to think this team has gone from 18 to 11 in rush defense without Jenkins and has faced Carolinas elite rushing offense in that span. Great job by the defense. 43 yards rushing for the Bucs yesterday. That's what you have to do to 1 win teams if you want to be considered a top team... rape them.
Guys that are really getting their panties in a bunch over the defense: For the most part..most posters that are hesitant to call this defense great are not saying this defense sucks. This is a very very good defense that is still growing. I expect this defense to be even better next year (and not allow late touchdown drives to two inferior offenses down the stretch) Secondly...nobody is saying the offense has been better then the defense. Everyone here agrees the defense has carried this team..to a 7-6 record. The great Raven defenses did not have great offenses to back them up. Most teams that won with a great defense didnt have the luxury of a number 1 rushing offense. If this were next year..the Jets would be 10-3 (at least). The offense will be better...thats a given...and the defense will take it to the level that some around here think its at already.
This is exactly my point. Nobody is saying the offense has outplayed the defense this year. This is an extreme post.
Great post.....as always Jay. The most telling thing is that Ryan has not really had a chance to weed out all the leftovers. Wait till he really gets a chance to get a D chock full of his guys. Despite the fact the Jets played 3 bad teams, Ryan has really taken the reigns and declared he is head coach and not just a DC. The team doesn't seem to be descending into the disorganized mess it looked like they were destined to be. Again I do not know if it's the opponents or Ryan finally getting up to speed and improving, I am hoping for the latter but next year looks like it can be a whole lot of fun. There wasn't a time, except at the end of week 3 where I didn't think this year was going to be a wash anyhow.
Sure he has a point, I agree with him on bringing up the 3 games I mentioned. And I agree they aren't elite. I only wanted Mike to acknowledge that the Jets are a Top 5 defense, and he agreed.
totally agree mp. What I really like about Ryan is that 9 out of 10 rookie head coaches hit a wall where changes (self or/and team) have to be made and either stubbornness etc..they fail to recognize what needs to be done. Rex realized this and wasnt afraid to look in the mirror. I only see him getting better and better. Now some, like you mentioned, will say its the opponents. That didnt hurt. Rex has changed though. He is not afraid to call a player out in public. He spent the first 6 weeks telling anyone and everyone that every coach/player was great. Whatever advise he received he accepted and has become more Parcells (sorry...but thats who he is starting to remind me of) like..whether its with the media or the players. Its all steps in the right direction...whether the playoffs can be made or not is a different story. I just like his approach (Rhodes,Sanchez,Scott and his bonehead personal foul and being called out etc). He has made strides that most great coaches usually do not make until after their first season...on the run..which is even more impressive.
This is the one thing that has me really looking forward to the offseason regardless of how the Jets finish this one. After last year's all-offense draft I cannot wait to see who Ryan brings in. This defense is far more aggressive than Mangini's was but it is still full of the players Mangini picked for his read-and-react system. Once Ryan brings in some more players who are comfortable in an attacking system it is going to be sick. Also, having Jenkins back and bringing in another, younger NT next season to help take the load off of Jenkins is going to make this D much more dangerous. This above all is the reason that I love Rex Ryan as an HC. AS you said, most coaches are too stubborn to make a change in their first year - hell most won't change anything during a season regardless of their tenure - and wait until the offseason to shift their schemes. Ryan is making executive decisions on the fly and it is paying off, regardless of how Ron Dipshit Jaworksi scoffs at them.
Excellent point about who he might bring in this off season. I do believe Rex when he said he already had a great defense in place. Rex is a very loyal guy that would go to war with whomever he was given. With that said...part of the change he is undergoing and realizing is that some of the players (Rhodes is a perfect example) might have the talent..but do not fit the system. Nobody really knows how this will play out. Many coaches seem to have what it takes and poof...they hit a wall and regress. Im just more impressed in the changes I have seen in him as a person and a coach...more so then what he "accomplished" the first 3 weeks of the season. Time will tell.
I do not see the many current shake ups with the starters just yet. As per the DL, despite their age, Douglas and Pouha have played well, DeVito's contract extension makes me think that he is going to be around for at least a couple of years, and Ellis is again having the best year out of anyone on the DL. No one has played their way off of the front yet so the only way someone goes out appears to be retirement. Likely, Rex will want to bring in a younger NT and maybe a DE. Unfortunately, that would most likely make Pouha and/or Pitoitua the odd men out. The LB corps could see a few guys bounce out of here. Pace, Scott, and Harris are all guaranteed their jobs next year. Thomas has been solid but nothing special so if there is an upgrade available he could be sent packing. Gladys will hopefully be off of the roster. Westerman has probably earned the right to stay. He's a good ST player and depth at both the inside and outside. Cummings and Fowler will probably get a shot at making the roster in TC but will have to fight for it. I can see Tannebaum and Ryan targeting an OLB in either the draft or free agency. The secondary is where the fun begins. Lowery's versatility on ST will get him his roster spot, ditto Cole. Sheppard is a guaranteed scratch thanks to his cost and I do not think that it would be too difficult to find a replacement for him (Haden?). Please, oh, please let this be the year Drew Coleman leaves. He is a liability in coverage and his ST coverage skills can be summed up with a loud and resounding "meh". That contract has to be up by now. Smith stays, Rex loves him. Ihedigbo will get a chance to earn a roster spot in TC. As for Rhodes, I cannot be sure if Rex actually believes the compliments he says about him or if he is just talking Rhodes up to increase his trade value. Until Someone convinces me otherwise, I am considering the dude trade bait.
He's developing a QB not for this year but for a career and that QB has played well enough to win in 9 of his 12 starts. If it was all about QB play and playcalling we'd be 10-3 right now. The offense wound up scoring 22 points and gave us the lead in the final minutes. The D has to close that game out and they didn't.
Very well said .... No team is going to be perfect all season .... We've had quite a few injuries on the "D" throughout the year and are still one of the best in the NFL .... At very worst, top 3 IMHO
the game in Miami was a hot hot night, our defense and Miami's defense were done 1/2 way through third, whoever had ball last was gonna win. The Jacksonville game was one that we would love to have back. I do think it took about 3-4 weeks to adjust to life without Jenks and the Jacksonville was one of those. After the 1st 1/2 of NE we have been lights out on d.
That's right we faced two top tier QB's and Brady picked us apart underneath the second time he saw us. The D is good. We have one of the single best players in the NFL on this D and Harris is turning into an outright stud. We still have done it mostly against second tier QB's who really have no business starting on an NFL caliber team.
I don't want to hear excuses, how hot could it have been? It wasn't hot in Houston or the previous weeks at home? Come on. I agree w/ your 2nd paragraph BUT we had Jenkins for the Miami game. I think this D is MUCH better now than at that time BUT we have played weak offenses the past 3 weeks.
The starting nose tackle is gone and probably will never be the same. Very tough injury. Miami lost their best player and still beat Jax, we let them go on a game crushing drive in our house in a huge game. You can't make excuses and than tell me we have a great D.
That loss was key against the Pats. Strickland was a huge part of the underneath game for the defense.
