even the chargers gave up more points per game than the jets did last year. only 5 teams gave up less points then we did. how is that "not very good"? yeah, we didnt dominate against the run or the pass, but thats meaningless if you dont give up points. i dont care if teams average 95yds per carry against our defense. its useless if they cant reach the endzone.
We scored 19.8 a game and gave up 18.4 that's a plus 1.4 per game. We also beat up on some terrible offensive teams. Oakland 32 in scoring, Miami twice 29th, MN 26th, Greenbay 23 and we beat TN before Young was playing. Our D was mediocre but came on down the stretch when we were playing some really bad teams. In the playoffs against a good team in good weather they put 37 on the board against us. SD was plus 11.9 in points scored to given up, they were far better than us on both sides of the ball.
every teams schedule looks like that. we played some horrible teams, so did everyone else in the nfl. its not like the chargers played the ravens 16 times last season. they are "allowed" two play the raiders twice a year. they played teams like the raiders and titans when they REALLY sucked. the raiders looked bad at the end of the season when we played them, but they looked absolutely ridiculous at the beginning of the year. just like the titans. and there were some other horrible offenses they played (browns, san fran...) last season. im not saying our defense is better or more talented than theirs. i realize that our run defense was below average last season, especially at the beginning of the season, but we still gave up less points than SD did. thats a fact. the bears had the easiest schedule last season but nobody mentions that when they talk about how great their defense is
The key here is we gave up 37 points against a good team in the playoffs. People look at the scrubs we beat and not the teams we have to beat to get to the superbowl. I don't care what we do against the Browns or Vikings I want to honestly rate our team against what we have to do against the Superbowl caliber teams and most on the boards do not rate us honestly. Ne, Sd and the Colts will blow us out of the building come playoff time. The Broncos and Bengals could do the same if things fall into place.
About the strength of schedule check out ours compared to other AFC playoff teams last year: http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10236651 Colts: .516 Patriots: .535 Chargers: .504 Ravens: .508 Jets: .516 Chiefs: .516 We were tied for 5th for toughest schedule in the NFL last year. And we were tied for 2nd among the playoff teams for toughest schedule. So if you knock on the Jets schedule you better knock on the Super Bowl Champians about having an easy schedule.
We played the easiest schedule of all of those teams with the possible exception of the Chargers. The Colts played a much tougher schedule than we did.
The fact is Jets played alot of the most inept offense last year. Of course if you play majority of worst scoring offense, its going to reflect that your defense didn't allow that many points. http://www.nfl.com/stats/teamsort/NFL/OFF-SCORING/2006/regular?sort_col_1=3 If I was you , I wouldn't count on that stat holding true against much tougher schedule. Jets defense is not good and anyone that believes that in for a rude awaking this year.
Yes and know. The Jets have an emerging top 5 defensive backfield. We were horrible up front last year but we do have the makings of a good LB corps. If one guy like Coleman or Pouha or D'Rob is healthy all season steps up on the LOS we could have a very solid D. You have to look at how bad our front 3 was for most of last season and that Vilma was just to small to be effective in the middle taking on blockers. If two guys step up it will make Vilma much better as well. I'm not blind to what we were last year but if we get some play out of a couple of guys on the D and OL we have the makings of a very solid team.
Week 1- New England- Loss Patriots come out, guns ablaze, and we just fail to make the cut. Lose by two TDs. Week 2- at Baltimore- Loss Their defense comes out heavy, shuts down our running game, starts making Chad scamper in the backfield, and we lose big. Season starts looking bad for the fans. McGahee has another great game against the Jets, picks up 130 yds and two TDs, and we start counting our blessings that he's no longer with Buffalo. Week 3- Miami- Win They're the Dolphins. Need I say anything more? Week 4- at Buffalo- Win Without McGahee, and with our reinforced secondary, they don't have a chance. Week 5- at Giants- Win I'm just glad I'm not a Giants fan. Just because your jersey says Manning, it doesn't mean you can throw a rocket, laser pass. Week 6- Philly- Loss Yeah, I just have a bad vibe about this game. Philly looks solid - not great, but solid, and that's enough to beat us. Week 7- at Cincinnati- Loss As bad as this team looks in terms of its discipline, they have better players. If they bring the B+ game, we lose. Week 8- Buffalo- Win See reasons above. Week 9- Washington- Loss Washington actually has a season where they're hot for the first 3/4 of the season, and hold a winning percentage. After their game with the Jets, they go into a losing streak, and barely miss the playoffs. Week 10- Bye Week 11- Pittsburgh- Loss Rothlisberger bounces back, the team starts to gel, and as a cohesive unit they put together a slip shod middle of the road season, and they're just enough to beat the Jets. Week 12- at Dallas- Win Dallas is a tough team. Not tough enough to beat us, but a tough team. It'll be real close, but we edge it out. Week 13- at Miami- Win -Dolphins-. Week 14- Cleveland- Loss Typical Jets, right?. Week 15- at NE- Win Out of no where, with a 6-7 record, the Jets again needing to win out to have a chance to hit wildcard, we pull this one out. Win by a touchdown, and the game ends with Tom Brady on his ass looking confused in the snow. Week 16- at Tenn - Win The team is in shambles at this point, and easy pickings for the Jets. Week 17- KC - Win The Jets make an amazing run, and beat out the Chiefs, going 9-7. Wow, did I really write that? I guess doing it game by game, I can see how it could come together....but it'll be another last minute, staring at the chart until week 17, seeing who's in, who's not, and who can beat someone out for a wildcard spot. Good Luck Jets, stay classy.
If our schedule was so easy then explain to me how the Colts opponents had the SAME record as the Jets opponents? Colts: Teams played with a winning record: Jets, Broncos, Patriots, Eagles, Cowboys Teams played without a winning record: Houston (2x), Washington, Bills, Miami, Titans (2x), Jags (2x), Bengals, Giants So they played 5 games against teams with a winning record, 11 games against teams without a winning record. Jets: Teams played with a winning record: Patriots (2x), Colts, Bears Teams played without a winning record: Titans, Bills (2x), Dolphins (2x), Lions, Browns, Raiders, Packers, Vikings, Texans, Jags So the Jets played against 4 teams with a winning record, and 12 teams without a winning record. Both teams played about the same amount of winning teams and about the same amount of losing teams. My point is that any team can win any week. The Colts lost 3 out of 4 of there games to division foes who did not have a winning record. A GOOD team wins games when they should, and wins the tough games as well. A MEDIOCRE team folds during the 4th quarter and blows games. BTW, I'm not saying we are anywhere close to the level of the Colts, I'm just comparing our schedule with theirs.
I think your overrating your secondary potential somewhat. Your have one superstar In Rhodes (Probowl should be in his future) . Never been a big fan of A Dyson(If hes your number 1 Cb, your in trouble) A Revis - CB one of the toughest position to predict. Could eventually be great or might not pan out(see P Buchanon- ) Regardless IMO he not stepping into jets lineup and making a diffrence right away 2007(going to go through learning curve) Jets do have makings of a good Lbs corps. Problem I have is you seem to have alot OF Lbs best suited to play inside, and not enough outside LBs.(Bowens or Wadsworth(longshot) might supprise) Problem I see trying to team up Bowens with a B Thomas at OLB, is teams will try to match one of them in coverage. Vilma not long for 3-4 and eventually will be playing for a 4-3 defense somewhere else.(eventually going to have to reluctantly move him) The Most important thing in a 3-4 defense is the NT. Des in 3-4 shouldn't be that hard to find and Was kind of supprised you overpayed for Kenyon Coleman. One or two guys step up or emerge and it could make a big diffrence for any team. So yes its possible Jets defense could get better, asking alot for Draft choices and FA to come in without taking time to mesh.
Rhodes is one of the best and we do have two good young safties on the team now. Dyson is an excellent cover corner and Barrett and Poteat are both adequate No. 2. Revis and Miller give us depth and Revis gives us a potential upgrade at the 2 spot. We also have one of the better designed and coached back fields in the league. You're simple wrong on the LB's. Thomas is an outstanding outside LB who improved as the year went on. Hobson and Barton can both play outside and inside and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Vilma on the outside in some situations this year. We have depth and talent with the additions we made in the off season.
We just have a diffrent opinion on your Cb's and I know im not going to change your mind. I don't know anyone that would consider A Dyson an excellent cover Cb. Yes he looked very good last year, but JMO I think was largely due to competition. To me hes a number 2 cb . Bryan thomas had a very good season playing outside LB last year. Thats one proven outside LB. I don't see either Hobson, barton or Vilma(in certain situations) as ideal 3-4 OLbs. To me you will be always giving up something, if one of them is playing outside Lb. All those LBs ,are bested suited to play inside in 3-4 defense. Seems like your counting on Bowens or a Wadsworth, to be able to fill the void, at the other OLb position. BTw How long is Eric barton for Jets roster.(still talk could be cap casualty) You substract Eric Barton and add D harris. How much is that instant upgrade for Lb corps.
Hobson had a great year as an OLB in his first year in the 3-4. Bowens and possible Wadsworth will be situational pass rushers & the ideal compliment to Hobson on the outside. The back 8 have potential to be very good depending on how fast the two rooks develop and make contributions.. There is very good depth at every position in the back 8 as well. Now if only the DLine can step up the potential is there to have a very good D this year..
Week 1- New England Loss. This one won't even be close and for some reason, I think we will have injury added to insult and we will lose a player in the Meadowlands. 30-13 Patriots. Week 2- at Baltimore Loss, but could go either way. I really think that this will be a field goal loss for us, but any time it's a field goal, you can't really say one way or the other with any amount of certainty. (Then again these are mindless predictions, where's the certainty in that?) So 13-10 Ravens. Week 3- Miami Win. The Miami defense will hit the Jets hard but won't be able to reliably stop the passing game due to the constant screens and dump offs throwing them off balance. 17-7 Jets. Week 4- at Buffalo Win. Expect a decently high score with Losman launching balls all over the place and Bills fans praying for one to fall to a receiver down field. 30-21 Jets. Week 5- at Giants Win. Really, these are the Giants, people. Shockey will make a rude gesture, Eli will miss open receivers and at least one Giant will get injured. I'm not talking about this one game, I'm talking about every game for them. 20-7 Jets. Week 6- Philly Win. I don't have a good feeling about McNabb's recovery and ability to lead the Eagles. They will definitely regret letting go of Garcia before Week 6. Their defense will hold up well aside from Westbrook their offense will look like, say, the Giants. 13-7 Jets. Week 7- at Cincinnati Loss. It doesn't matter how many of these get arrested the other six days of the week. They show up in football and not prison uniforms on Sunday. The win streak will be ended in Cincinnati. 20-6 Bengals. Week 8- Buffalo Win. The score will be closer than the last meeting but the game won't be close at all. 20-14 Jets. Week 9- Washington Loss. I love the Skins in this one. Knock down, drag out brawl in the Meadowlands decided by a late game touchdown. 21-17 Redskins. Week 10- Bye Win. Everyone wins when you have a bye week. What, bad joke? Week 11- Pittsburgh Win. If the Steelers were at home I would give them this game, but I don't see them beating the green out of the Jets at home. 27-21 Jets. Week 12- at Dallas Loss. The Jets defense will look like its hopped up on tryptophane and will be sluggish in this game. I see TO with two touchdowns. And one dropped one. 28-17 Cowboys. Week 13- at Miami Win. Jason Taylor talks smack about the Jets. He holds up his end of the bargain, but the rest of the Dolphins are already on vacation. Leon makes like a Coles at a fish game and gets sent to concussion land. Ted Ginn Jr. is still not liked in fish land. 24-12 Jets. Week 14- Cleveland Win. Pennington will try to force it to Baker to make up for last year and Frye will still be under center in Ohio. The Browns will be better than we expect, and this game will get nasty. 21-20 Jets. Week 15- at NE Loss. What, were you hoping for another mudfest? They redid the turf so that it wouldn't happen this time. 24-14 Patriots. Week 16- at Tenn Win. Vince Young didn't get injured, so I guess there isn't a curse after all. Oh well. With no offense besides him and his TEs, the Titans can't put up much of a fight. What, did you expect Chris Henry to replace Travis Henry? Pacman has probably been shot at this point, too. Think of the Jets as Jaguars and the Titans as Jets and you have what this game looks like. 38-12 Jets. Week 17- KC Win. This has nothing to do with Herm: It's win and in for the Jets and the Chefs (Great job, but who are the Chefs?) won't be standing in the way for more than two quarters. 31-17 Jets. Result: 10-6, wild card playoff slot. Playoffs: Wild card loss, probably. Barton was an OLB in the 4-3 and is an ILB in the 3-4. Vilma was an ILB in the 4-3 and is one in the 3-4 as well. Hobson was very good for us last season. Though his pass rushing skills weren't the best, that is more so Thomas' job as the SOLB in the 3-4. The WOLB is more of a coverage OLB and he did that fine. Not well, but not poorly. No, you should never put Barton on the outside in the 3-4, he'll get torn a new one real fast. Hobson was always near the ball, ready to make the play and while he was quiet, he was more than a solid contributor to our defense last year. You should never, ever see Vilma as an ideal 3-4 OLB even if he's weak side covering a speedy TE. Never. Ever. Ever. And Thomas' season wasn't as great as you're making it out to be. He did will and was a solid contributor. You can't ask for more but you sure as heck can hope for it.
How can you say Hobson had a great year when Jets couldn't stopthe run or weren't that great against pass either. Jets couldn't put pressure on the QB without using gimmick blitzes. (LB have to take large share of blame there in 3-4) He might have had alot of tackles but where were those tackles being made. Jets don't (panic) tradeup twice on the defensive side of ball, if they didn't feel they needed serious upgrade at those positions(CB and LB) . So what does that tell you. Unlike Jet fans, Jets FO knows they aren't as good at LBand in secondary, as alot of Jet fans are making out to be. There very good depth in back eight. Comeon your not serious are you. Potential but nothing proven yet.
Exactly, in a short season where every game matters a ton the bottom line is that you have to win the games you SHOULD win, and steal a few that you SHOULDN'T. Thats what good teams do. Its being professional and confident about your chances every week. Mangini I think embraces this type of thinking.
