they will look exposed. It's 50-50; maybe run D is indeed their weakness (means Sutton should be canned) or it's just the vanilla scheme making the D look worse than they actually are. So here's a little of hoping that it is the scheme being vanilla, and not the players failing to execute. If it is indeed the case, then that almost automatically solves: pass rush situation, run D situation (duh) and somewhat shaky secondary problem. It remains to be seen, guys... I'll keep my finger crossed on this one.
Vanilla scheme is probably right. Coaches don't like to show too much in the preseason. It makes it more difficult for the first few opponents to have much video tape of what they're doing.
there isn't a qb in the game that can perform great without good pass protection. if i recall correctly, favre had a very good oline in his past, as do usually all great qb's. you don't become great without a little help!!!!!!!
The running offense is a problem but I knew it would be the day we traded for Jones. The defense may come together. Ellis has yet to play a down with these new additions in a game that any of us have seen and he was by far the best player on our front 3/4 last year.
Finally someone who sees things the way i do. I was watching the Giant game saying that Leon should be our RB he makes TJ look like he is playing with a cane out there. As someone mentioned earlier if chatman keeps running like a mad man he will see an increased load, late in games i imagine. Also your point about Ellis is what i was really referring to. He is one of the top players on our D and once he is on the field the pass rush is going to look even better. Im not 100% sure if they play on the same side but could you imagine looking at Ellis and Pace lined up anywhere near each other? Those are two big ass dudes to have to account for and no RB is gonna stop Pace...
I understand the excitement, but I want to see the Miami game with all the 1st stringers putting all out and then start to formulate where we are. In fact our first 3 games of the year will tell a lot. The NE game is huge. If we beat NE, then we may have the right to start to talk a bit. If we then beat SD we can really start to talk because I believe we have 3 games after that that are very winnable. If we lose to Miami, this board will be a mess the Monday after........... While I still like the Gholston pick, he hasn't exactly lit it up this pre-season, but I am willing to give him the learning curve excuse for now. Plus, we have not seen him along side Harris. Things could be a bit different in that scenario.
- I partially agree on this ... However, almost ever team playing the Vikings "Stacked the box", because they knew Vikings (about only) weapon was to give AP the ball to run ... I seriously doubt any team would be "foolish enough" to "Stack the box" with No. 4 behind center ... - thus opening up for the Jets running game ... As for GB, for almost half the season they had about zero running game ... and their opponents knew this ... yet No. 4 was still able to "dominate" alot of teams by passing alone ... - that should tell you something about No. 4's ability ... Eventually GB did get a RB in Ryan Grant who performed exceptionally well the the late season, only improving the offensive "arsenal" of GB, though it turned out it wasn't enough ... - Partially the "fault" of No. 4, but equally part of the blame was on the coaching and game strat for that night and for the previous practices ... ... I honestly feel the Jets are going to do well this year, albeit all should embrace themselves for a "slow start", but I only see the play improving as the "Chemistry" on the team improves ... No matter what alot of other people say, I feel when we are about half way through the season, the Jets will still be in contention for a division title ... But then again, I'm just a European NFL fan ... what do I know hah
