Craig James looked like a veteran corner out there. Outstanding play!
Our pass defense, by my count, has had a shot at around a dozen or so potential interceptions to date, which the defenders couldn't hold on to. Do you think Brich might consider having the LBers and DBs hit the JUGGS machine? It couldn't hurt, and last night with Brown bracketed on that 4th and a prayer toss by Hurts, having Whitehead hold on to that ball would have been a sublime, thunderous ending to a great game.
Man, when our guys make a play, I get chills hearing that stadium erupt, even when I watch on TV. Our fans - we - have been long suffering, and have earned every little tingle and bit of inspiration and hope that this team is giving us.
Kudos to Brich - mixing the defensive looks, sometimes applying press coverage, sometimes blitzing, letting Quincy "Fire & Forget" loose like Mark Anthony's Dogs of War. I kept on hoping to see a spy to help contain that Hurts guy, damn but he's slippery! - but seeing how much effort was going into containing their receivers, well there's only so much 11 guys can do in a situation like that.
I thought the Eagles performed better when they were targeting the underbelly of our soft coverage - had frightening flashback to the Cowboys game - but they changed tack and tried passing into the strength of our coverage... Hurts thus spent more than 2 seconds going through his reads; our pass rush ergo was able to generate more pressure/disruption because they had the time to do so. Why they didn't go back to short, quick passes, I don't know - maybe one of my fellow TJW Bruddahs can share what they saw on that front.
Greg the Leg!
Adams Intercepts!
and finally, does anyone know what Breece was so angry about? Man, he was pissed, had a "THIS IS SPARTTTAAA!!!!" look in his face in the 2nd half (loved that violence, btw) and after runs into the gut of the Eagles D, he'd get up and Jaw right at those guys. I think the Eagles musta been runnin' their mouts about something, don't know for sure, maybe we'll find out today/tomorrow with further blog posts from Jets sites.
Great peek at when the players were coming into the stadium after the win. Didja see Saleh just jump for joy right up on JD? And JD congratulating all the players as they came in.
And the QB Whisperer, on the sidelines - powerful psychological affect. With every day that AR does this, the team sees how invested he is in them, how much he believes in them. Just Outstanding. If I were a player in that circumstance, the thought that a HOFer is going to bat like that for me, going through that rehab like he is, and being there for the team to show support? Well, there's no wall I woudn't run through for a guy like that.
So much to be happy for. I'm gonna scour Jets blogs this AM, get more info, more post-games including what Jets Post Game Locker room comments were.
CG, Great post, brother! I totally agree about the JUGGS machine for the Jets DBs and LBs. Make it so, Ulbrich! Speaking of Ulbrich, kudos to him for mixing up the coverages yesterday. Thanks for reporting on that, as I missed most of the game due to singing on a concert yesterday afternoon.
Great point about the Eagles abandoning the short passes and attacking our secondary. That may be what turned the game in our favor. Had they kept throwing the short passes, most likely our pass rushers wouldn't have had time to pressure or affect Hurts. It sounds like Sirianni's ego got in the way or he outsmarted himself. Instead of taking what the Jets D gives, it sounds like he was trying to force his will upon the Jets.
1-12, how any fan could be happy with the Jets having a lifetime1-12 record against the Eagles after Sunday might sound crazy unless you go back to 1pm Sunday afternoon and you realize the Jet lifetime record was 0-12.
We all know what happen and I’m sure we all have read a ton of post game stories.
Unfortunately, it is Debbie Downer time. That time is when the same negative thoughts about Jet things that bother most of the fans are brought up.
We all know what some of Zach’s weaknesses are. I’m sure Jet opponents also know. Can anyone with a minimum of football intelligence explain to me why the Jets don't use play action especially in the red zone. With some starting offensive linemen out, why are the Jets constantly using empty backfields or the shotgun on almost every passing down and definitely in the red zone. Wether you like Zach or not, he should be put in the best possible position as possible to succeed. He succeeds, the Jets have a better chance of winning. During last night Giants-Bills game, it was noted that Buffalo uses play action 43% of the time on passing downs. How does their passing game look, Jet fans.
How about more rollouts for Zach, he tends to be more successful when he is rolling out. And also when he takes off.
Insanity, the constant doing of something hoping for a different result, giving Dalvin Cook the ball is insanity .
All they are doing by giving him the ball is wasting a down and taking the ball out of Breece Hall’s hand.
Not only is Cook not the second best runner on the Jets, he is no longer the best runner in the Cook family.
The Jets need to find a way to pay Huff, when there is disruption in the opponents backfield, you know he is there. His success rate with the minimum amount of opportunities given to him is off the charts. I might get push back here but I think JJ is playing better. He does a lot of the things that aren’t noticed.
Lastly, just like the Chiefs game, why does it appear that the officials are calling things that always benefit Jets opponents.
The phantom touchdown, we never were shown the replay that was the so called irrefutable proof needed to overturn the call. How many cameras used at a game, we get no replay.
On Brown’s catch that Saleh threw the red flag 🚩 on. It sure looked like that ball moved in his arm. Or maybe I should go see my optometrist.
Lazard block was definitely not a blindside block, Blankenship ran right into him.
There was another case of an Eagle players hand hitting Zach’s helmet on an attempted pass. Why do I mention it, because the Jets are the only team in the NFL that have not been a recipient of a roughing the passer call since the start of the 2022 season. In fact, the last time a roughing penalty was called on a Jets opponent was on 11/28/21, that was 29 games ago. How is that possible. Again, why don’t officials call plays that favor the Jets.
I was waiting for the yellow laundry to be thrown on Adam’s interception.
Bobber, great point about Hackett's failure to use more play action and rollouts for Zach, especially in the Red Zone. Play action shouldn't be considered overly aggressive or risky. Since other teams know that the Jets want to run the ball, it should be successful most of the time. I'm totally perplexed and exasperated with Hackett's play calling. When a play works well, Hackett rarely calls it again, yet when a play doesn't work he goes back to it fairly quickly. Last night either late in the 3rd or early 4th qtr., Hackett called a naked boot to the left. Zach had no chance on it as the WR ran the wrong route and the Eagles Pass Rusher (whose name is on the tip of my tongue, but can't recall it) was right there and on top of Zach for a sack. There was nothing Zach could do. Then a fairly short time later on another possession, he called the same play except to the right side. Thankfully, the receiver ran the right route that time and Zach was able to get the throw off quickly before getting clobbered. Is he trying to get Zach injured? His play calling simply makes no sense. If Rodgers thinks that Hackett is a good play caller, then he's fried his brian with the psychedelic mushrooms. Hackett is evidently a good teacher and QB Coach as Zach has shown a lot of improvement and is continuing to improve, and some of his plays are very well designed, but either he doesn't seem to know when or how to call them, or he doesn't seem to understand the plays that his QB is able to execute at a high level and that have a high likelihood of success, because he rarely calls those plays. Those plays should have nothing to do with being too aggressive offensively. They should be about helping Zach and the offense develop, be able to score more points and take pressure off of the D. There will be times when the Jets' offense needs to win the game, and at this point I don't think they could because Saleh and/or Hackett are holding them back. IMO it is indeed insane to keep doing things the same way they have been offensively in terms of the play calling, as well as continuing to trot Cook out there instead of Izzy. IMO they're also risking dividing the team. It would be very easy for the D to start really getting down on Hackett and the offense for their lack of production and failures in the Red Zone. The last thing the Jets need is a divided team. Saleh and/or Hackett need to pull their heads out of their asses and open up the offense, taking more deep shots, using more play action and rollouts, passing more on 1st and 2nd downs, and by inactivating Cook and playing Izzy. It's almost like they don't want to win. They have 3 of the fastest offensive players in the NFL in Hardman, Gipson and Izzy. You'd think they'd want to get them on the field anyway, but especially with Zach still learning, and other teams knowing that the Jets want to run the ball and stacking 7-9 men in the box. What better way to defeat that then some quick slants to Hardman or Gipson, some sweeps, quick pitches, getting the ball in space to those players? I get that they may be reluctant to use Gipson and Izzy because they're rookies, but they need to get over that. Hardman didn't shot anything in TC or preseason, so maybe they don't trust him, but if he's on the roster, he's wasting a spot if they don't use him. It can't be a matter of only breaking the glass in case of fire. Saleh is just too damned fearful and overly cautious. I don't think the Jets will ever win anything with him as HC, I don't care how much the players love him. IMO if the players can't see that he's holding them back and coaching scared, then they aren't very smart, either. Nothing about the way he coaches even remotely suggests, "All Gas, No Break." He's just an empty platitude guy.
Bobber, anyone who argues with you about JJ playing well is clueless! He’s one of our 5 best defenders. The kid is relentless. He was in Hurts face all night. RS loves the kid.
I'll give Hackett a smidge of credit regarding the play calling in the red zone. He was definitely using SOME (this should be in italics) play-action. It's probably debatable whether it was enough, but they were working more of that into the game plan. Regarding the empty sets as opposed to the heavy sets; I may have been missing something, but it sure seemed like they were running a friggin' ton of 13 personnel, so I thought they were doing what you were calling for. There is another drawback to that, however, and it was apparent on one of the sacks. I, even, think it was play-action. They play fake the run and keep multiple TEs in to block. The problem, however, is that they only had 3 receivers out on routes. All of them were covered, and a coverage sack ensued. That's some of the give and take, honestly. It's definitely on the offensive coordinator to mix-match to make sure they're keeping the defense off balance. I thought the play-calling was simply okay. The real problem seemed to be drive-killing penalties, drops, and the kind of constant pressure that impacts a quarterback's accuracy just enough. They all are connected and I'm sure they'll be drilling those issues hard over the next two weeks.
Slow starting on both sides of the ball, Offense can’t convert on third downs, and once again an abysmal Red Zone Offense. But this team didn’t quit. Bryce Hall the playmaker and Craig James held up at CB, and Safety Tony Adams with the final pick. The difference between last years defense and this years defense is the ability this year to create turnovers. CJ created a fumble, by punching a ball out , great veteran move, keeps this defense together. Quincy almost had a pick six, was all over the field. When you talk about the Defensive Line, the box score had only 2 sacks but there was relentless pressure, causing those interceptions. Bye the way, after watching Hurts, all QB’s Will participate in a Heavy Year around Squat Program. Bryce Huff 1.5 sacks relentless pressure, JJ helped to create two turnovers, Quinnen with the Interception, what an athlete. Very nice pressure from the DT’s, Jefferson with a half sack, but also Solomon Thomas and Al Woods made plays.
Once again, the Jets couldn’t convert third downs, and the Red Zone Offense stinks. I may be in the minority but I thought the Offensive Line was okay, until Tippman went down, after that it was a disaster. Zach took some brutal hits, stayed in there, didn’t turn the ball over, ran effectively and judiciously. Only 18 for 33 but I counted 5 drops. Zach dumped the ball off effectively to Hall, a major difference from last year. Garrett Wilson is the go to guy, took a beating, complained about the turf at Met Life ( that needs to be addressed), need to keep GW healthy. I know Lazard’s blind side block killed a drive, he also had at least one drop, but I like his game . Cobb is another story, he looks washed in the slot , need to upgrade.
Hall was on the verge of breaking a couple of long runs, evolving as a dynamic receiver. Marginal improvement for Cook, still want more MC & Izzy.
Love the savage Jet punt coverage, great punts, and Zuerlein went 4 for 4. Good News/Bad News, Gibson with the 18 yard run, May have lost his punt return job to Cobb after last weeks two fumble performance. Bye week , and the trade deadline, Jets in a different position after the Eagle win. Need to get healthy, and get the Offense clicking.. Go Jets
That's the thing; Lazard blocked that guy square up to his FRONT! There was no blind side attack there; Lazard only happened to take an angle off to the guys right side, but well within his vision angle. The only thing turned to the guys left as he was tracking the ball, was his head, but Lazard hit him square up; his shoulders and body frontally facing his target and hitting him square in his chest/gut. Not even anywhere near his head.
It was not a blind side! It was another example of stupid, anti-Jets, zebra calls that could have decided the game - like the belated flag for interference that bought ref tossed to decide the KC game.
The Lazard one was really frustrating. It seems as though those blocks are no longer allowed unless the blocked player gets his head around. Not sure why Lazard should be out ished for a squared up block that he obviously intentionally threw to the body, avoiding the head completely.
David, Like most here I have been looking forward to todays Newsletter since about 7:49 yesterday evening. Lots of questions for you and the gang here. Now, the game aside I was wondering if you have heard anything about AVT’s surgery? Has he had it yet? And if so was it done by the same surgeon AR used. I would certainly hope so seeing how good Aaron looked yesterday. Assuming we get Bryce Huff signed I think we have the best DE tandem in the league. JJ is improving weekly as a rusher and his ability against the run is the best I have seen from a Jet. He and Huff are relentless. I believe the current term is “dawgs”! I was amazed at how well Bryce Hall has played. The only time his name has come up is following an interception or him breaking up a play. He has played extremely well. I hope his PFF numbers reflect that. Once again there were 3 questionable zebra calls in this game that all went against us. The roughing call in Q was a love tap by two former teammates. The call on the sideline that was ruled complete gave me Austin Seferian Jenkins flashbacks. The blindside call on Lazard was total BS as even the official in the broadcast booth ( Terry McCauley) said the defender had time to protect himself and that’s why the rule was put in a couple years ago. I am more than thrilled with this win but there is still a lot to clean up. I think it’s time to bring Jason Brownlee out of mothballs and get him into these games. We need another dynamic target for Zach. We can’t keep putting the playmaking on GW. He’s really the only playmaker we have outside. Lazard is really a chain mover. He’s a better blocker than a receiver. Cobb is a total waste of everyone’s time. I get he’s a good teammate but he’s just washed!
Brownlee outside , Lazard in the slot, improved blocking angles, put in motion to change the strength of the formation, and give Lazard better separation
I think the Jets are just one of the teams that happen to get "certain" penalties called on them at "certain" times against "certain" teams that the NFL want to be in the final running for playoffs, the "darlings" of the league. It's all about the viewership, they want astronomical numbers and they get them from "certain" teams like KC, Buffalo, SF, Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami. The Pats and the Bucs became one of those "certain" teams when Brady was there. I will admit that the Jets get victimized the most, but the fix is definitely in when it comes to the marquee teams, no matter who the opponent is.
You're right about the Tippman injury. Once Schweitzer came into the game, right guard was regularly a problem. He was even run over, at one point, by that giant the Eagles have on their defensive line (I think it was Jordan Davis?). That interior defensive line might be the best they'll face this year. Hopefully a two weeks of practices with the first unit (assuming Tippman is out for a bit) improves the play on the right side. It was also a poor matchup for Becton, having to go up against such a twitchy and technical rusher in Hasaan Reddick.
Regarding the punt coverage unit; HELL YES! Irvin Charles was popping off the screen and I absolutely love that kid's tenacity. He seems like a great addition to the unit after the loss of Hardee.
Finally, I'm with you on the Lazard block. It was, definitely, borderline. I don't think it should've been called, but I think he got screwed by his size. It's, sort of, the Shaq effect back when he was playing in the NBA. He was so big and powerful that refs changed how they called games to accommodate other players being less big and powerful. If Lazard weren't so huge, they don't call that. He just happened to be a total brick wall that the defender ran into.
JO, I initially thought there were 5 drops but after rewatching the game at least two of those drops were behind the receiver. I was a big QB in HS, 6’6” 210, and I went to a big time program in the SEC. They switched me to WR so I fully understand how important it is to hit the receiver in stride. Two of the balls I thought were drops were thrown behind Cobb. Now, yes I agree,Cobb has to go. He’s killing us. But when your running in full stride across the field and the ball is behind you it’s a super difficult catch to make. Two of those throws could have been “ hospital balls”! Zach has been so much better over these last three games. Not great but definitely better. But the accuracy was not great yesterday. Fortunately he did enough to help us get the “W”! But he need to keep improving.
Two surprising stats from being at the game: 1) The number of Eagle fans in attendance were no where near what the Cheifs or the Bills fans were in attendance: 2) Until Hall scored the 'give me' TD The Jets had made 8 trips into the Red Zone in a row scoring a FG. That was the longest draught since 2014. There needs to be a "Free Izzy" campaign started to get Cook out of there. Whatever people (NFL, Players) are seeing as "inprovements" by Zack Wilson I am still blind to - I just dont get it. He didnt lose the game with a turnover and did as much as he could to help win it is as much as i will say because WE WON THE GAME - WOW WHAT ATMOSPHERE walking out of there.
For what it's worth (Steve B-Craig pissing match aside), Zach Wilson graded out okay this week. QBR has him right about league average. What's more, he's climbed the QBR rankings with his last three outings. I don't think he's having horrible performances and I don't think he's having good performances. All things considered, the incremental improvements are encouraging. The Jets are probably still looking for a new quarterback in 2024 and beyond, but there are worse guys to root for. I think he could eventually develop into a useful quarterback who can start some games. That's a far cry from the complete abyss that was his value at the end of last season.
I said i wouldnt comment anymore LOL but what you wrote is very vaild. PFF which i only take a with a grain of salt reported this today: "Wilson was one of 3 QBs in week 6 without a big time throw or turnover play. He was kinda of just there. Didnt make any major mistakes. Didnt make any notable plays. He was fine. It was a mstake-free. average/below-average performance whcih is fine". My observation of inprovement his is demenor, taking accoutablity and maturity as a individual (iwth the press and players). I never said i dont like the guy and actually feel bad for him. Is he trying - absolutley. Can he be a backup - probably for a few games but thats it. IF Rogers comes back next year they will keep him as a backup but they are not going to give him the 5th year contract. Agree they will be looking for a QB in 2024
I'm glad you decided to not "stop commenting" - I enjoy your thoughts and opinions, and your passion for the game and the team. Hey, I'm the same way, I fully recognize that I was going after not just Zach, but Saleh and Brich - especially after the shitshow defense against Dallas - and I was raining rocks on these guys. Torches and Pitchforks, man! And now I'm perfectly OK with applauding the success, and see no contradiction between the two. And Steve, i'm sure that like me, you are GLAD that Zach is having some success. But like you, I take the weight of his entire performance history, noting his improvements, giving hiim credit for his attitude because let's face it, when he was as bad or worse than Jamarcus Russell, he could have Turtled up and fallen into Ryan Leaf levels of self-imposed pity and hell. But he didn't; he hasn't, and I don't think he will. That's good news and gives me HOPE that he can continue to get better.
But also like you, I recognize that he still has lingering problems processing the field from a tradition back-drop. But he's shown improvement over games 4 - 6 in this area. And also, like you, and others here, I remain concerned that Zach still hasn't learned how to look off defenders. Even with him letting the ball loose in 2.5 sec or better, I see him zone in on the read, and I see defenders reading his eyes and converging. That we haven't seen that fail is because it's a quick read in the first place.
So yeah, Steve, Zach has shown a Dr Jeckyl/OK QB and a Mr. Hide/Jamarcus Russell disaster QB. Until he shows more consistency as the former, we are all aware that he might still ultimately turn out to be closer to the latter. And it's OK to believe in this kid even knowing he's on that precipice - and hope for the best.
We are fans of the team! They're not our girlfriends, or wives, or family members who - when they fuck up, we just write them off (and yes, I've written off all three when they fucked up. Forgave them and all that, but wrote them out of my life, not wishing them ill, just keeping them out). When it comes to our Jets, Who cares!? They're players and we ultimately hope they get better, including the coaches. But when they fuck up, they'll hear it, abso-effin-lutely! And when they do good, then life for a Jets fan will sound like this:
I can live with that dichotomy. I embrace it! After all, I'm a JETS fan.
That's one of the reasons why we love the game so much! Look, when we were kids, was there any room for failure, for quitting? NO. There's only room for more sweat, more scrapes, more falling down and getting back up again - and getting better! There's room for showing the guy wearing the other uniform that WE WILL NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER QUIT - and then watching THEM take pause because we're not folding like a lawn chair in the face of their bullshit. And boy, oh boy, but i remember STILL how good it felt to know that those fuckers across from me could not keep me down.
So Steve, stick with it, bruh - remember, we still gotta meet somewhere in the middle to catch a game and some brews together, man!
And the Hatfields-McCoys thing with Craig, just treat it as bullshit, man! If you quit posting, Craig doesn't win, so much as the rest of us guys that like your postings lose if you diddy-bop out.
I'll close by saying one comment to bote a youze. I got both your emails, have exchanged Jets notes and stuff wit both a youze, and I enjoy both a' youze opinions - always something new for me to learn from fellow Jets fans.
Steve, if you notice, everytime you post, Craig names you by name in his critiques. I know you don't like that; I wouldn't like it either. Only one person can stop that, and it ain't you. It's bullshit, it doesn't make you look bad, but it doesn't give Craig a good look either, and it think it puts a stinky shine on otherwise sterling football observations.
And Craig, the above comment is honest assessment. How about, cutting out the direct hits? They are attacks, bud. There's no "I'm sorry if you think i'm personally attacking you" - this isn't on the person who perceives being attacked; what's next, are we gonna blame the girl who gets sexually harrassed for wearin' a short skirt? C'mon man, you're better than that. We all have strong opinions, but we are not EXPERTS, none of us.
Shit man, if I were an expert, I'd be Saleh's Defensive Coordinator, not Brich. Well, maybe not the whole season, but Fuck Yeah, I woulda done a better job against Dallas, and believe from my Stones to my Bones that I woulda beat Dak with that increased blitz/press coverage/take away their dink'n'dunk 5-7 chunks on early downs in front of our soft coverage that McCarthy used to beat us. But anyways, you get my drift. We all have opinions, so what if one is different from yours. You don't have to hit anyone here by name, saying they're wrong. You may not think that is getting personal, but the person you're directing your comments to certainly might. So how about you try keeping the blogger names out of it, instead generalizing your thoughts on the particular example to focus on the team, the prospects or how to get better? Plus, we've been reading your stuff, and I certainly enjoy your comments and look forward to them every day.
So, that's enough a' dat. I don't usually give free shrink assessments, but I'll make the exception for Veterans and Jets Fans. And ya'll can psychoanalyze my intrusion/input into the feud, have the last comeback at me - I don't give a shit, and I won't reply in turn. But remember just because I don't give a shit what you think about what i say, doesn't mean I don't like you guys as persons.
So yeah, I can tell youze both - and anybody else for that matter - that I like youze, that if you got a problem with what i'm saying, than too fuckin bad, get a hard hat or fuck-off and go whine in a corner about it - and that I'll still communicate wit youze, share football thoughts with youze - and we'll all still be rooting for our JETS 4EVER!
CGVet58
"If Frogs had handguns, Birds wouldn't fuck with them"
and PS: Zach's improvement over the last few games? That was with AVT for most of one game, and Tippermann for a game and a half. It's two replacements now, not as good as them, and the results showed last night vs the Eagles.
Let's give credit to Zach for not totally self-destructing when this happened - but if JD doesn't do something to get another interior lineman (easier to get than quality existing tackle from the archives, I would think...) then we should temper our expectations as to how well we expect Zach to continue to improve. and Temper this against what is going to be lower level of DLine opposition in the next three games, at least until we get to Buffalo & Miami.
Cautious optimism, sprinkled with alot of Tequila... that's how I think I'll approach it.
Agree on the free Izzy campaign. Brownlee for Cobb as well. We gotta start getting rid of players that are not fits. Cobb brings make to some of our plodding RB’s of yesteryear that were 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He looks like he’s running with a safe on his back! The difference is so dramatic when you see Breece hitting the hole. And Breece is so instinctive hesitating to allow the line to get to their assignments. It’s really night and day.
Steve, if you can't see the improvements that Zach has made/is making, that's because you either weren't paying attention before, or you don't want to see/can't see the improvements because your mind is already made up or closed on Zach. There's a night and day difference.
He's no longer panicking and bailing out at the first sign of pressure. He steps up in the pocket and looks poised and confident. He takes the hits after throwing the ball. He's seeing the field better, making better decisions, and getting the ball out quicker and more accurately. He's thrown a lot fewer interceptions. He's handling the ball much better and hiding it on play action passes even though Hackett doesn't call them very often. He's not throwing balls in the dirt or way over receivers' heads nearly as often. His placement is better and he's throwing the ball into tight windows better. He's anticipating better and throwing WRs open. He's using his legs/athleticism when the occasion calls for it and picking up nice chunks of yards. His completion percentage and QBR have climbed appreciably. In the last 3 games he has outplayed Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Hurts, and he outplayed Josh Allen in the 1st game of the season with few snaps in practice and a game plan for Rodgers, not Zach. Open your mind and eyes, my friend.
He's still a work in process, not a finished product. Hackett is doing him no favors with his predictable play calling. Two of the things that Zach does best are throw on the move and play action, and Hackett is rarely calling those plays. Hackett still runs too much on 1st and 2nd down leaving Zach in 3rd and long. I saw a stat a few days ago that when Hackett does call a pass play on 1st down, Zach is a top 3 QB in the NFL. Prior to last night's game, he had only one incompletion out of around 8-10 throws, and I think it was a drop. When the Jets get into the Red Zone or near the Red Zone, Hackett is calling no plays that call for throws into the Red Zone, everything is shorter and underneath. There has been only one gadget-type play (an end around by Gipson) and one flea flicker. Those kinds of plays help keep a D off balance and not knowing what to expect, and they're fun and help keep the offense loose.
also - the Wilson STILL holds onto the ball too long - 5 sacks alone yesteerday (understanding that Douglas doesnt know how to build a O-Line without injured guys) Thats what you call inprovement 2 and 1/2 years in - OMG. I cant even write anther thing about this QB it so bad his performaces
Yes, at times Wilson does hold the ball too long, but those times are getting fewer and fewer. I can't speak for all 5 of the sacks as I didn't get to see the whole game, but I did see the last 2 or 3, and none of those were Zach's fault. His OL gave him no chance on one, maybe two of the sacks, and the other was a naked boot to the left, his WR ran the wrong route and Hassan Reddick was on top of him before he had a chance to throw the ball away.
Craig lets stop getting personal here with your comments (which i could call DUMB). I pay attention probably more then the next guy. I bring Binocs with me at the games. Soemtime i will soley watch him close up. He sees another color jersey he gets happy feet in the pocket. He consistency throws over guys heads or so close to out of bunds it is inpossible to catch. The next dumb personal comment that "i refuse to see the inprovements" is horseshit. This is a win now league and you win by scoring TDs. He does not score TDs. Through 6 games he has 4 TDs in a passing era NFL. I gave this guy the benefit of all doubts for two plus years. After the atrocious performance he put up against one of the worst teams in the league (The Pats) I'm done. Work in progress for how long ? It wasnt even suppose to be a starter this year. Blame the play calling if you want but it tell sme he is so robotic he cant do something different at the line cause "hacket called the play" ? I respect your opinion to think the guy is the next Namath - i would ask you to respect mine without cheap shots ! Zack Wilson is NOT A NFL QB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Night and Day - do you even watch Jets games - this sounds like you haven't watched one in years - try it sometime before responding.
Steve, I'm sorry that you think my post was a personal attack. It wasn't. In fact, you're the one getting personal. I could have made it personal and insulted you and attacked your knowledge of the game, but I didn't. I gave you an out.
We ALL can get biased at times and set in our opinions and then we don't want to hear or see anything to the contrary. This is where you are, agree or not. When we get biased on things, it affects our vision. Our mind closes and it doesn't allow us to see other perspectives. That's true for ALL of us. I've seen it daily from Jets fans, in politics, and people discussing other issues problems. People make up their minds on something, and then it doesn't matter what kind of proof one tries to show them, be it video, an audio recording of the person saying something the oppositve of what the other believes, or people of the same political party admitting that their colleague said/did the thing that the person can't see or accept, etc.
When coaches, players and former NFL players are all talking about Zach's improvement, when I and many other Jets fans can see the improvements, including many fans who never wanted the Jets to draft Zach and who have been trashing him daily on Jets fan sites and who are now talking about how much he has improved and that maybe they were wrong about him initially, that means the problem is with YOU, my friend. You can live in denial land if you want, but the truth is that he has improved greatly. I didn't take a cheap shot at you and your reaction is ridiculous.
Let me spell it out to you more clearly. When 95% of others can see something that one can't, the only alternative to one's closed mind/bias preventing one from seeing something is that that one has no understanding of the issue or no clue what they're seeing. I didn't accuse you of that. I was respectful and tried to point out why you aren't seeing that Zach IS improving. You are wrong that Zach isn't an NFL QB,a nd you're just making yourself look bad with your comments.
If after reading this, you're willing to let bygones be bygones and understand that what I said was not an insult or personal, but trying to explain why you couldn't see that progress, (which I hope you will), we can still continue to discuss things, but i you're still angry, then don't bother reading or responding to any more of my posts in the future, because I won't respond kindly to any further insults from you.
Please do not respond any more with your idiotic comments to anything i say. The problerm is with YOU as you chose to attack me. This wasnt the first time either otherwise i would let it go. Then you continue to attack me and tell me basically i dont get it. Your apology is not acepted cause i dont believe you are sincere for one moment. For the record MOST people do not see Wilson as a NFL QB. Don't worry I will not be renewing The Jets Way. I want to read and comment without worring about cheap shots from real fans. I generally accept other fans opinions but when i am continued to be "shouted down" as wrong then i surrender. Peace Love and Understanding - David if you are reading this - i wil not be commenting anymore on anything
That would be a real shame Steve. You know how much I appreciate and respect your opinion and I'd hate to lose you from the daily conversation.
Hopefully we can just respect each others opinions, we all see things a certain way and it doesn't mean the other is wrong, so let's keep that respect, it's part of what makes this community so special.
What a HUGE win, not only in terms of the rest of the season and for the team's confidence, but just as importantly to get off the schneid with the Eagles and finally have beaten them!!!! Who wudda thunk we could have beat the Eagles without Sauce, Reed or Echols and with Bryce Hall, Craig James and Tae Hays at CB?
I had to sing on a concert yesterday so didn't get home and get the game on until about mid-way through the 3rd Qtr. I was excited to see that the score was so close, but disappointed to the point of being angry that Can'tHackett obviously hadn't opened the offense any, and watched him continue to call running play after running play on 1st down and take no shots at the End Zone when the Jets were in the Red Zone. He was giving Zach and the offense no chance to succeed. Now the loss of Tippman may have been part of the issue, and I think that Saleh has ordered Hackett to keep things conservative offensively, keep the score close, and give the D the chance to win the games. If I'm correct, Saleh is a fool. Sooner or later, the team is going to need the offense to win a game for them, and more than likely they will struggle or not be able to do it because they've had little opportunity to be aggressive and haven't built their confidence and found their rhythm. I swear, once Saleh is fired if the Jets EVER hire another former defensive coach as HC I am done with this team unless or until Woody Johnson sells the team. I am so tired of that stupid, backwards, cowardly mentality playing not to lose. This is an offensive league, NOT a defensive league. One needs a strong D, but one wins by outscoring the opponent, and as we have seen with former defensive coaches as HC, they all are afraid of the offense, they coach scared and try to win with their D.
Hopefully, the Jets will speak with Huff's agent during the break and come to terms on a contract extension of 3-4 years. Also, unless the Jets have decided to start playing Hardman after the BYE, I hope that they trade him to the Raiders for Renfrow. Renfrow is a reliable receiver. He doesn't have Hardman's speed, but he finds openings in zone defenses and reliably catches the ball. Maybe the Jets would use him. I think the Raiders' OC would salivate at adding Hardman's speed. I also hope that the Jets will get something for Lawson even if it's a lower round pick, but it would be nice to get some OL depth. I doubt it, but maybe they could trade both Hardman and Lawson to a team for a good OL.
Our pass rush is golden with Huff, JJ, and JFM. If McDonald develops, we will be set at Edge for the next 5 years or longer. Has Clemons made even one play this year? IMO he should be moved to DT. That is his future. He simply doesn't have the speed to get to the QB from the Edge, especially now that he put on an extra 20 pounds this past offseason. He should be able to help solidify the DT position, and then they can leave JFM at Edge.
Kudos to Bryce Hall. I had written him off as being too slow and having lost confidence. Then he had the huge pick 6 last week to seal the game, and I saw that Saleh said that Hall had re-made himself on STs. Then this week he had another huge interception and I found out Saleh's quote that David included in today's newsletter that Hall was the leader in the secondary and making sure that eveyone was lined up correctly. I'm in shock that Hall, Craig James, and Tae Hays (who?) were able to basically keep the Eagles dangerous WRs in check. When did the Jets even add Tae Hays to the PS or Roster? Kudos to them and to the DB Coach Tony Oden! I'm still shocked because Hall looked HORRIBLE in preseason. He looked slow and totally lost. Based on what CGVet said, I think Sirianni may have outsmarted himself yesterday. If short passes were succeeding early, the Eagles should have kept throwing them instead of trying to attack Hall, James and Hays. I understand why he did, but as CG pointed out, that gave our pass rushers the time they needed to pressure and harrass Hurts into making mistakes. If they had stuck to short passes, most likely our pass rushers wouldn't have had time to affect Hurts.
Kudos to Brich for adapting yesterday and mixing up the coverages, using press, man and zone. Let's hope that wasn't just because of who was playing yesterday, and that he will continue that with Sauce and Reed when we are playing a team with a stud WR like CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, etc.
David, if you could please start including all roster moves in your newsletters it would be helpful. I'm not seeing them tracked on any of the other Jets fan sites that I read.
It was great to have Tony Adams back on the field Hopefully, he can stay healthy the rest of the season and continue to develop.
What can I add about Quincy Williams? He is amazing!!! He's making more of an impact than his baby brother this season. If he keeps this up, he should definitely make the Pro Bowl and probably All Pro. That is HUGE for our D.
I have to disagree with you on Clemons. At 270 with his speed he was a perfect wrecker from the edge. I think the whole gaining 20 lbs didn't do him any great service. At 290 he's definitely slower on the edge, but at 290 on the inside he suffers because of his lack of speed there also. He's facing heavier o-linemen who are quick to react and speedy over a short range of space that matches his and he doesn't has the heft to dominate them physically. He could never bulk up enough to be an everyday DT because his speed would get even worse.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. IMO he was too slow at 270 to be an effective Edge Rusher. He was good at holding the Edge for running plays, and had some success rushing the passer, but not nearly enough. The Jets CS has said that they think his best position would be DT because he is quicker and faster than the OGs he'd be facing. Many of the OGs he'd be facing are only 300 or 310 pounds, so he's not giving away that much weight, and he's very strong. He should be able to push the pocket from the DT position. None of the Jets DL are going to be every down players. They're all going to rotate. Solomon Thomas is listed at 256 lbs. If he can hold up at DT, then Clemons certainly could. Quinnen is listed at 303. That's not that much bigger than Clemons, and Quinnen looks softer than Clemons. Quinton Jefferson is listed at 291. Again, he holds up just fine at DT.
IMO if they're going to play Clemons at DE/Edge, then he needs to lose those 20 pounds, but if his future is at DT, then he needs to keep them. IMO his future is at DT, at least on the Jets. There's no way that he should be seeing snaps over Huff, JJ, JFM this year, and probably not over McDonald except maybe in the Red Zone.
Oh Happy Days! Happy like a Kid again!
Craig James looked like a veteran corner out there. Outstanding play!
Our pass defense, by my count, has had a shot at around a dozen or so potential interceptions to date, which the defenders couldn't hold on to. Do you think Brich might consider having the LBers and DBs hit the JUGGS machine? It couldn't hurt, and last night with Brown bracketed on that 4th and a prayer toss by Hurts, having Whitehead hold on to that ball would have been a sublime, thunderous ending to a great game.
Man, when our guys make a play, I get chills hearing that stadium erupt, even when I watch on TV. Our fans - we - have been long suffering, and have earned every little tingle and bit of inspiration and hope that this team is giving us.
Kudos to Brich - mixing the defensive looks, sometimes applying press coverage, sometimes blitzing, letting Quincy "Fire & Forget" loose like Mark Anthony's Dogs of War. I kept on hoping to see a spy to help contain that Hurts guy, damn but he's slippery! - but seeing how much effort was going into containing their receivers, well there's only so much 11 guys can do in a situation like that.
I thought the Eagles performed better when they were targeting the underbelly of our soft coverage - had frightening flashback to the Cowboys game - but they changed tack and tried passing into the strength of our coverage... Hurts thus spent more than 2 seconds going through his reads; our pass rush ergo was able to generate more pressure/disruption because they had the time to do so. Why they didn't go back to short, quick passes, I don't know - maybe one of my fellow TJW Bruddahs can share what they saw on that front.
Greg the Leg!
Adams Intercepts!
and finally, does anyone know what Breece was so angry about? Man, he was pissed, had a "THIS IS SPARTTTAAA!!!!" look in his face in the 2nd half (loved that violence, btw) and after runs into the gut of the Eagles D, he'd get up and Jaw right at those guys. I think the Eagles musta been runnin' their mouts about something, don't know for sure, maybe we'll find out today/tomorrow with further blog posts from Jets sites.
Great peek at when the players were coming into the stadium after the win. Didja see Saleh just jump for joy right up on JD? And JD congratulating all the players as they came in.
And the QB Whisperer, on the sidelines - powerful psychological affect. With every day that AR does this, the team sees how invested he is in them, how much he believes in them. Just Outstanding. If I were a player in that circumstance, the thought that a HOFer is going to bat like that for me, going through that rehab like he is, and being there for the team to show support? Well, there's no wall I woudn't run through for a guy like that.
So much to be happy for. I'm gonna scour Jets blogs this AM, get more info, more post-games including what Jets Post Game Locker room comments were.
JETS! All. The. WAY!
CGVet58
JUGGS everyday for the Defense. Love Rodgers showing up. Best kickers in the league. Offense is getting closer
CG, Great post, brother! I totally agree about the JUGGS machine for the Jets DBs and LBs. Make it so, Ulbrich! Speaking of Ulbrich, kudos to him for mixing up the coverages yesterday. Thanks for reporting on that, as I missed most of the game due to singing on a concert yesterday afternoon.
Great point about the Eagles abandoning the short passes and attacking our secondary. That may be what turned the game in our favor. Had they kept throwing the short passes, most likely our pass rushers wouldn't have had time to pressure or affect Hurts. It sounds like Sirianni's ego got in the way or he outsmarted himself. Instead of taking what the Jets D gives, it sounds like he was trying to force his will upon the Jets.
1-12, how any fan could be happy with the Jets having a lifetime1-12 record against the Eagles after Sunday might sound crazy unless you go back to 1pm Sunday afternoon and you realize the Jet lifetime record was 0-12.
We all know what happen and I’m sure we all have read a ton of post game stories.
Unfortunately, it is Debbie Downer time. That time is when the same negative thoughts about Jet things that bother most of the fans are brought up.
We all know what some of Zach’s weaknesses are. I’m sure Jet opponents also know. Can anyone with a minimum of football intelligence explain to me why the Jets don't use play action especially in the red zone. With some starting offensive linemen out, why are the Jets constantly using empty backfields or the shotgun on almost every passing down and definitely in the red zone. Wether you like Zach or not, he should be put in the best possible position as possible to succeed. He succeeds, the Jets have a better chance of winning. During last night Giants-Bills game, it was noted that Buffalo uses play action 43% of the time on passing downs. How does their passing game look, Jet fans.
How about more rollouts for Zach, he tends to be more successful when he is rolling out. And also when he takes off.
Insanity, the constant doing of something hoping for a different result, giving Dalvin Cook the ball is insanity .
All they are doing by giving him the ball is wasting a down and taking the ball out of Breece Hall’s hand.
Not only is Cook not the second best runner on the Jets, he is no longer the best runner in the Cook family.
The Jets need to find a way to pay Huff, when there is disruption in the opponents backfield, you know he is there. His success rate with the minimum amount of opportunities given to him is off the charts. I might get push back here but I think JJ is playing better. He does a lot of the things that aren’t noticed.
Lastly, just like the Chiefs game, why does it appear that the officials are calling things that always benefit Jets opponents.
The phantom touchdown, we never were shown the replay that was the so called irrefutable proof needed to overturn the call. How many cameras used at a game, we get no replay.
On Brown’s catch that Saleh threw the red flag 🚩 on. It sure looked like that ball moved in his arm. Or maybe I should go see my optometrist.
Lazard block was definitely not a blindside block, Blankenship ran right into him.
There was another case of an Eagle players hand hitting Zach’s helmet on an attempted pass. Why do I mention it, because the Jets are the only team in the NFL that have not been a recipient of a roughing the passer call since the start of the 2022 season. In fact, the last time a roughing penalty was called on a Jets opponent was on 11/28/21, that was 29 games ago. How is that possible. Again, why don’t officials call plays that favor the Jets.
I was waiting for the yellow laundry to be thrown on Adam’s interception.
Bobber, great point about Hackett's failure to use more play action and rollouts for Zach, especially in the Red Zone. Play action shouldn't be considered overly aggressive or risky. Since other teams know that the Jets want to run the ball, it should be successful most of the time. I'm totally perplexed and exasperated with Hackett's play calling. When a play works well, Hackett rarely calls it again, yet when a play doesn't work he goes back to it fairly quickly. Last night either late in the 3rd or early 4th qtr., Hackett called a naked boot to the left. Zach had no chance on it as the WR ran the wrong route and the Eagles Pass Rusher (whose name is on the tip of my tongue, but can't recall it) was right there and on top of Zach for a sack. There was nothing Zach could do. Then a fairly short time later on another possession, he called the same play except to the right side. Thankfully, the receiver ran the right route that time and Zach was able to get the throw off quickly before getting clobbered. Is he trying to get Zach injured? His play calling simply makes no sense. If Rodgers thinks that Hackett is a good play caller, then he's fried his brian with the psychedelic mushrooms. Hackett is evidently a good teacher and QB Coach as Zach has shown a lot of improvement and is continuing to improve, and some of his plays are very well designed, but either he doesn't seem to know when or how to call them, or he doesn't seem to understand the plays that his QB is able to execute at a high level and that have a high likelihood of success, because he rarely calls those plays. Those plays should have nothing to do with being too aggressive offensively. They should be about helping Zach and the offense develop, be able to score more points and take pressure off of the D. There will be times when the Jets' offense needs to win the game, and at this point I don't think they could because Saleh and/or Hackett are holding them back. IMO it is indeed insane to keep doing things the same way they have been offensively in terms of the play calling, as well as continuing to trot Cook out there instead of Izzy. IMO they're also risking dividing the team. It would be very easy for the D to start really getting down on Hackett and the offense for their lack of production and failures in the Red Zone. The last thing the Jets need is a divided team. Saleh and/or Hackett need to pull their heads out of their asses and open up the offense, taking more deep shots, using more play action and rollouts, passing more on 1st and 2nd downs, and by inactivating Cook and playing Izzy. It's almost like they don't want to win. They have 3 of the fastest offensive players in the NFL in Hardman, Gipson and Izzy. You'd think they'd want to get them on the field anyway, but especially with Zach still learning, and other teams knowing that the Jets want to run the ball and stacking 7-9 men in the box. What better way to defeat that then some quick slants to Hardman or Gipson, some sweeps, quick pitches, getting the ball in space to those players? I get that they may be reluctant to use Gipson and Izzy because they're rookies, but they need to get over that. Hardman didn't shot anything in TC or preseason, so maybe they don't trust him, but if he's on the roster, he's wasting a spot if they don't use him. It can't be a matter of only breaking the glass in case of fire. Saleh is just too damned fearful and overly cautious. I don't think the Jets will ever win anything with him as HC, I don't care how much the players love him. IMO if the players can't see that he's holding them back and coaching scared, then they aren't very smart, either. Nothing about the way he coaches even remotely suggests, "All Gas, No Break." He's just an empty platitude guy.
Bobber, anyone who argues with you about JJ playing well is clueless! He’s one of our 5 best defenders. The kid is relentless. He was in Hurts face all night. RS loves the kid.
I'll give Hackett a smidge of credit regarding the play calling in the red zone. He was definitely using SOME (this should be in italics) play-action. It's probably debatable whether it was enough, but they were working more of that into the game plan. Regarding the empty sets as opposed to the heavy sets; I may have been missing something, but it sure seemed like they were running a friggin' ton of 13 personnel, so I thought they were doing what you were calling for. There is another drawback to that, however, and it was apparent on one of the sacks. I, even, think it was play-action. They play fake the run and keep multiple TEs in to block. The problem, however, is that they only had 3 receivers out on routes. All of them were covered, and a coverage sack ensued. That's some of the give and take, honestly. It's definitely on the offensive coordinator to mix-match to make sure they're keeping the defense off balance. I thought the play-calling was simply okay. The real problem seemed to be drive-killing penalties, drops, and the kind of constant pressure that impacts a quarterback's accuracy just enough. They all are connected and I'm sure they'll be drilling those issues hard over the next two weeks.
Slow starting on both sides of the ball, Offense can’t convert on third downs, and once again an abysmal Red Zone Offense. But this team didn’t quit. Bryce Hall the playmaker and Craig James held up at CB, and Safety Tony Adams with the final pick. The difference between last years defense and this years defense is the ability this year to create turnovers. CJ created a fumble, by punching a ball out , great veteran move, keeps this defense together. Quincy almost had a pick six, was all over the field. When you talk about the Defensive Line, the box score had only 2 sacks but there was relentless pressure, causing those interceptions. Bye the way, after watching Hurts, all QB’s Will participate in a Heavy Year around Squat Program. Bryce Huff 1.5 sacks relentless pressure, JJ helped to create two turnovers, Quinnen with the Interception, what an athlete. Very nice pressure from the DT’s, Jefferson with a half sack, but also Solomon Thomas and Al Woods made plays.
Once again, the Jets couldn’t convert third downs, and the Red Zone Offense stinks. I may be in the minority but I thought the Offensive Line was okay, until Tippman went down, after that it was a disaster. Zach took some brutal hits, stayed in there, didn’t turn the ball over, ran effectively and judiciously. Only 18 for 33 but I counted 5 drops. Zach dumped the ball off effectively to Hall, a major difference from last year. Garrett Wilson is the go to guy, took a beating, complained about the turf at Met Life ( that needs to be addressed), need to keep GW healthy. I know Lazard’s blind side block killed a drive, he also had at least one drop, but I like his game . Cobb is another story, he looks washed in the slot , need to upgrade.
Hall was on the verge of breaking a couple of long runs, evolving as a dynamic receiver. Marginal improvement for Cook, still want more MC & Izzy.
Love the savage Jet punt coverage, great punts, and Zuerlein went 4 for 4. Good News/Bad News, Gibson with the 18 yard run, May have lost his punt return job to Cobb after last weeks two fumble performance. Bye week , and the trade deadline, Jets in a different position after the Eagle win. Need to get healthy, and get the Offense clicking.. Go Jets
hey JetOrange!
That's the thing; Lazard blocked that guy square up to his FRONT! There was no blind side attack there; Lazard only happened to take an angle off to the guys right side, but well within his vision angle. The only thing turned to the guys left as he was tracking the ball, was his head, but Lazard hit him square up; his shoulders and body frontally facing his target and hitting him square in his chest/gut. Not even anywhere near his head.
It was not a blind side! It was another example of stupid, anti-Jets, zebra calls that could have decided the game - like the belated flag for interference that bought ref tossed to decide the KC game.
Mal-Paridos Todos
CGVet58
The Lazard one was really frustrating. It seems as though those blocks are no longer allowed unless the blocked player gets his head around. Not sure why Lazard should be out ished for a squared up block that he obviously intentionally threw to the body, avoiding the head completely.
David, I have a suggestion for you. I was wondering if you could either text me 845-518-8015 or FB message me.
We had the Eagle phantom touchdown yesterday, it would seem that the Refs are against us for the most part.
David, Like most here I have been looking forward to todays Newsletter since about 7:49 yesterday evening. Lots of questions for you and the gang here. Now, the game aside I was wondering if you have heard anything about AVT’s surgery? Has he had it yet? And if so was it done by the same surgeon AR used. I would certainly hope so seeing how good Aaron looked yesterday. Assuming we get Bryce Huff signed I think we have the best DE tandem in the league. JJ is improving weekly as a rusher and his ability against the run is the best I have seen from a Jet. He and Huff are relentless. I believe the current term is “dawgs”! I was amazed at how well Bryce Hall has played. The only time his name has come up is following an interception or him breaking up a play. He has played extremely well. I hope his PFF numbers reflect that. Once again there were 3 questionable zebra calls in this game that all went against us. The roughing call in Q was a love tap by two former teammates. The call on the sideline that was ruled complete gave me Austin Seferian Jenkins flashbacks. The blindside call on Lazard was total BS as even the official in the broadcast booth ( Terry McCauley) said the defender had time to protect himself and that’s why the rule was put in a couple years ago. I am more than thrilled with this win but there is still a lot to clean up. I think it’s time to bring Jason Brownlee out of mothballs and get him into these games. We need another dynamic target for Zach. We can’t keep putting the playmaking on GW. He’s really the only playmaker we have outside. Lazard is really a chain mover. He’s a better blocker than a receiver. Cobb is a total waste of everyone’s time. I get he’s a good teammate but he’s just washed!
Brownlee outside , Lazard in the slot, improved blocking angles, put in motion to change the strength of the formation, and give Lazard better separation
I think the Jets are just one of the teams that happen to get "certain" penalties called on them at "certain" times against "certain" teams that the NFL want to be in the final running for playoffs, the "darlings" of the league. It's all about the viewership, they want astronomical numbers and they get them from "certain" teams like KC, Buffalo, SF, Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami. The Pats and the Bucs became one of those "certain" teams when Brady was there. I will admit that the Jets get victimized the most, but the fix is definitely in when it comes to the marquee teams, no matter who the opponent is.
You're right about the Tippman injury. Once Schweitzer came into the game, right guard was regularly a problem. He was even run over, at one point, by that giant the Eagles have on their defensive line (I think it was Jordan Davis?). That interior defensive line might be the best they'll face this year. Hopefully a two weeks of practices with the first unit (assuming Tippman is out for a bit) improves the play on the right side. It was also a poor matchup for Becton, having to go up against such a twitchy and technical rusher in Hasaan Reddick.
Regarding the punt coverage unit; HELL YES! Irvin Charles was popping off the screen and I absolutely love that kid's tenacity. He seems like a great addition to the unit after the loss of Hardee.
Finally, I'm with you on the Lazard block. It was, definitely, borderline. I don't think it should've been called, but I think he got screwed by his size. It's, sort of, the Shaq effect back when he was playing in the NBA. He was so big and powerful that refs changed how they called games to accommodate other players being less big and powerful. If Lazard weren't so huge, they don't call that. He just happened to be a total brick wall that the defender ran into.
JO, I initially thought there were 5 drops but after rewatching the game at least two of those drops were behind the receiver. I was a big QB in HS, 6’6” 210, and I went to a big time program in the SEC. They switched me to WR so I fully understand how important it is to hit the receiver in stride. Two of the balls I thought were drops were thrown behind Cobb. Now, yes I agree,Cobb has to go. He’s killing us. But when your running in full stride across the field and the ball is behind you it’s a super difficult catch to make. Two of those throws could have been “ hospital balls”! Zach has been so much better over these last three games. Not great but definitely better. But the accuracy was not great yesterday. Fortunately he did enough to help us get the “W”! But he need to keep improving.
Two surprising stats from being at the game: 1) The number of Eagle fans in attendance were no where near what the Cheifs or the Bills fans were in attendance: 2) Until Hall scored the 'give me' TD The Jets had made 8 trips into the Red Zone in a row scoring a FG. That was the longest draught since 2014. There needs to be a "Free Izzy" campaign started to get Cook out of there. Whatever people (NFL, Players) are seeing as "inprovements" by Zack Wilson I am still blind to - I just dont get it. He didnt lose the game with a turnover and did as much as he could to help win it is as much as i will say because WE WON THE GAME - WOW WHAT ATMOSPHERE walking out of there.
For what it's worth (Steve B-Craig pissing match aside), Zach Wilson graded out okay this week. QBR has him right about league average. What's more, he's climbed the QBR rankings with his last three outings. I don't think he's having horrible performances and I don't think he's having good performances. All things considered, the incremental improvements are encouraging. The Jets are probably still looking for a new quarterback in 2024 and beyond, but there are worse guys to root for. I think he could eventually develop into a useful quarterback who can start some games. That's a far cry from the complete abyss that was his value at the end of last season.
I said i wouldnt comment anymore LOL but what you wrote is very vaild. PFF which i only take a with a grain of salt reported this today: "Wilson was one of 3 QBs in week 6 without a big time throw or turnover play. He was kinda of just there. Didnt make any major mistakes. Didnt make any notable plays. He was fine. It was a mstake-free. average/below-average performance whcih is fine". My observation of inprovement his is demenor, taking accoutablity and maturity as a individual (iwth the press and players). I never said i dont like the guy and actually feel bad for him. Is he trying - absolutley. Can he be a backup - probably for a few games but thats it. IF Rogers comes back next year they will keep him as a backup but they are not going to give him the 5th year contract. Agree they will be looking for a QB in 2024
Hey Steve,
I'm glad you decided to not "stop commenting" - I enjoy your thoughts and opinions, and your passion for the game and the team. Hey, I'm the same way, I fully recognize that I was going after not just Zach, but Saleh and Brich - especially after the shitshow defense against Dallas - and I was raining rocks on these guys. Torches and Pitchforks, man! And now I'm perfectly OK with applauding the success, and see no contradiction between the two. And Steve, i'm sure that like me, you are GLAD that Zach is having some success. But like you, I take the weight of his entire performance history, noting his improvements, giving hiim credit for his attitude because let's face it, when he was as bad or worse than Jamarcus Russell, he could have Turtled up and fallen into Ryan Leaf levels of self-imposed pity and hell. But he didn't; he hasn't, and I don't think he will. That's good news and gives me HOPE that he can continue to get better.
But also like you, I recognize that he still has lingering problems processing the field from a tradition back-drop. But he's shown improvement over games 4 - 6 in this area. And also, like you, and others here, I remain concerned that Zach still hasn't learned how to look off defenders. Even with him letting the ball loose in 2.5 sec or better, I see him zone in on the read, and I see defenders reading his eyes and converging. That we haven't seen that fail is because it's a quick read in the first place.
So yeah, Steve, Zach has shown a Dr Jeckyl/OK QB and a Mr. Hide/Jamarcus Russell disaster QB. Until he shows more consistency as the former, we are all aware that he might still ultimately turn out to be closer to the latter. And it's OK to believe in this kid even knowing he's on that precipice - and hope for the best.
We are fans of the team! They're not our girlfriends, or wives, or family members who - when they fuck up, we just write them off (and yes, I've written off all three when they fucked up. Forgave them and all that, but wrote them out of my life, not wishing them ill, just keeping them out). When it comes to our Jets, Who cares!? They're players and we ultimately hope they get better, including the coaches. But when they fuck up, they'll hear it, abso-effin-lutely! And when they do good, then life for a Jets fan will sound like this:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_e_cDbXsOg0
I can live with that dichotomy. I embrace it! After all, I'm a JETS fan.
That's one of the reasons why we love the game so much! Look, when we were kids, was there any room for failure, for quitting? NO. There's only room for more sweat, more scrapes, more falling down and getting back up again - and getting better! There's room for showing the guy wearing the other uniform that WE WILL NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER QUIT - and then watching THEM take pause because we're not folding like a lawn chair in the face of their bullshit. And boy, oh boy, but i remember STILL how good it felt to know that those fuckers across from me could not keep me down.
So Steve, stick with it, bruh - remember, we still gotta meet somewhere in the middle to catch a game and some brews together, man!
And the Hatfields-McCoys thing with Craig, just treat it as bullshit, man! If you quit posting, Craig doesn't win, so much as the rest of us guys that like your postings lose if you diddy-bop out.
I'll close by saying one comment to bote a youze. I got both your emails, have exchanged Jets notes and stuff wit both a youze, and I enjoy both a' youze opinions - always something new for me to learn from fellow Jets fans.
Steve, if you notice, everytime you post, Craig names you by name in his critiques. I know you don't like that; I wouldn't like it either. Only one person can stop that, and it ain't you. It's bullshit, it doesn't make you look bad, but it doesn't give Craig a good look either, and it think it puts a stinky shine on otherwise sterling football observations.
And Craig, the above comment is honest assessment. How about, cutting out the direct hits? They are attacks, bud. There's no "I'm sorry if you think i'm personally attacking you" - this isn't on the person who perceives being attacked; what's next, are we gonna blame the girl who gets sexually harrassed for wearin' a short skirt? C'mon man, you're better than that. We all have strong opinions, but we are not EXPERTS, none of us.
Shit man, if I were an expert, I'd be Saleh's Defensive Coordinator, not Brich. Well, maybe not the whole season, but Fuck Yeah, I woulda done a better job against Dallas, and believe from my Stones to my Bones that I woulda beat Dak with that increased blitz/press coverage/take away their dink'n'dunk 5-7 chunks on early downs in front of our soft coverage that McCarthy used to beat us. But anyways, you get my drift. We all have opinions, so what if one is different from yours. You don't have to hit anyone here by name, saying they're wrong. You may not think that is getting personal, but the person you're directing your comments to certainly might. So how about you try keeping the blogger names out of it, instead generalizing your thoughts on the particular example to focus on the team, the prospects or how to get better? Plus, we've been reading your stuff, and I certainly enjoy your comments and look forward to them every day.
So, that's enough a' dat. I don't usually give free shrink assessments, but I'll make the exception for Veterans and Jets Fans. And ya'll can psychoanalyze my intrusion/input into the feud, have the last comeback at me - I don't give a shit, and I won't reply in turn. But remember just because I don't give a shit what you think about what i say, doesn't mean I don't like you guys as persons.
So yeah, I can tell youze both - and anybody else for that matter - that I like youze, that if you got a problem with what i'm saying, than too fuckin bad, get a hard hat or fuck-off and go whine in a corner about it - and that I'll still communicate wit youze, share football thoughts with youze - and we'll all still be rooting for our JETS 4EVER!
CGVet58
"If Frogs had handguns, Birds wouldn't fuck with them"
and PS: Zach's improvement over the last few games? That was with AVT for most of one game, and Tippermann for a game and a half. It's two replacements now, not as good as them, and the results showed last night vs the Eagles.
Let's give credit to Zach for not totally self-destructing when this happened - but if JD doesn't do something to get another interior lineman (easier to get than quality existing tackle from the archives, I would think...) then we should temper our expectations as to how well we expect Zach to continue to improve. and Temper this against what is going to be lower level of DLine opposition in the next three games, at least until we get to Buffalo & Miami.
Cautious optimism, sprinkled with alot of Tequila... that's how I think I'll approach it.
CGVet58
Agree on the free Izzy campaign. Brownlee for Cobb as well. We gotta start getting rid of players that are not fits. Cobb brings make to some of our plodding RB’s of yesteryear that were 3 yards and a cloud of dust. He looks like he’s running with a safe on his back! The difference is so dramatic when you see Breece hitting the hole. And Breece is so instinctive hesitating to allow the line to get to their assignments. It’s really night and day.
Steve, if you can't see the improvements that Zach has made/is making, that's because you either weren't paying attention before, or you don't want to see/can't see the improvements because your mind is already made up or closed on Zach. There's a night and day difference.
He's no longer panicking and bailing out at the first sign of pressure. He steps up in the pocket and looks poised and confident. He takes the hits after throwing the ball. He's seeing the field better, making better decisions, and getting the ball out quicker and more accurately. He's thrown a lot fewer interceptions. He's handling the ball much better and hiding it on play action passes even though Hackett doesn't call them very often. He's not throwing balls in the dirt or way over receivers' heads nearly as often. His placement is better and he's throwing the ball into tight windows better. He's anticipating better and throwing WRs open. He's using his legs/athleticism when the occasion calls for it and picking up nice chunks of yards. His completion percentage and QBR have climbed appreciably. In the last 3 games he has outplayed Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Hurts, and he outplayed Josh Allen in the 1st game of the season with few snaps in practice and a game plan for Rodgers, not Zach. Open your mind and eyes, my friend.
He's still a work in process, not a finished product. Hackett is doing him no favors with his predictable play calling. Two of the things that Zach does best are throw on the move and play action, and Hackett is rarely calling those plays. Hackett still runs too much on 1st and 2nd down leaving Zach in 3rd and long. I saw a stat a few days ago that when Hackett does call a pass play on 1st down, Zach is a top 3 QB in the NFL. Prior to last night's game, he had only one incompletion out of around 8-10 throws, and I think it was a drop. When the Jets get into the Red Zone or near the Red Zone, Hackett is calling no plays that call for throws into the Red Zone, everything is shorter and underneath. There has been only one gadget-type play (an end around by Gipson) and one flea flicker. Those kinds of plays help keep a D off balance and not knowing what to expect, and they're fun and help keep the offense loose.
also - the Wilson STILL holds onto the ball too long - 5 sacks alone yesteerday (understanding that Douglas doesnt know how to build a O-Line without injured guys) Thats what you call inprovement 2 and 1/2 years in - OMG. I cant even write anther thing about this QB it so bad his performaces
Yes, at times Wilson does hold the ball too long, but those times are getting fewer and fewer. I can't speak for all 5 of the sacks as I didn't get to see the whole game, but I did see the last 2 or 3, and none of those were Zach's fault. His OL gave him no chance on one, maybe two of the sacks, and the other was a naked boot to the left, his WR ran the wrong route and Hassan Reddick was on top of him before he had a chance to throw the ball away.
Craig lets stop getting personal here with your comments (which i could call DUMB). I pay attention probably more then the next guy. I bring Binocs with me at the games. Soemtime i will soley watch him close up. He sees another color jersey he gets happy feet in the pocket. He consistency throws over guys heads or so close to out of bunds it is inpossible to catch. The next dumb personal comment that "i refuse to see the inprovements" is horseshit. This is a win now league and you win by scoring TDs. He does not score TDs. Through 6 games he has 4 TDs in a passing era NFL. I gave this guy the benefit of all doubts for two plus years. After the atrocious performance he put up against one of the worst teams in the league (The Pats) I'm done. Work in progress for how long ? It wasnt even suppose to be a starter this year. Blame the play calling if you want but it tell sme he is so robotic he cant do something different at the line cause "hacket called the play" ? I respect your opinion to think the guy is the next Namath - i would ask you to respect mine without cheap shots ! Zack Wilson is NOT A NFL QB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "Night and Day - do you even watch Jets games - this sounds like you haven't watched one in years - try it sometime before responding.
Steve, I'm sorry that you think my post was a personal attack. It wasn't. In fact, you're the one getting personal. I could have made it personal and insulted you and attacked your knowledge of the game, but I didn't. I gave you an out.
We ALL can get biased at times and set in our opinions and then we don't want to hear or see anything to the contrary. This is where you are, agree or not. When we get biased on things, it affects our vision. Our mind closes and it doesn't allow us to see other perspectives. That's true for ALL of us. I've seen it daily from Jets fans, in politics, and people discussing other issues problems. People make up their minds on something, and then it doesn't matter what kind of proof one tries to show them, be it video, an audio recording of the person saying something the oppositve of what the other believes, or people of the same political party admitting that their colleague said/did the thing that the person can't see or accept, etc.
When coaches, players and former NFL players are all talking about Zach's improvement, when I and many other Jets fans can see the improvements, including many fans who never wanted the Jets to draft Zach and who have been trashing him daily on Jets fan sites and who are now talking about how much he has improved and that maybe they were wrong about him initially, that means the problem is with YOU, my friend. You can live in denial land if you want, but the truth is that he has improved greatly. I didn't take a cheap shot at you and your reaction is ridiculous.
Let me spell it out to you more clearly. When 95% of others can see something that one can't, the only alternative to one's closed mind/bias preventing one from seeing something is that that one has no understanding of the issue or no clue what they're seeing. I didn't accuse you of that. I was respectful and tried to point out why you aren't seeing that Zach IS improving. You are wrong that Zach isn't an NFL QB,a nd you're just making yourself look bad with your comments.
If after reading this, you're willing to let bygones be bygones and understand that what I said was not an insult or personal, but trying to explain why you couldn't see that progress, (which I hope you will), we can still continue to discuss things, but i you're still angry, then don't bother reading or responding to any more of my posts in the future, because I won't respond kindly to any further insults from you.
Please do not respond any more with your idiotic comments to anything i say. The problerm is with YOU as you chose to attack me. This wasnt the first time either otherwise i would let it go. Then you continue to attack me and tell me basically i dont get it. Your apology is not acepted cause i dont believe you are sincere for one moment. For the record MOST people do not see Wilson as a NFL QB. Don't worry I will not be renewing The Jets Way. I want to read and comment without worring about cheap shots from real fans. I generally accept other fans opinions but when i am continued to be "shouted down" as wrong then i surrender. Peace Love and Understanding - David if you are reading this - i wil not be commenting anymore on anything
That would be a real shame Steve. You know how much I appreciate and respect your opinion and I'd hate to lose you from the daily conversation.
Hopefully we can just respect each others opinions, we all see things a certain way and it doesn't mean the other is wrong, so let's keep that respect, it's part of what makes this community so special.
will be renewing you are to good to miss :)
Great newsletter today, David!
What a HUGE win, not only in terms of the rest of the season and for the team's confidence, but just as importantly to get off the schneid with the Eagles and finally have beaten them!!!! Who wudda thunk we could have beat the Eagles without Sauce, Reed or Echols and with Bryce Hall, Craig James and Tae Hays at CB?
I had to sing on a concert yesterday so didn't get home and get the game on until about mid-way through the 3rd Qtr. I was excited to see that the score was so close, but disappointed to the point of being angry that Can'tHackett obviously hadn't opened the offense any, and watched him continue to call running play after running play on 1st down and take no shots at the End Zone when the Jets were in the Red Zone. He was giving Zach and the offense no chance to succeed. Now the loss of Tippman may have been part of the issue, and I think that Saleh has ordered Hackett to keep things conservative offensively, keep the score close, and give the D the chance to win the games. If I'm correct, Saleh is a fool. Sooner or later, the team is going to need the offense to win a game for them, and more than likely they will struggle or not be able to do it because they've had little opportunity to be aggressive and haven't built their confidence and found their rhythm. I swear, once Saleh is fired if the Jets EVER hire another former defensive coach as HC I am done with this team unless or until Woody Johnson sells the team. I am so tired of that stupid, backwards, cowardly mentality playing not to lose. This is an offensive league, NOT a defensive league. One needs a strong D, but one wins by outscoring the opponent, and as we have seen with former defensive coaches as HC, they all are afraid of the offense, they coach scared and try to win with their D.
Hopefully, the Jets will speak with Huff's agent during the break and come to terms on a contract extension of 3-4 years. Also, unless the Jets have decided to start playing Hardman after the BYE, I hope that they trade him to the Raiders for Renfrow. Renfrow is a reliable receiver. He doesn't have Hardman's speed, but he finds openings in zone defenses and reliably catches the ball. Maybe the Jets would use him. I think the Raiders' OC would salivate at adding Hardman's speed. I also hope that the Jets will get something for Lawson even if it's a lower round pick, but it would be nice to get some OL depth. I doubt it, but maybe they could trade both Hardman and Lawson to a team for a good OL.
Our pass rush is golden with Huff, JJ, and JFM. If McDonald develops, we will be set at Edge for the next 5 years or longer. Has Clemons made even one play this year? IMO he should be moved to DT. That is his future. He simply doesn't have the speed to get to the QB from the Edge, especially now that he put on an extra 20 pounds this past offseason. He should be able to help solidify the DT position, and then they can leave JFM at Edge.
Kudos to Bryce Hall. I had written him off as being too slow and having lost confidence. Then he had the huge pick 6 last week to seal the game, and I saw that Saleh said that Hall had re-made himself on STs. Then this week he had another huge interception and I found out Saleh's quote that David included in today's newsletter that Hall was the leader in the secondary and making sure that eveyone was lined up correctly. I'm in shock that Hall, Craig James, and Tae Hays (who?) were able to basically keep the Eagles dangerous WRs in check. When did the Jets even add Tae Hays to the PS or Roster? Kudos to them and to the DB Coach Tony Oden! I'm still shocked because Hall looked HORRIBLE in preseason. He looked slow and totally lost. Based on what CGVet said, I think Sirianni may have outsmarted himself yesterday. If short passes were succeeding early, the Eagles should have kept throwing them instead of trying to attack Hall, James and Hays. I understand why he did, but as CG pointed out, that gave our pass rushers the time they needed to pressure and harrass Hurts into making mistakes. If they had stuck to short passes, most likely our pass rushers wouldn't have had time to affect Hurts.
Kudos to Brich for adapting yesterday and mixing up the coverages, using press, man and zone. Let's hope that wasn't just because of who was playing yesterday, and that he will continue that with Sauce and Reed when we are playing a team with a stud WR like CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, etc.
David, if you could please start including all roster moves in your newsletters it would be helpful. I'm not seeing them tracked on any of the other Jets fan sites that I read.
It was great to have Tony Adams back on the field Hopefully, he can stay healthy the rest of the season and continue to develop.
What can I add about Quincy Williams? He is amazing!!! He's making more of an impact than his baby brother this season. If he keeps this up, he should definitely make the Pro Bowl and probably All Pro. That is HUGE for our D.
I have to disagree with you on Clemons. At 270 with his speed he was a perfect wrecker from the edge. I think the whole gaining 20 lbs didn't do him any great service. At 290 he's definitely slower on the edge, but at 290 on the inside he suffers because of his lack of speed there also. He's facing heavier o-linemen who are quick to react and speedy over a short range of space that matches his and he doesn't has the heft to dominate them physically. He could never bulk up enough to be an everyday DT because his speed would get even worse.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. IMO he was too slow at 270 to be an effective Edge Rusher. He was good at holding the Edge for running plays, and had some success rushing the passer, but not nearly enough. The Jets CS has said that they think his best position would be DT because he is quicker and faster than the OGs he'd be facing. Many of the OGs he'd be facing are only 300 or 310 pounds, so he's not giving away that much weight, and he's very strong. He should be able to push the pocket from the DT position. None of the Jets DL are going to be every down players. They're all going to rotate. Solomon Thomas is listed at 256 lbs. If he can hold up at DT, then Clemons certainly could. Quinnen is listed at 303. That's not that much bigger than Clemons, and Quinnen looks softer than Clemons. Quinton Jefferson is listed at 291. Again, he holds up just fine at DT.
IMO if they're going to play Clemons at DE/Edge, then he needs to lose those 20 pounds, but if his future is at DT, then he needs to keep them. IMO his future is at DT, at least on the Jets. There's no way that he should be seeing snaps over Huff, JJ, JFM this year, and probably not over McDonald except maybe in the Red Zone.