Excellent analysis, Uniform, and I do think the comparison of what happened to the Boys and Giants, respectively, this off season in the differing fortunes of their secondaries, especially their corners, was the major difference in the game and its outcome. So much so that some of our usual posters who denigrate the importance of having cover corners probably should have spent more time letting that game, and its example, settle in before posting their caveats here. The evidence after all is quite explicit. Other thoughts include: It was not just one game. (although it was, but...) Seriously, this was the first time in something like eight seasons that the SB winner lost their first game the next season. And the Giants have had their way with Dallas for some time. Dallas was particularly adept at losing games in the fourth quarter last year. Against a top echelon passing attack led by Eli Manning, they did not this time, and I put that mostly on Dallas's CB's. Quite bluntly, if Dallas had the same CB's they had last year, they probably would have lost this game. The Running Game. I think Uniform's point about the running game in this Dallas Giants game are true enough, but are of less relevance in assessing the Jets, mostly because the Jets imo do not have even average running backs. In other words I doubt we get to see how a so called emphasis on the running game by the JEts will serve to compensate for a lack of emphasis on the passing attack, for the simple reason that the Jet running attack is not likely to be of even average capability. Giants Secondary. In fairness to the Giants, they have tried to shore up their roster at cornerback, but whatever luck they had last year has certainly not extended to that situation this off season, due to injuries such as to Prince and Thomas. Of course last year they started out with the injury bug in the secondary, but got it together toward the end of the season, just in time, only to have it reappear now. Giant fans i know are quite concerned about it, and none of them so far is prepared to say they can win games with only a pass rush. The Jets Secondary. I just wanted to reiterate here a point someone else made, that if Revis for whatever reason is not out there, I don't see Wilson or any other CB on the roster being able to play man coverage opposite Cro. Instead we would see Cro suddenly being the one no one will throw at, and Wilson and the others would get torched. In short the Jets would suffer way too much of a drop off if Revis were not in there. Even if you took his cap money and put it toward a pass rusher, WIlson at his present level of performance will, well, be more like last year's Dallas corners than this year's. We have to look at the Jets not in terms of theories existing in a vacuum, but in terms of who is really on the roster, and what they can and can't do. Right now, the Jets have Revis and Cro and a rather mediocre bunch of other corners. And that has more to do with poor picks in the draft such as Wilson than it does with the contracts for Revis and Cro. (Of course Cro's contract in particular also has much to do with Wilson's poor performance, but i digress...)
When you play against Brady and that offense u need an elite defense on all levels plain and simple. The guy can kill you in so many ways. As others have stated, we have addressed all our needs on that side of the ball (I hope). Now it comes down to the offense to score 17 or more. IMO
I think they already have. His name is Quinton Coples. We'll find out soon enough what we've got, but at the end of this year, a pass rusher may not be on our list of priorities as it may be now.
Outstanding analysis. Well done. I hate to say it, but we also learned that both have a better offense at this point than the Jets
Keep in mind that this was their A+ replacement crew. They knew the world was watching so I'm sure the NFL assembled the best crew they could. I'm sure the NFL is going to cater to the games when the most eyes will be watching. Sunday 1pm game, watch out for a lot of inconsistancies, stuttered calls on the mic, and confusion.
Given that the Cowboys and Giants offenses alone could make up a pretty competitive NFC pro bowl lineup, I don't think that is anything to jump off a bridge about.
Secondary is KEY for every team, the Giants showed that big time wed. if you can't cover them you will lose EVERY week . . . . not to much question about that huh
Other than MAYBIN? Please tell me again who led THE ENTIRE NFL in the preseason in sacks? Thats right, OUR boy, Quinton Couples! *not Maybin
The two Super Bowl teams last season finished 20th and 21st in opposing QB Rating. They finished 20th and 23rd in opposing completion percentage. They finished 22nd and 29th in opposing YPA. They finished 22nd and 25th in terms of opposing TD's in the air. They finished 3rd and 14th in sacks. The cornerbacks, as usual, didn't have much to say about who played in the Super Bowl.
I don't expect that to carry over very well, although I expect big things from QC. It's far too early to expect this defense to have a killer four man rush.
Those stats are subjective and non-situational. Some people worry so much about the small picture and avoid the big one. You are so obsessed with the big picture that you forget about the small one. It's not bad to see the forest, but don't forget the trees. And I know this is unrelated, but it is startling how little Big Blocker understands about football considering the essays he writes on this forum.
To paraphrase Rex, you have to have 11 stars on Defense. You can't have a single weakness or the other team will exploit it endlessly. Offense can hide a weakness easier b/c the offense controls the ball and where it goes. Defense, on the other hand, every man is on an island to a degree. If you don't have solid 3rd and 4th DBs, then the other team will spread them out and throw all day long for 400 yards. If you don't have your MLB in the game, the other team will run up the middle all day long for 100+ yards. The offense can direct the action towards and exploit your weakness on defense. Remember what Belli did to us with the Gronk when our best Saftey was Eric Fn Smith.
I dont expect the man to lead the entire NFL like he did in preseason but I DO expect more out of him than I do Maybin is all im saying. Dont act like Maybin is our only guy who can get to the QB
This is just an opinion, but I really think that the big picture guides the smaller one. Just like luck is the residue of design I believe that smaller pieces of the puzzle fit into the grand scheme in better or worse ways depending on how well the grand scheme has been realized. The big picture in the NFL today is that you have franchise QB's that you build around. This is so clear from the results in recent play and so clear in the mid and long-term also that it cannot be anything but the frame that the NFL picture hangs in. The smaller picture, one of many that fit into the big NFL picture, is that you don't have franchise CB's. Not in any defense. Not for any team. Not ever. There is no independent evidence that great CB play leads to Super Bowl wins. There is no independent evidence that great CB play is what great teams coalesce around. And by this I don't mean to suggest that a great CB cannot be part of a great team that wins a Super Bowl. That's not my point at all. My point is that when you build a great team that is aiming at the Super Bowl almost the last place you should look to have your best players is at CB. Not because having great CB's is bad on the field. Not at all that. But because having great CB's on the field means that you have less great players at other more consequential positions. There's only so much cap space to go around and spending a lot of it trying to pretend you have a franchise CB is not a constructive use of that asset. It's certainly possible that as the NFL evolves into a heavy passing game that this dynamic will change. However we need to see that happen before we change the rules of thumb that are so clear at this point. And I'm willing to bet that what will become more important as the NFL evolves are the players closer to the ball and more able to impact every snap of the ball.
