The Raiders drafted really well the last few years, bringing in Carr, Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper... You knew that they were building a core. But it could have just as easily turned bad for them. Its about using well what you have on the roster. The Jets have a bunch of high draft picks and guys who have flashed like Mo and Sheldon. But they underperform. Is that coaching?
IMO it is bad coaching. We know that Mo and Sheldon played at a high level under Rex. We know that Mo played at a high level for most of last season under Bowles. When they suddenly can't play at the same level any more, barring injury, drugs or total lack of interest/focus, what else could it be but coaching? The things that Bowles is asking them to do evidently don't fit their abilities, or they don't believe in him or his system/style of play. Both were drafted to be 3-4 DEs, but Bowles has played a 4-3 for much of this season. He's had Sheldon playing out of position half the time. He keeps trotting Fitz out there when the D knows it's a lost cause with Fitz on the field.
Good post. I don't think you are wrong, I just can't personally do that. I even remember 2005 when the season was hopeless. Bollinger at QB. I was still cheering for wins. Can a win or two take you from Andrew Luck to Quinton Coples? Yeah, it can. Still, hard to truly cheer for losses.
It's most apparent with the "elite" part of the team, its DL. Sheldon had 8 sacks in his second year under Rex, then last (suspension shortened) year he had 5. This year he has just 1.5. Mo had 10.5 in 2014 and 12 last year, but just 2.5 so far this year. Most good DL players are consistent. Von Miller gets 12-18 sacks per year. Khalil Mack had 4 his first year, then 15 in 2015 and 10 so far this year, so he is another of these steady guys that produces. But the Jets just have question marks. I'd be curious to see an average QB pressure metric, basically how much time opposing QB's have in the pocket when facing the Jets vs other teams. If its a high number, then that's a problem of coaching and scheme, because you cant tell me that Mo, Sheldon and Williams cant win the battle on the line. But if the data shows the Jets are getting to the QB quick enough, but our DB coverage is so crappy that opposing QB's find the open receiver anyway, then thats something different.
I totally believe that our DL aren't getting to opposing QBs quickly enough. That's why in most 3-4 D alignments, it's the OLBs who are the pass rushers, not the DEs. The OLBs are smaller, faster, quicker and/or more agile than the 300 pound guys.
my 10 year old has been busting my balls to go to a Jet game. I told her fuck off, Im not giving this team one cent. The other day my IDIOT buddy comes up to me right in front of her and offers me two free tix in his company's suite.....sooo Im stuck going to this abortion tonight....now u know
But again, that is a coaching/scheme issue. When you have the DL the Jets have, why you would ever play a 3-4 is beyond me. 4-3-4 and 4-2-5 nickel only.
We disagree here. Leonard, Sheldon and Mo are all best-suited for 3-4 DE. IMO they play at a lesser level when playing 4-3 DT. Besides, the Jets don't have 4-3 DEs or LBs. IMO they should NOT be playing any version of D with a 4-man front. That's one very good reason (imo) why Mo's and Sheldon's numbers are down and why they seem to be dogging it or have lost interest. I can't understand why you think they should be playing a 4-3 or 4-2-5 D.
Well maybe I haven't given it enough thought... Are Leonard Williams sack totals higher than the other players because he is playing 4-3 OT and drawing single coverage? If so, that seems a good tactic. Also I don't think Sheldon is suited as an OLB, and it doesnt seem he is comfortable with it either. Happy to be educated on the matter...
I can't stand the idea of rooting against the Jets, and yet, their best scenario is to lose out to get the highest draft position - and weaker schedule - possible. Also, losing out might be enough to convince Woody to fire Bowles (if not even sell the team), so as NCJestfan said, "Sometimes you have to accept losing some battles to win the war." What's infuriating and demoralizing is that this isn't the first (or second, or third) year I've had to take this philosophy! But, short of finally throwing in the towel after 54 years, I don't see any other option. As to the drastically reduced sack totals, that HAS to be coaching. Maybe they should use a 3-4 front, I don't know, but it may also be the by-product of having a below average secondary - especially Revis - which allows the other QB to find targets open and more quickly, thus allowing him to get rid of the ball before the [ass rush to get to him. If the Jets had tighter coverage, the pass rush would have time to get to the QB, no? But again, this is coaching, selecting the players to be on the team and to be out on the field, as well as the coverage schemes employed. Bottom line: Get a better HC and coaching staff.
Actually this is incorrect. Mo has not been playing inside as a DT, he has been playing on the outside as a 4-3 DE. Sheldon and Mo haven't been playing inside much this season, Leonard Williams and McLendon play on the inside in base packages, sometimes Richardson goes all over the field, but Mo is rarely inside. So the issue is not the formation, is it WHERE they are being used. Mo is injured and he's playing outside which isn't what you want a 300 pound lineman to do. The D-line hasn't been playing well, but I think McLendon is forcing Bowles to play Richardson in other places. Unless someone has statistics to prove this is incorrect, rarely have I seen Mo and Sheldon playing as 4-3 DTs
Bowles can't coach his way past the bathroom So good bad or in between draft is no matter So he remains as Toilet Bowles ..no plan to win no halftime adjustments no idea ...completely clueless Once he returns to dumpster coaches land we have a shot Till then no one on team motivated and this is millions in wasted talent down the Toilet Bowles Great pick Woody!!?!!
The 49ers showed yesterday how to get rid of a QB you don't want on the field. Open up those floodgates.
No worries - we will not win tonight. Colts are going to take that division and it begins tonight. Luck not FItz will be the one throwing for 300 plus yards and 4 TDs
Our D has been awful all year. I agree that it is coaching. The thing I can't answer is this: is it bad technical coaching, in which the players are being incorrectly utilized and are therefore always under-performing? Or is it bad motivational coaching, in which players are not giving their all because they don't want to, or want the coach to fail, or want to have things their own way? Or is it both? I don't know anything more than anyone else does, but my experience hints that this has the flavor of a situation where Rex Ryan let these defensive stars do whatever the hell they wanted and they were successful, and now Woody has payed Revis and Wilkerson. Now we have mean old Todd Bowles expecting them to actually get out there and play disciplined, selfless football, and Revis, Wilkerson, and Richardson (who is due his payday, probably elsewhere) would rather have the old, easy going boss back. It's not like Woody is going to be okay with TB sitting those three on the sideline with all the money they're getting, either. The offense has been crappy, too, but we don't have anything invested there, really, so it's to be expected. The D should be the best in the league, but it's terrible. Again, this is a coaching problem, either way. I just wonder what else is going on in there. Obviously, that doesn't excuse the terrible play calling, the poor decision making, etc., but if you're a coach of a team in which your three best players are, actively or passively, completely sabotaging the team's ability to field a competitive team, how much effort do you think it's worth to decide to go for two so you're up by 9 instead of by 7? What difference does it make if they've gotten to that point? Maybe something completely different is going on. Maybe everyone from last years' 10-6 team suddenly became old and incompetent. Maybe it's all just bad luck in some year-long comedy of errors. I don't know. It just seems like it must be more than that.
