Heading into the off-season soon, we are constantly evaluating who the Jets will dump and who the Jets will keep. I categorize the keepers and the dumpers based on one factor... are they winners, or are they losers? Winners are players who are constantly on successful units, players who make all of the players around them better, and players who get it done when it is time to get it done. Winners are consistent and are leaders. Winners do not necessarily need to be the best player on the team, just someone the team can count on. Winners ------- Chad Pennington - I was one of the people calling for Chad to be benched, and based on our record, I still think it is the right thing for this team's future, however I was calling for his benching for the wrong reason. I was calling for his benching because I wanted someone who can make plays. Kellen has the ability to make plays, more so than Chad even... but what he has not proven yet is that he can get it done. Chad is not a playmaker... however he does get it done. He is a field general, a leader, someone who is consistent, someone who consistently comes through in the clutch, someone the team can count on. Chad is not a great thrower, but he is a very good QB, and unless Kellen steps up to the plate, he will be missed. The Defense - I don't want to single out any one player in particular, because the unit as a whole did a phenomenal job in their hardest matchup of the season. This unit has progressed tremendously from the start of the season when it looked like they could not stop anyone. This unit still needs two or three more playmakers before it will be a great unit, but as it stands it is not devoid of talent and has a nice young base for the future of this team. Laveraneus Coles - You can tell how valuable he is to this team most when he isn't playing. This player single handedly makes the entire offense better, not to mention the receivers around him. The horrendous play of the receivers each and every week show just how badly we need Laveraneus out there each week. I believe it would be a colossal mistake to trade him this offseason. Leon Washington - Another bright spot on a bad offense. This guy makes plays, plain and simple. He is still young and I think he will eventually evolve into a better running back. I'm glad he is a Jet and hope he stays that way for years. Chris Baker - The most underutilized talent on the Jets. This may be hypocritical considering he fumbled today, but the fumbling is not a major problem with Baker. He is a consistent playmaker who the Jets need to find a way to get the ball to more. Losers ------ Justin McCareins - This guy is a shmuck. Worst player on the Jets by far... wait, not the worst player... but definitely the biggest loser. If Tannenbaum can trade McCareins and a million dollars cash for a can of expired salmon I will sing his praises all year long. Offensive Line - I am not going to fall into the trap of analyzing individual members of the line. The reason it is a "line" is because it requires a team effort to function... if even one part of that line is broken, then the entire line is no good. This entire line is no good. This is the position that needs to be the top priority this offseason. If it were up to me, I'd acquire 4 OL via FA, and then another 4 OL via the draft next offseason, and then some UDFA OL to boot. Brian Schottenheimer / Eric Mangini - The reason I put Schott before Mangini is because this is in direct reference to the offense and the playcalling. The playcalling is ATROCIOUS. This is consistent every week. Exactly how many times did they think the Patriots were going to miss tackles on Brad Smith? Some of the playcalling week in and week out leaves me confused and disgusted. This needs to improve FAST or a change needs to be made here. Brad Smith - I hate to identify this particular player because he is great on ST, and is still so young. However, an NFL career is in most cases a very short one, and the players who succeed and stick around are the ones who make plays. Screwing up a play here and there is OK, especially when you are this young... but Brad Smith has blown just about every opportunity he has had this year to make plays and to solidify his spot on the offense. He will have a very hard time regaining the trust of the offense, and more performances like we have seen from him so far will ultimately have him end up in McCareins territory... and that is not good. Please contribute more people who fall into either category, or comment.
I agree with you on most points but the way the OC has been using Smith is pretty whack so the jury is still out on him for me. I would love to keep LC but do you think Chad's departure will taint Coles' feelings about being a Jet?
I'd say Nuge is falling into the loser category, he came into the season as a pro bowl type player but is falling back to the nothing special category. Not including today but he has missed his fair share of big kicks including the Giants game. I'd also say Justin Miller is falling into the loser category. He is a special talent on ST but Leon is as well and he still has alot to be desired as a CB. Hate to be negatve but I am really struggling to mention any more positives than what you mentioned.
God help the fan who thinks a FG is evidence that somebody can lead a team. Chad has been a FG type of QB for most of the last two seasons. Even the wins last year were largely of the 3 FG's and a TD on offense and throw in a TD from some other source variety. Give Chad the ball on the other team's 40 to start and you can maybe get a TD out of him now, but otherwise it's just dink and dunk until a FG attempt, unforced error or the clock runs out. That's just not what an NFL QB is supposed to do.
Thanks, Nuge is the other one I wanted to add in but forgot. I don't think its time to dump him yet, but I sure as hell am not convinced we can rely on him in a playoff game in the future. At the very least, I hope the FO brings in a serious kicker this offseason to at least force him to win his job next season.
Chad needs a good team around him to succeed, no doubt. My question is though, behind this offensive line, how many NFL QBs would succeed? With a running game like the Jets have, what NFL QBs would succeed on this team? Without our prized playmaker, Coles playing, how many NFL QBs would succeed on this team? Not many I suspect... I think our reason for wanting Chad benched this year is accurate, however vastly overrated. The fact is the guy has a winning record, and if he goes to the right team (NOT KANSAS CITY) then he will continue to win.
I honestly believe he sacrificed accuracy for distance as his kickoffs are longer now but his accuracy seems off.
Unless I watched a different game than you, I saw a Jet QB completely outplay Brady on a horrible day. And I also saw a TD pass dropped by McCareins. You can't blame Pennington for the team's failure to get in the end zone when the receiver drops a perfect pass, another player fumbles, and the CS thinks it is a good idea to put a WR wearing gloves who can't play QB in NFL into the game in crucial situations. I saw a QB with "no arm" put the ball consistently in the receiver's arms against a 25 mph wind, something Brady couldn't do today. And Pennington did that throwing to Cotchery, Baker, and McCareins, not Welker, Moss, Stallworth etc. Pennington played extremely well today against the best team in the NFL and maybe the best team in history. I came out of that game today convinced that he should stay.
He played his typical dink and dunk game to perfection and it took us 7 plus minutes to drive the field with several balls that were put up for grabs that could have easily gone to the Pats as to our WR. In a game where the D stepped up the OL stepped up and provided decent protection and the Pats had their worst O performance of the year our QB play both Chad and when he was in Clemens weren't nearly good enough. There is a reason McCariens is consistently wide open by the way. He has done this to both Clemens and to Chad and at this point throwing a key pass in his direction can only be seen as a stupid QB decision. I'm starting to think we really do need to use our 1st on a QB.
Yes he is a loser for improving his leg strength on kickoffs and making 14 of his last 15 attempts, missing only 1 kick in 35mph winds.
Comeon, you really cant say anything about Miller because he didnt have a chance to play this year. I know he worked real hard in the offseason to become a better corner and I love the way he hits. Other than Rhodes, we don't have a big hitter in the secondary and I wish he could be out there to lay out anyone coming across the middle.
I never said it was his fault but you have to be honest with the emergance of Leon he definately loses because of that.
Decent protection? The stellar OL gave up 5 - count them - 5 sacks and got the starting QB hit and injured in its own end zone. The day when 5 sacks is decent protection (thats on a pace for 80 sacks a season, which I think would be an NFL record) is the day that pigs fly. Add in that the OL couldn't make a block to get any running game going (the only positive running plays the Jets had today were on gimmick plays with Smith and Washington) and you get a bad performance by the OL. On a bad field, Jones should have been a factor today (see Maroney), but the OL stinks on ice (and snow and freezing rain).
The OL settled down and played well in the second half. Chad took at least 3sacks were the ball could have been thrown on rythme or out of bounds if nobody was open. The last sack was meaningless. The protection the entire second half was excellent.
