Proposing solutions: A Jets manifesto after five games

In my last post, I outlined a few of the fundamental problems plaguing the Jets right now. What good is pointing out problems though without offering solutions? The ideas which you will read below are all well within reason...no fantasy trades for Maurice Jones-Drew or unrealistic firings. All of them include player or coaching personnel currently under contract and can easily and realistically be implemented. 

1. Replace Eric Smith in the starting lineup with Brodney Pool
Pool is a sixth-year player like Smith, and has been a starter before for both the Jets and Browns. He's also the better player. Week after week, Smith presents a liability in an otherwise relatively solid secondary. Yes, Antonio Cromartie has his shortcomings and the nickel and dime backs are shaky but Smith is the most overwhelmingly noticeable problem. 


Let's take this week's game against the Patriots for instance. Peter King says in his MMQB column that Wes Welker came out ahead vs. Darrelle Revis, when this, in fact, is incorrect. 

Welker got more than half of his yards on a 73-yard third quarter pass play, when it was Eric Smith, not Revis, who was at fault. Watching the replay, Smith bites on the playaction and does not provide the safety coverage Revis is expecting. It's then Revis, not the closer Smith, looking incredibly slow, who catches Welker and saves a touchdown.

Smith is flat out not fast enough to be a starting safety. You don't need to have a burner as the late-Al Davis believed but you need a guy who is at least speedy enough to keep up with opposing TEs.

Smith can't even do that. 

The sight of Smith two steps behind a TE has become an all too common one. In today's NFL, where the TE is becoming even more of a hybrid position, with guys like Aaron Hernandez who have skill sets more similar to a wide receiver, Smith does not cut it. Pool is better in coverage and needs to be put in the starting lineup.

2. Make Tom Moore co-offensive coordinator 
It's no secret that I don't think Brian Schottenheimer is a particularly effective offensive coordinator. Now in his sixth season with the Jets he has called some very good games but those are few and far between when you look at the full body of work. It's only getting worse this season.

I support the idea of re-establishing the run game but Mr. Schottenheimer decided this was the week to do it, against the Patriots, the NFL's WORST pass defense coming into that game. That's the same one that was torn apart by CHAD HENNE and the winless Dolphins.  

The run worked well in the first half but when it stagnated in the second half, he stubbornly stuck with it, as the Jets squandered the defense's three-and-outs against Brady. Nick Mangold was back Sunday, the offensive line played better, there's no excuse for SEVEN three-and-outs for the Jets offense. 


Tom Moore was brought in this season as a consultant. He's the offensive guru who coordinated the Colts' prolific offense with Peyton Manning under center for 13 years. Obviously, he did something right.

I'm not trying to make Schottenheimer a scapegoat, as I'm completely aware of the offensive line issues. However, the Jets have been winning games in spite of Schottenheimer for years and while they tried to sweep reports of players complaining to Rex Ryan about him under the rug, I don't believe those are just being made up. 

Moore is a proven veteran who would offer a change as a play-caller. I'm not naive enough to believe that Schottenheimer will be stripped of the offensive coordinator title. He's often not a bad game-planner, however, his in-game adjustments and play-calling are suspect. Moore coordinated Manning's audible-heavy scheme and I think Mark Sanchez is more well-suited to a no-huddle, rhythm-based offense, so this could be a great fit.

3. Get Joe McKnight involved in the offense
The Jets need a playmaker on offense. For years and years, it's been dink and dunk. Long runs or pass plays are an extreme rarity for Gang Green- and I wonder why.

Is it offensive design and play-calling?   

Or is it the pieces on offense themselves? 

The Jets have not had a true gunslinger quarterback in recent memory. Vinny Testaverde was for a season (1998), Chad Pennington sure wasn't, Brett Favre was over-the-hill and Mark Sanchez is still a work-in-progress. They've had lots of good, dependable offensive pieces at RB and WR, guys like Curtis Martin, Wayne Chrebet and Jerricho Cotchery.

But there haven't been that many truly dynamic offensive threats. Keyshawn Johnson was for a brief time. Leon Washington and Brad Smith have been the closest thing in the past few seasons. Those two each become a valuable change of pace player who could turn a defense on its head- and that's missing right now from the 2011 Jets offense. 

That player (or at least one who can fill that void) is already on the roster though. 

It's Joe McKnight. 

I know he became deeply entrenched in Rex Ryan's doghouse for his rookie shenanigans but McKnight has become a difference-maker whenever he is on the field, whether it be returning kicks, blocking a punt or even applying the pressure on Joe Flacco on defense that forced him to throw an interception.

Dismissing McKnight at his natural position, running back, is a big mistake. It was just one game and a game with little on the line but McKnight carried the ball 32 times for 158 yards in last season's final game against the Bills. 


Shonn Greene is not a big play threat and LaDainian Tomlinson is not as explosive as he was in his Chargers days. McKnight at least deserves some carries to try to provide a spark for this stagnant offense.

Pinpointing Problems: Jets through Week 5

Putting aside the Baltimore game, because that was just a complete abomination, but looking at the OAK and NE games, there are three issues (offense/defense) that have plagued this team and have kept it from being 4-1 instead of 2-3.

1. While the Jets defense was one of the top units in '09 and '10, I remember it being more a bend-but-don't break unit then a complete shutdown group. And that worked. Instead of allowing touchdowns, the other team would get in the red zone and the Jets would generally hold them to a FG. I think the numbers would back me up on that.

This season...

Against Oakland: Three TOUCHDOWNS from the 23 yd line or closer
Against NE: Three red zone TOUCHDOWNS

Lose by 10 to OAK, lose by 9 to NE. Change two of those TDs to FGs and you may have different results.

2. The safeties and LBs are just too slow. They cannot contain the edges and it's not a matter of if Eric Smith gets burned each week but how badly. It's a given. The Jets need to try Brodney Pool or someone else (is there anyone?) in that spot because Smith just isn't working AT ALL.

3. Time to move to the offense and while there have been issues that you do hold the players accountable to, like Burress' dropped balls and the O-line breakdowns, the overwhelming problem is Brian Schottenheimer. I just have no doubt about this. This is the sixth season of this nonsense and nothing has changed.

Maybe it's because for more than a decade (outside of Al Groh, who wasn't even the first choice) the Jets have had head coaches with defensive backgrounds. From Parcells to Edwards to Mangini to Ryan, it just seems like the offenses have been plagued by incredible conservatism. 

In my lifetime of really watching the Jets (starting in '98), Dan Henning has been the ONLY offensive coordinator that has given me any promise of spark or explosiveness in the Jets offense. Paul Hackett was the worst, Mike Heimerdinger didn't work out and here we are with Schottenheimer, who is plagued by inconsistency and predictability.

I sometimes believe Schottenheimer has created a good gameplan. The offense works well in the first half (as it did in Oakland and in spurts of this NE game). But then the other team's defense adjusts but Schottenheimer misses that memo. Today for instance, he pounded the Ground and Pound into the ground so much so that it became ineffective.

The predictability of this offense is astounding. I'm not a coach but watching every Jets game it's amazing how often I know what's coming. I don't watch game film but from what I see each week there seems to be fundamental issues in the design of routes.

I watch other teams who are able to hit 15-20 yard pass plays or (gasp) even longer ones. It appears these do not exist in the Jets' playbook. They're running 6 yard curls on 3rd and 8. Seriously?

There's just no imagination. I'm not asking for imagination as in reverses or RB passes or some kind of extravagant trickery. I just want some variety. The Jets rarely work the middle of the field and I don't think they've even taken ONE shot down the field this season....ONE.  It's curls, sideline outs and two-step drops that require perfect timing.

Yes, there are problems with pass blocking and the offensive line but something has to be done to open up the offense.

I know the Jets offense and Schottenheimer so well that I'm willing to put money on them running a playaction deep bomb to Santonio Holmes on our first offensive play next week. I'd go to Vegas and bet on it if it's a proposition.

These problems are not impossible to fix. The Baltimore loss was a blowout but the Jets were in both of these last two games. They're 2-3 and while there are problems, it's not time for doom and gloom...yet. It will be if there are not steps taken to try to solve them.

A very, very good football day

As a Jets fan, there have been many bad days of football this season, as recent as last week's disaster against Atlanta. There have been fourth quarter leads blown and painful last second touchdowns. The really good have been few and far between over the course of my just over a decade of Jets fanhood.

December 27, 2009, week 16 is one of the best I can remember in a long time. Usually, the Jets do not get the breaks. They haven't won a Super Bowl in 40 years. When they have a chance at the AFC Championship game, Doug Brien misses not one, but two game-winning field goals.

But this Sunday was a rare one, where EVERYTHING went the Jets way. Keep in mind, the Jets needed Dolphins and Jaguars losses, and a loss from either the Ravens or Broncos, to control their own destiny. So, look at the timeline of perfect events unfold:

1:00
- Here in NY we only get the Giants/Panthers game at 1:00. I'm not particularly excited, as this game does not hold any meaning to me. But it's the Giants' last game in Giants Stadium. Yes, the Jets also play at Giants Stadium. I do not like this fact. I also do not like the fact that the stadium has been a house of horrors for the Jets seemingly every December. And it just seems like the Giants have all the luck. Scott Norwood, wide right. Lawrence Tynes misses two field goals at Lambeau Field but gets a third chance and sends the Giants to a Super Bowl. David Tyree makes a miraculous catch using his helmet and the Giants win the Super Bowl.

So, there was something very cleansing about seeing the Giants not only lose in their final game at Giants Stadium but look absolutely bewildered. It was not a close game. The Giants were down 31-0 and lost 41-9. They got crushed in an important game they needed to keep their playoff hopes alive. A good start to the day.

- That game wasn't really important to the Jets...it was more just funny to see. But looking at the score ticker, the significant games all started to fall perfectly during the 1:00 hour. Houston up 24-0. Pats up 14-0, then 21-0. Texans and Pats both win. Then the Steelers hold on to beat the Ravens by three.

4:00
- The Jets go into the game against the Colts with control of their own destiny. Unbelievable. They are looking decent, but Manning is just so good. Brad Smith has an amazing return, the longest play in franchise history. But then Manning strikes back and gives them the lead...the point I said in my head, the Jets are good but he's just gonna beat them if he has the ball last. Then Santa Caldwell provides a Christmas miracle, the Colts starters come out, Painter's in and the Jets lead for the rest of the day.
- The 4th quarter honestly may have been the most relaxing quarter of Jets football I've watched all season. There was nothing to complain about. They just ran the ball over and over, as the clock whittled away. Jets win.
- To cap off this round of games, the Eagles win on an Akers field goal, beating the Broncos and giving the Jets a shot at the 5 seed.

SNF
- Cowboys beat the Redskins, Giants are officially done. Week 17 is meaningless for them.

An all-around good day of football watching. But you know what, it was almost...too good. EVERYTHING went right. Next week, the Jets play Cincinnati in a win-and-in game on Sunday Night Football, the first time the Jets have been on SNF since it has been on NBC. All they need to do is win, against a Bengals team that may be resting starters. But Week 16 was so good that Jets history tells me it will all come crashing down in Week 17. I really hope not.

Other NFL notes:

- Jim Zorn said the Redskins were 4-13 in his post-game press conference. Someone is looking ahead to the 18 game season. Washington currently sits at 4-11.

- Enough of the 'Fire Jim Caldwell' nonsense. The guy is 14-1 as a head coach. I don't necessarily agree with his decision to pull the starters (as much as it did help the Jets) but he has earned the right to make that decision.

- Did the Saints seriously lose to the Bucs at home?