Jets' offense suffering identity crisis Even Mangini not sure of Gang Green's strength By Brendan Kuty / SNY.tv FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Ground or air? Smash-mouth or high-flying? After eight weeks of up-and-down football, some would say the Jets (4-3) are fortunate to be over .500. But almost all would agree that they've yet to establish a concrete "identity" on offense, a point augmented by Sunday's too-close-for-comfort win over flimsy Kansas City, 28-24. The typically vague Eric Mangini wasn't much help when asked where his onus lies. "It can be heavy emphasis on the run; heavy emphasis on the pass; it could be no-huddle; it could be empty; it could be it's just not one package," the head coach said during Monday's conference call. Earlier in the conversation, he basically called the Jets offense a chameleon, deeming it "game-plan specific." If that's the true, shouldn't have Sunday's recipe involved a little less Brett Favre, who ended up tossing three ugly interceptions -- including one in the red zone -- before engineering his 41st fourth-quarter comeback, and a pinch more Thomas Jones and Leon Washington? The Chiefs entered the game with the league's worst rushing defense, and Jones had ran for 159 yards against the Raiders the week prior, his best total with the Jets. Mangini noted he hoped to take advantage of the Chiefs' extremely inexperienced secondary by letting Favre loose before addressing the running game. "Oakland wasn't particularly strong against the run, and we ran it for 250 yards and scored 13 points, so you can look at it either way," he said. At the beginning of training camp, the Jets looked ready to commit to grinding it out on the ground, signing left guard Alan Faneca and right tackle Damien Woody to big-time deals in the offseason. Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens were battling for the starting quarterback's spot, a position that seemed more "facilitator" than "play-maker". Then along came Favre, and the rest was history. After four solid games to open the season, including one Herculean, six-TD effort, Favre hasn't been sharp. The Green Bay legend has thrown 10 picks in his last five games. Sunday's late interception, which Brandon Flowers returned 91 yards to the end zone, looked to be the back-breaker, one that would have dropped the Jets to 3-4 entering the toughest part of their schedule. Mangini placed the blame squarely on second-year receiver Chansi Stuckey, for whom the pass was intended. "Yeah, he should have kept going on that," Mangini said of Stuckey, who stopped mid-route. "Worse-case scenario, if the guy does catch it, you have to be able to make the tackle. It's a turnover, but it's not a turnover which results in a touchdown, and he could do a lot better job on that play of finishing that route." But Stuckey, without malice, unintentionally accused the play calling of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and Manigini of being predictable. "[Flowers] kind of recognized it from the first time," Stuckey said. "We had kind of beat them up pretty good on that play in the first quarter on a third down. He recognized it and jumped inside. I tried to get inside him but he kind of game me a little bump that got me off my route and I kind of bumped into the safety and he was just kind of kept running and the ball came right to him and he just made a play." Brendan Kuty is a regular contributor to SNY.tv.
I still don't like how Mangini blamed this on Stuckey. Favre threw into double coverage and Schotty "went to the well one too many times" with this one. Stuckey could have MAYBE broken up that pass or tackled Flowers. Favre CERTAINLY could have not thrown that pass and Schotty could have been more creative with his playcalling. Why blame the rookie with only 7 games of experience for his mistake when the 3rd year OC and 18 year legend also could have done things a hell of a lot better?
He didn't like stuckey's effort on the play. He wasn't saying the int could of necessarily been prevented (although who knows), but he did say Stuckey could of gotten himself in MUCH better position to at least prevent it from being a pick 6. I think that is mostly what irked him. Yeah he got shoved, but the second effort wasn't there to try and get to the s pot to, worst case, make a tackle. I understand his sentiments, but I think people need to just drop the entire subject. Game is over, Jets won,a nd the bills are on the plate tomorrow. The move, in that of itself, is try and take SOME of the pressure off of Brett Favre. Say what you want: But the media, and the fans, have really been laying into Favre pretty hard, and the coach I think is trying to lessen it a little. I thinkt he guys int he locker room obviously support #4 - they voted him as the captain. They loved when he threw the GW TD pass. They like good ol' #4. But, I am more concerned that players within the jets locker room itself... offensive players at that... are expressing concerns with the ability of the play callers. That is a big red flag when the offense isn't buying into what the coaching staff is selling. To me, that should be the big discussion right now. Not the turnovers, not Favre, but the offense in general expressing how it is not liking how games are being called. Sorry, that is the type of thing that can tear down a team. Coaching staff and palyers need to see eye to eye. Favre has said it himself in a round about manner in saying they still ahve yet to have an identity,still have yet to have 2 to 3 reliable play calls. Etc. GUys in the locker room have been quoted all week. And, blame Shotty all you want, it goes back to Mangini. He states he likes his "cameleon style offense". Guess what Magini, your not fooling anyone. EVERY TEAM GAME PLANS FOR THEIR next opponent, it doesn't mean they don't have their own identity. Take the packers last year. The identity was clearly, most of the season, throw the ball, hit the slant, when they jump slant go deep. Then, trickle in the running game as they have to commit more to the pass, and sudden;y as the season went on, it became a more complete offense. The identity was still there that GB last season was passing football team that can runt he spread, and throw from under center just as effecitively. However, the run game became a force to reckon with, and based on the opponent, would have different effects in the game. Mangini seems to think he is smarter then everyone and has a new philosphy. Well, it's not really working. Just because once every handful of games it seems to work (Arizona, even Miami outside of the conservative ending that almost cost us the game). You need an identity. You need bread and butter plays. Changing what the offense is on a week to week basis means no consistenty in any phase of hte game is going to happen. *sigh*. It's basic fundamentals.
They were both clearly at fault. The ball never should have been thrown and Chansi should have finished his route. I think the reason Mangini answered the question the way he did was that it was explicitly directed at Chansi. The reporter asked him if Chansi could have done anything better on the play. He didn't ask who was at fault.
Yeah, agreed. This article is pretty fluffy. If the Jets were 5-2 you could easily spin this "identity crisis" as "offensive flexibility" or "balance."
That's exactly how a coaching staff begins to lose the trust of players. Blame him all you want. Give him hair dryer treatment for all I care. DO THAT BEHIND THE DOOR. Don't do it in public.
