one thing though, the only reason the packers started doing those sets was because they had absolutely no run game (dead last). so if the defense knew they weren't gonna run, what's the point of play-action. their strategy was to forget all that and go straight into shotgun every play and utilize the only strength they had at the time (brett and the receivers). it ended up working out obviously but a good run game with play action is always the best way to go. still variety never hurts of course, and that's why the pack kept using those 4 and 5 wide sets even when their run game caught up to speed.
WIN Great post and I concur. And I honestly believe we have the WR's to pull this off. Just give Favre time to throw and watch what happens.
I'd love to see it, and agree there's no reason not to at least try. If nothing else it would surely catch the opposing team off guard the first time we tried it.
I think we will see a lot of Coles, Cothery, Stuckey, Keller and TJ/Leon. Thats a very tough group to defense especially if Keller is running down the middle of the field. The one thing the offense lacks is a home run hitter. A guy with the speed to beat anyone on one one down the field. Clowney when he comes back may be that guy. I don't think you will see many formations with 4 or 5 wr's and no running back.
Very true. The Patriots used 4 and 5wr sets last year a lot more infrequently than people on this borad would have you believe. Their most common formations involved 3 Wrs (moss, welker, Stallworth/Gaffney), 1 TE (Ben Watson), and 1 RB (Maroney/evans/morris,faulk)
He had the deepest receiver corp in the NFL then (Driver, Jennings, Jones, Robinson, Martin). The Jets (nor any other team) simply do not have that quality x depth combination. The Packers were playing to their strength (which for most of the year was "anything but run" -- everyone knew they were passing anyway, so put a lot of WR out there to increase chances one could get open). Jets have to play to theirs, and depth of receiver corp is not it. It's not about who the QB is, it's about the team as a whole. Having said all that, in actuality in his prime (MVP years) Favre's most lethal formations were actually when they put two top-flight TE on the field at the same time, Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson. So for that reason I keep hoping for a Dustin Keller breakout, more than flooding the fields with receivers.
Because they rather try and run it 3 times rather than let Favre throw. In all seriousness, it would be interesting to see if that would work out well. We have the WR set, we damn sure have the QB, give him the ball and he will make plays regardless of how many WR/TE there are on the field.
maybe Pennington was also handcuffed. Maybe this is just Shottenheimers idea of an NFL offense. Frightning thought.
I don't know, I think we have the talent: 1. Coles and Cotch, obviously 2. Stuckey is quickly proving that he has skills 3. Keller, well, we traded up to get him, so he better be out there... line him up on a LBer 4. Wright did some good things in pre-season if I recall and him or.. ugh.. B. Smith, can probably do enough to hold the fort down until Clowney gets back. OR, you can line up L. Washington at WR also... the guy is so quick, I bet he can do some good things in the short yardage game.
Well. What's more disturbing is this; Favre recently had a lot of success with quick slant when he was at GB. I don't know what Offense the Jets run these days, but it's not WCO for all I can tell you; which means that, while I think the Jets have all the tools to run a successful offense, it would be a great disservice not to employ quick slant - or anything of 3-step drop nature - that Favre is so good at. I have yet to see a Jet WR picking the opposing D apart with quick slant this season. And, of course, quick slant is at its best when it is employed with spread formation. Which brings us to... why Jets aren't using 4 or 5 wide set?
Here's all I know, and this is no offense to the running game - as the jets do have a semblence of one. You have Brett Favre. You have decent pass catching options. It's time fella's, to open up the dusty parts of the playbook, and start letting favre wing it a bit more. Sure, that opens up more chances for turnovers, but also opens up more chances to score points. Yes, play action is good, but lets face it - favre lived off opening the field up last year, and then trickling the running game in late in the season AFTER the passing game just became second nature. Just saying, what is there to lose? Miami should of been burried, and there is no excuse to not put the ball in Favre's hands at least ONCE in three plays in the redzone. Sorry, but isn't that what you GOT favre for? To get you points in those situations? So, let him at least have a chance at it. Favre wont EVER criticize coaching decisions. He never really has, never will. So you wont hear favre putting people under the bus - but you can tell by him saying this is a must win for the jets (when it's not) that he is calling for the jets coaches to start looking at every game as a win or go home situation. You can't worry about next week, you worry about this week. It takes just one game to prevent a playoff appearance, So the jets need to heed favre's cry for must win football. Don't let him completely take over, but ask him what he wants to do and take heed to his words. He has more experience then the head coach at playing winning football, and he does a lot of good things in games off what he see's and feels ont he field. Let him ride that wave - it worked last season. Until proven otherwise - through Favre is the best way for the jets to score points outside the two yard line. Lets let the man fly and see what he can do.
The problem is, ManHerm is NOT aggressive. By "aggressive" I never mean to say the Jets should go gung-ho about passing. By "aggressive" I mean to say that the Jets should ACTIVELY attack the WEAKEST PART of the defense. There were a lot of speculation that Pats' secondary is suspect. We will never know since ManHerm didn't test it - or rather, didn't let let Favre go at them. With functional running game, there was all the reason in the world to go at their secondary early in the game for big strikes. Now here comes SD - whose pass D is maligned to be one of the very worst in the league. I fully expect ManHerm to cuff Favre, grinding the team all day long and keeping the score as minimal as possible. Add to the fact that Shawn Merriman is out. Even when there is no apparent pass rushing threat, ManHerm will NOT allow Favre to wing it. Mark my words.
It's more then that. It's not even about cuffing favre. It's about cuffing the entire offense. It seems mangini will let Favre play the way he does, and do some magic, early in the game. Try and build a lead. Once lead is established, he does what ever average coach does, settles for punts and sits on the lead. That strategy doesn't work very often. He needs to BE AGGRESSIVE, this we all agree on. COnservative coaching, with a QB that personifies aggressive offensive play, is not a good mix. Did Mangini not get the phone call? Brett Favre is in town - no reason to not be aggressive any more. Yes, favre did have a few chances last game, and underthrew a few balls. Maybe it was just a bad game, or he threw too much in practice (favre, over the last 3 seasons, hardly threw a single pass in preactices during the season). It just looked like he had a little dead arm going. Underthrowing a 40 yard pass? Thats just not like him, and we saw it the week before that 40 yards is nothing for him. Maybe it's chemsitry. Obviously, two big passes were dropped by coles.Favre didn't play horrid, he just didn't have his A game. STill, Favre's B game is pretty good. It's when he dips into his C game level that bad things happen. Forcing every pass. If the jets don't open up this offense soon, favre will start forcing it, because for all he knows, the next few trips to the line are run, run, run, punt. Favre wont settle for that.
