Know Your Role: WR #1 Laveranues Coles With a month of quiet ahead of us, we?re going to start a new feature focusing on major roles for the Jets in 2007. With 20 of 22 starters (should Kendall be gone) coming back from last season, this could be boring, but I think it will give us a chance to focus on all the starters and some other key positions (i.e. third receiver, nickelback, etc.) for the Jets this season. Starting off this series, we will begin with the skill players and work in towards the line. If you watched the Jets last season, then you know Laveranues Coles was a main reason that the offense stayed on the field. Sure it?s a team game, but the lack of threat in the running game combined Schottenheimer?s love of passing and with Coles? being Pennington?s favorite target, all mixed to make him a focal point for defenses. Through it all, Coles took hit after jarring hit moving the chains consistently for the new offense. Last season, Coles caught 91 balls for just 1098 yards, making him the second player in the top twenty (in yardage) to average under 12.5 yards per catch. Only three other receivers (Andre Johnson, Mike Furrey, T.J. Houshmanzadeh) in the top twenty averaged under 12.5 yards per catch. This isn?t a crack on Coles, but rather the result of the West Coast influenced system of going for short yardage gains. On top of that, Coles caught a fair 60% of the balls thrown at him, according to Football Outsiders. When you consider that Leon Washington had the best season for Jets rushers with a paltry 650 yards, in effect, Coles was the Jets best running back. With Thomas Jones (more on Thomas Jones later in this series) now wearing a Jets jersey, the team have a reliable running back to get chunks of yardage that Coles often had to pick up for the team to stay on the field. Although recent memory might help us think of Coles as strictly a short yardage / over the middle target, Jones adds a factor for Coles to use his outstanding speed and playmaking skills elsewhere on the field. In terms of getting hit, Coles had it tough in 2006, but Laveranues is known for not taking any excuse to get off the field. Hopefully with an upgraded backfield and an emerging threat on the other side of the field in Jerricho Cotchery, Coles can be used less to go over the middle, which will keep him healthy for a few more years.
Another shot on Leon Washington? People have hardons for Reggie and yet put down Leon at every turn despite doing more with less. Ya know what, I've had enough of this. Thread time. LC is great. Sorry bout' the tangent but these writers are making me sick with these remarks. Coles should do a lot better without being drilled as much this year. Less defenders in coverage is a good thing
Whats wrong with that? Leon is not a feature back. He could be down the line but he is a third down scatback until he can learn to run in between the tackles.
Also remember we didn't even start to give Leon substantial carries until the 2nd half of the season. That would be nice if we don't see anymore Zach Thomas type hits on coles anymore.
LC's value to this team cannot be measured, and his toughness is off the charts . With Thomas Jones on our team now, the safeties will have to play a bit closer to the box and won't be able to sit and hit LC all day. He is such a warrior and I really think he could've been our MVP last season after Kerry Rhodes. I just hope he doesn't take one of those big hits and got knocked out for a few games as I hope he continues to wear the green and white as long as he can physically take it.
Quick L.C. trivia question: Which Jets game did he score his first Career TD pass and who threw it to him?
Yes I'm pretty sure it was the MNM. Hahaha, you sure love you some Leon. I really like the guy, especially when he turns it on down field and does a juke or two. He is a very exciting player when he has the blocks. But I don't think he can handle a starter's load, and maybe that is even true of Reggie Bush although I think the Saints are going to build gameplans around him because he is a couple of steps above Leon in terms of pure athletic playmaking ability. Leon is a fun player but we need a guy that can block out of the backfield and pound the ball. Thomas Jones may be a cutback runner but he is in the Curtis Martin vein of relentless carries to bring the front 7 close to the line and open up the flats for the intermediate game. Backs like Leon need huge, veteran maulers blowing holes open so he can burst into the open field and make plays and I don't think we have that quite yet. (BTW, you're probably right though, because whenever I am sure about something like I am sure about this subject I end up being completely wrong)
yes MNM is correct. The announcer in that game said "Chrebet is really the only playmaking WR the Jets have".
