The previous 2 years it was crystal clear and we went pretty far with most of the current roster, but now I don't think even Rex knows what the identity is. We used to be the most physical team in the league, our pass attack has been mediocre for years but it is shown badly this year because our rush attack went from elite to awful. Our defense also took a major step back, our safeties for years has at best been mediocre but when our run defense goes from great to just plain bad our weaknesses show much more glaringly. Added to the equation that our usually reliable special teams also regressed this year and here we are at 8-8. Rex has a major decision to decide, if we want to fling it like Green Bay or New England, then Sanchez probably needs to go since he isn't close to make that kind of transition, if we want to go back to our old identity we need to be able to push around defenses again, if we can do that Sanchez can take us where we need to go. That decision will also reflect how we fix our defense. If we can focus on a particular identity and get the right players and coaches to go along with the identity we can be Super Bowl contenders as soon as next year because as this season has shown all these teams has shown serious flaws with the 2 #1 seeds have the worst defenses in the league as an clear example of said flaws
We have to get back to what got us to the AFCCG the last two seasons. Ground and Pound and good defense.
Then we should forget about bashing Sanchez and have an oline that can punch people in the mouth again along with some oline depth as that was a complete disaster and we badly need to fix our rush defense and fixthe heart of our pass defense as those areas have been bad. People keep on mentioning Braylon, he didn't give us separation either and the previous 2 years our redzone offense was terrible, that area was the only area that we actually improved this year.
we need a balanced offense. Ground and Pound won't get it done on its own, the passing game has to be effective too. Not the 5 yard short passing routes, but an actually down the field passing game.
Braylon got behind the defense pretty consistently in the two years he and Sanchez played together. The Jets didn't throw deep a lot because that's not Schotty's plan but Edwards was doing things deep that nobody on the team was capable of doing this year. One of the things that Edwards did specifically was to give Sanchez a target that he could throw a deep jump ball too from time to time. That puts enormous pressure on a defense. Plaxico just isn't fast enough to create that option at this point, probably not even with the protection that Sanchez had last season.
I think the F/O got too enamored by the playoff performances and it caused us to drift away from our identity. That is why we tried and failed to open things up with our passing game, and why they thought they could get away with Smith and Hunter as starters when they stepped up when Leonard and Woody went out with injury
As long as we have Schitty we don't have an offensive identity. Rex has no control over him, he does what he wants and Ryan keeps supporting him..like 69 passes against the Giants from a QB that can't throw 5 yards accurately.
And even the Jets can't shut down the #1 receivers in the AFC East with any consistency. Brandon Marshall and Stevie Johnson both catch as many passes against Revis as anybody and whether you think the Pats #1 is Welker or Gronk the fact is the Jets can't shut either one of them down.
Yep. We have no identity. Not offensively, obviously. We had 2 40+ yard plays all year. That's just embarrassing. We can't run well, and we can't throw more than 10 yards. We were great in the red zone, which is what saved us from finishing below .500. Even defensively, our identity is that we have an average run defense and a very good pass defense, but we don't force turnovers, and we don't get anywhere near the quarterback. We need youth and speed on both sides of the ball. Sanchez needs to improve as well, that's no secret, but we need some young players to help him out on offense and some playmakers at OLB, S, and maybe DL.
Eh Braylon disappeared too often the years that he was here for us to still bring up his name, and it didn't help that our pass protection was straight awful the entire year
all this season has shown to me is that if you have an elite QB you are going to have success - if you dont then you need a hell of a lot of everything else and some great coaching to get anywhere we are nowhere near having an elite qb and are several very important parts away from having a good team elsewhere - we need a new RT, new receiver(s), an elite pass rusher (almost as hard to get an an elite qb) as our pass rush is non-existent, we need faster linebackers, we need better running backs, we need a new punter and place kicker, we need new coaches - shit we need practically everything new aside from half an offensive line, most of a defensive line, cornerbacks and an ILB
Our pass defense wasn't good either, we are good against WRs but we are completely useless trying to cover TEs and RBs
Wasn't Phillip Rivers in that category a year ago? The teams with the elite QBs all have at least good but most have great pass protection, all have phenomenal weapons that work with the QB's skillset and for the most part have a running game that can keep defenses honest, add to that defenses that gives them the ball a lot via turnovers and you have explosive offensive power.
neither green bay nor the patriots have good defenses and I dont know about the Saints. all i am saying is that it is clear that if you do not have a great QB you are going to have to do everything else well to get anywhere and we are a long way from doing everything else well at the moment. i also forgot to add to my list that we also need 1 or maybe 2 new safeties.
I don't really care about "identity," and I think it's rather overemphasized. That being said, this team is outstanding in no facets of the game, certainly.
