It's always that way. Why would you be surprised? It wasn't that long ago that people were fawning over Herm for climbing the fence at Hempstead - because he was such a football-aholic.
Mangini knows plenty about football. He knows absolutely nothing about people though, that's why his team turned on him and turtled down the stretch--good riddance to him. As for the play itself, I have no problem at all with the defense tossing a lateral and I'm glad that Ryan is going to let his players make plays. The secondary especially is loaded with plus athletes, so if they have a chance to turn a pick into 6 then I think it's worth the risk.
I hope it doesn't happen but I want to see the comments on the board after we fumble a lateral and give it back to our opponent.
Obviously it's a calculated risk, and you'd rather see players not try it in a tie game in the 4th quarter. But you have to let your players make plays if you want them to have confidence in you, and if you want to win games. Jets fans will complain about everything, a coach can't let that color his decisions.
I thought Mangini used to have them practice the lateral and other trickery often? Maybe it was just during offensive drills but I swore during a game one time where time ran out and the Jets were dragging the play out to try and score, that they said the Jets actually practiced this type of play all the time - or maybe a player said it in a post game press conference? I know that sounds like vague memory, and that's because it is. I just don't want to hear anymore about how Ryan has reinvented the wheel with his coaching style and approach because it's always the same clich? from one new coach to the next. Herm was different from Grohl/Parcells, Mangini was different from Herm, Rex is different from Mangini. And the next guy that replaces Rex is probably going to have them back to conservatism.
I think he'll be good in Cleveland. The problem that Mangini ran into is that he became so in love "with the process" that he forgot what made him good the first year. I went to training camp the first year -- they had an edge -- he was Belichik like in doing stuff over and over -- and during the games you felt that he knew exactly what he wanted to do at every point (unlike Herm). Hell -- we had 3 time outs in the fourth q every week (b/c he kicked the crap out of chad in TC for calling TO's when he didnt need to). I think -- maybe -- hell have that back in Cleveland. (To the extent i care).
Be interesting to see the fan reaction when some DB tries to lateral after an interception and the ball winds up the other teams end zone or possession. I think you're playing with fire allowing defensive backs to freelance after an int. If you can run it back, great! But bad things happen when you get too cute.
Of course people will be upset with it but should we score 3 or TDs over the course of 16 games with it I think people will be ok with it as long as it doesn't cost us games... Obviously TO's are a huge part of winning games but defensive TD's can excite an entire team and the way these guys are yapping they're going to need to do their share of scoring. Of course I like the trash talk.....
