You didn't say a thing about Clemens, just about Brady's OL. Didn't see Clemens name mentioned one time in that post.
Quote: "...The coaches took a 10 win team to 4 wins in one season. Some of the coaches have already been replaced and others will be replaced after this season. Mangini is a smart man but limited in experience. This may again be a learning experience for him? The fact is last year was among the worst years every by any coaching staff and we were rewarded for the mistakes of management with the 6th best pick in a 32 team league. As smart as they are they sure are capable of being dumb, making mistakes and hopefully learning, just like you might be although it's clear breaking your muscle memory response is not going to be easy...." There was a very good post in another thread on the TGG that pricked up my ears on this issue. The NYJs have what's been called an "Every Other Year" Syndrome -- 2002 going to the playoffs, 2003 going 4-12, and so on. This "Every Other Year" NYJ Syndrome has transcended coaching regimes, involving al of them. The really challenging issue is why? What is causing this boom and bust cycle? It's been going on too long and every NYJ coaching regime has fallen prey to it. The answers to breaking this "Every Other Year" Syndrom are probably not related to one player. They are probably related to the basic infrastructure of the team's dynamic because they overwhelm everyone apparently for the last decade or so. The basic infrastructure of this team are (a) the OL's ability to run block and pass block, and (b) the DL / LB ability to stop the run and successfully rush the passer. Without a well functioning OL the offense can have no balance, flexibility, and is easily strangled. Without being able to stop the run, the Redskins can put in three tight ends and run over us all day and all night with a snigger. Without being able to chase and smash down the passer, Tom Brady has all day to clean his nails and lazily loft that "perfect spiral" to Moss the antelope cantering along in the next county by the goal line. There's some big infrastructure issues that have to be addressed, and also some big skill player issues to be addressed. No question. This team has been a mess for a long time because the basic infrastructure has to achieve and sustain success before the skill players can even manifest, let alone be upgraded and improved. Mangini and Co. have had the guts and the intelligence to address the NYJ's chronic infrastructure dysfunction with a long term plan that Woody Johnson has apparently bought into to the tune of several hundred million dollars. They all keep referring to this plan -- I'm sure it's not perfect, and just like everybody else they will make mistakes. I'm sure everybody on that CS was amazed that a "perfectly rational" decision not to pay a fair-to-middling guard more money would blow up into a perfect storm in their face. But this "Every Other Year" syndrome has to be understood and the cycle must be broken. They're spending everything they can think of, the CS and FO, to try and get out of this rut. This is a very interesting time for the NYJs.
Quote: "...The last thing Clemens needs to do is emulate any of Chads physical technique which isn't very good to begin with..." Chad's mistakes instruct Kellen. Kellen's mistakes remind Chad of what not to do.
Quote: "...Right, I get it by now. It has nothing to do with Pennington, it's all the OL's fault. He's an All Pro QB just waiting for everyone around him to catch up..." This post you are responding to does indeed have nothing to do with Kellen, props to you. This post has to do with the fact that there is a sad chain of events that repeat themselves through all of the 07 games: NYJ OL does piss-poor job, so (a) first running game is shut down; (b) next, play-fakes are not respected; (c) then, the pass rush gets through to chase QB, resulting in quicker passes to shorter and shorter routes, (d) three-and-outs become the rule for the offense; (e) the NYJ defense forced on the field before it can get a breather, setting up an inevitable breakdown; (f) the defense is positioned to jump the last available NYJ pass routes left "alive" by the defense;p (g) interceptions and loss ensues. Blame the quarterback. See if that fixes the problem. I don't think so.
You keep falling back the to O-line. Everyone knows is sucked last season. It doesn't give the QB's an entirely free pass (no pun intended). We haven't had good, solid QB play in years now. The OL plays like shit last season and suddenly it needs to be fixed right away, not the QB's fault, etc. The same things needs to be applied to the QB position. It hasn't been productive or threatening to other teams in years. Can't understand why thats so hard to see, and it's the reason why I try not to get involved with these threads to much. It's like a bunch of dogs chasing their tails.
Quote: "I just don't believe in scapegoating the quarterback" Of course you don't, just looking at your screenname anybody can tell exactly what you schtick is without wasting time reading your posts.
Please tell me the last time a team went to the Sb without the Qb actually haveing to make throws or Plays to get them there in the last 40 years? The Bears of the 80's, Tampa and the Ravens. That's it. We are not getting to the title without Chad making plays! Period!
Quote: "...You keep falling back the to O-line. Everyone knows is sucked last season. It doesn't give the QB's an entirely free pass (no pun intended). We haven't had good, solid QB play in years now. The OL plays like shit last season and suddenly it needs to be fixed right away, not the QB's fault, etc..." the NYJ OL has been sub-par for a long time now. FOs have neglected to sign players because of money (Jason Fabini / Randy Thomas / and Pete Kendall, to name a few). "Any Big Uglie Will Do Because We Have Great Line Coaches" went out the window when Bill Muir went south to FLA. We don't have an Alex Gibbs. Maybe Callahan will make a difference. But I think without an OL that dominates the line of scrimmage it doesn't matter who the QB is, because he doesn't stand a chance. I am hopeful that this off-season will start a process that builds a solid OL with some competent depth. If so, then we can see what we have for skill players and upgrade those that don't cut the mustard. In the interim, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, so we should definitely keep Chad and Kellen for the foreseeable future, in my opinion.
Quote: "...We are not getting to the title without Chad making plays! Period!..." Right now, I think we need to become competitive. I do not think that 4-12 is very competitive. The first thing I think we need to become competitive is not a new QB. We already have Chad and Kellen. We need a couple of QBs who can run the system anyway. I think the place the NYJ should focus their emphasis and money is on the line of scrimmage. I think this is what the CS and FO are currently doing. So, I'm all for it.
Quote: "...Of course you don't, just looking at your screenname anybody can tell exactly what you schtick is without wasting time reading your posts...." Now Abyzmul, I have written about a lot of things on this Message Board -- from Chick Granning, to Keith Jackson, to Lomas Brown, to Big Uglies!
Quote: "...How can you get to a title if you can not run a 2 minute drill or throw a decent 10 yard out that will not get jumped by every backup Cb in the league. What team really has a shot when they know if they give up 14 points in the playoffs the game is over with Chad at the helm..." The value of the offense's alternatives is created by the running game. The pass can be manipulated (and strangled) by the defense if there is no credible run threat. If all a team can be expected to do is throw passes, then the defense can easily bracket the wideouts and rush the passer, forcing him to get rid of the ball before he wants to, typically to a shorter route that the DBs are just waiting to jump. This is not because the QB is weak armed, stupid, or a bad judge of where to throw the ball. There's no doubt that the QB looks absolutely awful, given the slim to none chances the defenses forces him to work with. I have sympathy for a quarterback who's OL has failed him to the extent that he cannot get away from the defense unless he throws the ball in a panic. Watching poor Donovan McNabb get knocked down dozens of times, and actually sacked seven times in the NYG game was a case in point. The Philly OL could not help Justice, because when they did some other NYG DL successfully attacked McNabb. They were relentless and Philly was helpless. This should be too damned familiar to NYJ fans. It is time we stopped seeing this disgraceful pattern swamp our offense over and over.
Quote: "...The same things needs to be applied to the QB position. It hasn't been productive or threatening to other teams in years..." You certainly may be write if both Chad and Kellen don't cut the mustard. But there's no way to fix the QB if the OL can't block for the run or the pass. It doesn't matter who the QB is. There are priorities and they have to be observed. Otherwise, you can get the best QB in the world coming out of the Kiddie League and your OL will get him murdered and suddenly you've transformed a Franchise Prospect into David Carr. Get the first priority right before you go after the second priority. Otherwise, you can spend a lot of money and throw it down the toilet because you've gotten the cart before the horse. I think this is something the NYJ CS and FO realize and are trying mightly to do something about.
Quote: "...Please tell me the last time a team went to the Sb without the Qb actually haveing to make throws or Plays to get them there in the last 40 years?..." Hey, you know, I like good QBs, too. But I believe that great defenses win the SB -- and this of course is what happened this year with the NYG and the Pats (thank God!). Eli played okay, but it was the NYG defense that stymied the "Greatest Possible Offense In The History of the NFL!" I mean, smacking down Mr. Brady 23 times and actually sacking the Piker three times did wonders for the NYG's chances and my sense of good will toward men. The only thing I would have liked better than see the Pats lose that last SB game was if the NYJs were doing the beating themselves.
Maybe we get an easy schedule every other year. In 2006 we got a cupcake schedule where we played against three teams with records over 500and got a first place schedule for our overrated team in 2007 and finished 4-12. According to some on the board we allegedly have a easy sched this year but I see 9-7 for the best case scenario. If everything falls into place perfectly.
Jeeeez... I really wish you schedule freaks would lay off that argument. The schedule is what it is. Some teams will be better, and others worse, year to year. You play who you play and you beat who you beat.
I agree with Keep Chad and Kellen that the OL and NOT the QB position was our biggest issue. Tom Brady sure as fuck wouldn't destroy teams behind *our* OL last year. Same for Peyton Manning. If you're rebuilding and you want an improved offense fast...get your OL together. The guys looking for the QB with Jesus powers are the guys who're gonna see their asses fired in like 2 years. Great coaches can make great players. To do that though, he's got to get the guys to protect those great skill position players...thats what a great OL and DL does. The key to our success this year is not QB play, but OL play. OL play => Better running game => Better QB play. Plus, a good OL and DL really allows you to find your weaknesses in the flashier positions. Once an OL and DL is built you can do whatever you want...which also means you're going to find out what your guys behind those guys can and can't do.
Huh? WTF does Chad have to do with what I said? And when the hell did this guy suddenly do nothing for us ever?
You can scream O-line until the end of time. You can give Chad Forever and he still can't get it done against the Superbowl caliber teams when it matters. Until the man behind center is settled our team will win nothing.
