Are we about to turn the corner this game?

gustoonarmy · Nov 11, 2006

Some interesting points made.... Just wish we could play the first 2 quarters like the last 2.

( I did start to highlight stuff , but all of it is relevant)

Jets in blitz of questions

BY RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

For the final 25 minutes in its last game, the Jets' beleaguered defense did something unusual. Two things, actually: It stopped the opponent and it did it with an in-your-face style.
The Jets blitzed and sacked the quarterback. They moved players like chess pieces, clogging running lanes. In short, they attacked, a departure from their bend-but-don't-break philosophy.

Was it a 25-minute tease or a harbinger of the second half of the season? The players hope it's the latter.

Though no one will publicly question strategy - the Jets' Thought Police frown upon freedom of speech - the feeling in the locker room is unmistakable: The players want Eric Mangini and coordinator Bob Sutton to crank up the heat and be aggressive.

The coaches' reluctance, coupled with the slow adjustment to the 3-4 scheme, has created an undercurrent of frustration. There's a sense that the conservative play-calling is not maximizing talent.

The numbers don't lie: The Jets (4-4) are ranked 31st in total defense as they prepare for Sunday's game at the Patriots (6-2).

Co-captain Shaun Ellis isn't an extremist - he doesn't believe all-out blitzing is the answer - but he'd like to see more of a balance.

"We have a lot of athletes on our defense," Ellis said yesterday. "To me, we have to play a little more both ways. We have to move guys and let them use their natural ability, and just do more."

The Jets did that against the Browns, and it worked for most of the second half. On the final six possessions, they sacked Charlie Frye three times and held Reuben Droughns - a monster in the first half - to 29 yards on 14 carries.

It would be foolhardy to call that a potential turning point for the defense. The mediocre Browns, milking a 20-3lead, had pulled in the reins, but Sutton's late-game play-calling whetted the appetite of his players. He called 12 blitzes in the second half, 16 for the game, tying a season-high from Week 1 in Tennessee.

"We really got after it a little bit more," linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "We started to blitz more, so that was good."

Said Ellis: "We started doing a lot more than just our regular base package. We started creating more pressure. We started moving around a little bit, getting in the running lanes, pretty much causing the running back to hesitate."

Privately, some players wondered why they didn't start sooner. Ellis said the encouraging finish, albeit in a 20-13 loss, probably "opened some eyes. Other teams know we're very talented over here."

Asked if he believes it convinced Sutton to call more blitzes, Ellis said, "I hope so. But regardless of what's called, we have to play at that tempo all the time - a game-on-the-line tempo."

Ellis is a team leader, but he doesn't think it's his place to go to the coaches to make suggestions. He said the defense must prove in practice that it's capable of executing blitz-oriented packages.

Obviously, there's a risk-reward factor, and Mangini, whose goal is to prevent big plays, realizes an unsuccessful blitz can change the field position in an instant.

The game plan also depends on the opponent. Blitzing the inexperienced Frye is a lot less dangerous than going after Tom Brady. Then again, the Pats' receiving corps aren't what they used to be, so the Jets might be willing to take more chances.

Against the Browns, they confused Frye with an array of five-, six- and seven-man rushes. The players loved it and they want it to continue. Will it?

"We'd definitely like to keep doing it," Sutton said. "If it works."

Originally published on November 10, 2006
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hydro51 · Nov 11, 2006

go with what the players see on the field.. it cant hurt at this point.

BadgerOnLSD · Nov 11, 2006

Hopefully the D can play the rest of the season the way it played the last 25 minutes of the Browns game.

gustoonarmy · Nov 11, 2006

hydro51 said: ↑

go with what the players see on the field.. it cant hurt at this point.
Click to expand...

Its like Ellis says the team has alot of naturall ability , lets see it.

JUNJOBX2199 · Nov 11, 2006

Well they have to do something,This is a team that can march the ball down feild on every possesion and bend but dont break wont work here.Heres one thing to concider the colts do not have an earth shattering defense and they kept New england at bay;so I guesse we could do the same.

Jet_Moses · Nov 11, 2006

I just hope the rumor that Robertson is being moved to DE, is true. This is his big shot to show what he can do, mano e mano.

Are we about to turn the corner this game?

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