Sure... blocking and Tackling (remember tackling? That means stopping the runner in his tracks. That means knocking the slobber out of the runner. That means reversing the runner's trajectory 180 degrees. That means serious aggression firing through the guy.) are important fundamentals in this game. If 170 lb. 5 ft. 9 in. guys want to play this game they better be invisible ghosts. The NYJ OL and DL are not strong enough. They need a strength coach that takes precedence with each and every one of them. The NYJ OL and DL do not have enough of an attitude... Who is the guy who will get them to enforce a "Stomp You Out!" approach to their opponents? The one thing that bothered me this year about the NYJ was that they were too cool calm and collected. They did not exhibit enough of a killer instinct. Where were their dead eyes instilling fear and loathing in their opponents? Did you notice no one ever accused a NYJ of being a dirty player in 2007? That really disappointed me. We used to play ball in South Georgia in the shadow of Alabama's small vicious linebacker killers... Darwin Holt (A 185lb Alabama LB) almost killed Chuck Granning (a GT punt returner) on a special teams tackle and the scandal almost terminated the playing contract between Alabama and Georgia Tech. Where is the NYJ's joy of devastation? Check the Jints grinning DLs...
It's amazing that people fail to miss this basic point. And all you will hear back is if it wasn't for a kicker we would have went to the Afc title game to get slaughtered by the Patriots. Has Chad ever bought us back from two T/d's down in the last six years? How many times has he driven the length of the field with 2:00 to go and put us in the end zone for that matter.
Funny you should mention Richard Todd. Do you know why he was in the playoffs to begin with? Because we had a dominant O-line (Marvin Powell, Joe Fields, Dan Alexander, Chris Ward) and the New York Sack Exchange for the D-line. That's how you win. If we put that together now we would win with Pennington and maybe with Clemens. Todd without them coudn't get out of his own way, and I loved Todd, just being honest.
Pennington had that and never won more than 1 playoff game in any season. Highly unlikely that damaged goods is going to be able to make the big plays while being knocked around against big time defense.
We have not had a D-line anywhere close to the NYSE since the NYSE. Keep in mind that when Pennington was playing with his arm falling off and winning in the playoffs at San Diego, John Abraham was resting his vagina on the sidelines. Not to mention Pennington will be three years removed from the surgery by this season, the "damaged goods" claim is outdated and off base, like most of your posts.
John Abraham did sell us out that year and him sitting out was unforgiveable but he is the closest thing we have had to a superstar when he was healty since!!!!! You said Chad was two years removed from surgery last year and will say he is four years removed next year!
Hey, you can keep up with the counting, we're getting somewhere. Chad's problem this past year was not his arm, it was the lack of an O-line, same problem Clemens had. If Chad's surgery from 2005 were still an issue we would not have won ten games with him and gone to the playoffs in 2006, so I don't see how it will be an issue in 2008. Regarding Abraham, he was great when he played, but we're discussing the playoffs. biggs, in his infinite wisdom, is blaming Chad for not winning more than one playoff game in a row with our D-line supposedly as great as the NYSE, when Abraham is the guy who literally didn't show up. He didn't play in the 2001 playoffs either, when Vinny was QB and Oakland destroyed our secondary because we had no pass rush.
I don't blame Chad for not winning more than one playoff game in a row, why would I blame a guy who I don't think has the ability to do something? I don't think Chad has the ability to put a winning streak together to win multiple playoff games. That's not blame, that's how I see it. I dispute your argument that Chad if surounded by a mythical team could win a SB. In 04 he played with a great OL the No. 1 rusher in the league a pro bowl speed WR a possession WR and a top 5 D. The team he played for outplayed the Steelers on D and on special teams and Chad was still unable to win because he was hurt and was incapable of doing much to help the team. Even in 04 after his injury but prior to his surgery he threw the ball with more velocity than he appears to throw with now. That's why I view him as damaged goods. The surgery may have fixed the tear but it has reduced his velocity on the ball and it didn't appear better this year than last year in fact it appeared worse to me. In 01 a 38 year old Vinny T who was well past his prime put up 24 points against that Raider team. In 02 the Chad lead Jets put up 10 points against that same Raider team. That was not a great Raider D and as much as having a D that can shut out the opposition makes the QB irrelevant, I don't believe the QB is some guy who just has to take the snap and not do something stupid to win a SB. The QB is still likely going to have to make game winning plays in order to put a streak together against 2, 3 or 4 equally talented playoff teams. That is my premise and has always been my premise. I like strong arms, I like the ability to be able to get the ball down the field when being hit because the way to beat really good teams is to make them defend a big field and make game changing plays when they present themselves. I have rarely seen this mythical team you talk about win a SB with a game manager. Even the mighty Steelers needed Bradshaw getting banged around being able to heave the ball 60 yards down the field in order to get his rings.
You guys sure like to trade football face cards. How about building some OL and DL strength and attitude? You would think what the NYJ is missing is just a couple of expensive crackerjack prizes we just go buy at the FA store on the corner.
I think you have a point. with Abraham the 'superstar', the NYJ defensive line was a paper tiger, relying on him for its sacks instead of pressuring the qb from every direction in successive swarms. One guy's loss does not destroy a team, 'though it may interrupt the 'star's' harangue. Stopping the run and stopping the pass are both team issues, not the sole province of a single superguy. Do you think that Justin Tuck would have made such an impact without the constant impacts of Strahan and Cofield and Alford and Osi? Football face cards are not indicative of a team. One gets the impression that Fantasy Football's fetish for name players has dimmed our enjoyment of the real thing when it comes along and thwarts all experts.
I agree. I'm not into fantasy or Madden or any of the shit, just the real thing--I'm 41. But your point is well taken, a D-line is a team effort. That's why I say we were nowhere close to the NYSE since those days. Abdul Salaam and Marty Lyons stuffed the run while Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau pressured the QB from the end positions. Our secondary and LBs back then weren't all-pros, but the line made all the difference, just like the Giants this year.
Yet Clemens won 3 games with the same line go figure??? Chad stunk up the joint that day but it was his first trip to the dance so I give him a pass. What Abraham did pissed me off to no means and I have to agree with you regarding him not showing up in big games. His pass rush could have made the difference in both games.
13-10 in OT, Bro. Come on. We needed OT to get 13 vs the Chiefs, 8 TDs in 89 posessions with Clemens. We need to fix up the O-line.
The interesting thing about Abe not playing in the 04 playoffs in that game I think it actually played in our favor. Bryan Thomas who didn't scare anyone off the edge in a down lineman position did a very solid job at staying home and stopping the run. The Steelers were a team that year with a rookie QB who really ran the ball well and used the pass off the run. By stopping the run and making them pass it actually set us up to win the game. Rothlisberger was clearly feeling the playoff pressure and self destructed. I'm not sure having a big rush off the end as opposed to containment would have benifitted us in that particular game. Against the Raiders in 02 he was clearly missed.
"Coulda, woulda, shoulda".... Will Abraham or won't Abraham...? When you are banking on a single guy like that the game becomes a crap shoot.
I can't disagree regarding the line. I do think we need to go D-line in the first few rounds. I think it is easier to get quality offensive linemen in the later rounds or sign a veteran in free agency without breaking the bank.
Are you under the impression that all of that scar tissue in the middle of his throwing arm's shoulder cuff has somehow transformed into muscle again? The damage is done and it isn't going away.
I don't know, Dr. Abyzmul, but I saw him completing deep outs in the wind at New England late in the year and a bomb to Cotchery the following week.
