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Mehta Divines Idzik's QB Plan; Claims he porked it


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NY Jets rookie GM John Idzik had a plan, stuck to it, and it is already in shambles

http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1427324

Rookie general manager John Idzik programmed just about everyone in the organization to use simple talking points this offseason about how “competition” would be the mantra for the 2013 Jets. Everything was going to be an “open and fair” competition, especially at quarterback.

Idzik was the point man pushing a two-man quarterback competition between Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez (after his failed David Garrard signing) for the better part of three months.

The inexperienced GM ruined his own master plan in the span of four days.

Smith, who suffered a sprained ankle in the preseason opener last Friday night, may miss Saturday’s preseason game against the Jaguars at MetLife Stadium. Rex Ryan admitted on Wednesday that Smith’s right ankle isn’t “close to 100% right now,” an indictment of the team’s decision makers who put him on the practice field beginning Sunday.

Rather than give Smith a few days to rest his gimpy ankle, Idzik — who undercut Ryan early in training camp by proclaiming he’d have a “pretty big role” in the quarterback decision-making process and curiously refusing to say that the head coach had final say on the matter — green-lighted the idea to let the rookie practice early this week.

Idzik, the de facto president of the Geno Smith Fan Club, unwittingly sabotaged the open and fair competition, which went from Smith’s to win to Sanchez’s to lose in four days, due to his myopic mind-set.

Idzik let his desire for Smith to win the competition cloud the bigger picture. For a man who prides himself on making meticulous, well-reasoned decisions, the GM made a hasty one that may prevent his guy from winning.

Smith’s motives to push through the pain are easy to understand. He felt that he was on the doorstep toward earning one of the 32 most coveted jobs in the NFL. However, Jets brass, led by Idzik, needed to take a wiser and more cautious approach.

The Jets had five practices between the first and second preseason games. Smith would have almost certainly started against the Jaguars if he hadn’t been injured in Detroit.

He still would have had ample time to prepare even if he missed the first two practices this week.

The Jets increased the odds that the sprain would linger by allowing him to try to push through it. It made little sense.

Anyone who has ever had a sprained ankle knows that the best remedy is rest.

Ryan shares some of the blame for playing Smith, who was “brutal” during his four-interception practice on Wednesday, according to the head coach.

“That was Geno’s worst day,” Ryan said.

“Obviously, the ankle is part of it. Guys have bad days, but this was a really bad day for Geno.”

It shouldn’t have come as a shock. On Sunday, Smith hobbled around like a 40-something weekend warrior. On Monday, he looked slightly better. Although witnesses said that Smith appeared more fluid on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ryan's blunt assessment was a buzz kill for Geno supporters such as Idzik.

Idzik & Co. were so blinded by the desire for the rookie to beat out Sanchez that they didn’t realize that they were hurting their own cause. If Smith misses the game on Saturday night, then Sanchez will win the job unless he implodes against the Jaguars.

If Sanchez plays well on Saturday, Ryan won’t be able to justify starting Smith the following week. The third preseason game is usually the final dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season. The Week 1 starters typically play into the second half of the third preseason game, so starting Smith wouldn’t make any sense. (Ryan doesn’t play his key starters in the final preseason game).

The only scenario that can save Idzik is if Smith starts and somehow outplays Sanchez despite the gimpy ankle. It’s a longshot considering how the rookie has looked in practice this week.

Idzik said that the organization would involve everyone from coaches to front-office members to scouts before coming up with a “collective” decision on the Week 1 quarterback.

Somehow, all those people agreed that forcing the issue in early August with an injured rookie was a good idea.

Sanchez surely thanks them for it.

Twitter.com/MMehtaNYDN

Author:

Manish Mehta

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Mehta is trolling hard, he really must hate that Idzik isn't as loose-lipped with the private information as Tanny was.  At least it's becoming clearer and clearer who his anonymous sources were. 

 

Besides the whole article being fairly absurd, he glosses over the fact that we could have two first round picks starting from day one; I don't care if he misses on Garrard and both goodson and ivory, if you can nail two first rounders who play all 16 games at a high level, you've had a successful year.

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Is it just me or is Manish much, much, MUCH worse now than he was when he started covering the Jets?

 

It's as if there's a poison in the press room that slowly but surely turns you into Rich Cimini...

 

No, it isn't just you.  That hack should never work again.  He's a despicable POS.

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Is it just me or is Manish much, much, MUCH worse now than he was when he started covering the Jets?

 

It's as if there's a poison in the press room that slowly but surely turns you into Rich Cimini...

 

I have been critical of Cimini mostly because it is fun.  But at the end of the day Cimini is a good writer and he understands football.  I just can't say the same two things about Manish!

 

when Cimini goes back and breaks things down, his insight is excellent.  What have you ever learned from reading a Manish article?

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I have been critical of Cimini mostly because it is fun. But at the end of the day Cimini is a good writer and he understands football. I just can't say the same two things about Manish!

when Cimini goes back and breaks things down, his insight is excellent. What have you ever learned from reading a Manish article?

The difference between Cimini and Mehta is that Cimini at least presents an accurate description of an actual event before commenting on it. Jets fans hate his conclusions, but he's at least not outright bullsh*tting anyone. Mehta will shamelessly build a thesis around an event he created in his head, act as though that event is real, and then build a conclusion off of a mound of paranoid fairy dust. The Idzik-is-a-failure storyline is simply idiotic at this point, and his Jets-fans-are-classless article was nothing but trolling. I'm sure he watched Cimini carve out a nice 20 year career in New York by tweaking Jets fans, and he wants to do the same. The only problem is, Cimini has a talent for it and Mehta doesn't. He's transparent to the point of absurdity, and he's going to find himself trying to scratch up a job in Des Moines soon. New York fans will embrace a media villain for a long time, as long as you're smart in your execution. But if you're dumb, you'll get tuned out and punted to the hinterlands like your name was Brandon Tierney.

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Manish could make a good case that Idzik screwed up the QB competition by signing a QB who hadn't played an NFL down in two years. He could've blamed the coaches/trainers for not taping up Smith's ankle before last week's game. But no, he went for allowing the player to practice in a non-contact situation. That's his smoking gun. Really terrible piece.

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The difference between Cimini and Mehta is that Cimini at least presents an accurate description of an actual event before commenting on it. Jets fans hate his conclusions, but he's at least not outright bullshitting anyone. Mehta will shamelessly build a thesis around an event he created in his head, act as though that event is real, and then build a conclusion off of a mound of paranoid fairy dust. The Idzik-is-a-failure storyline is simply idiotic at this point, and his Jets-fans-are-classless article was nothing but trolling. I'm sure he watched Cimini carve out a nice 20 year career in New York by tweaking Jets fans, and he wants to do the same. The only problem is, Cimini has a talent for it and Mehta doesn't. He's transparent to the point of absurdity, and he's going to find himself trying to scratch up a job in Des Moines soon. New York fans will embrace a media villain for a long time, as long as you're smart in your execution. But if you're dumb, you'll get tuned out and punted to the hinterlands like your name was Brandon Tierney.

 

Totally agree.  Minus the political part, which is why I removed it.  :)

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I have been critical of Cimini mostly because it is fun.  But at the end of the day Cimini is a good writer and he understands football.  I just can't say the same two things about Manish!

 

when Cimini goes back and breaks things down, his insight is excellent.  What have you ever learned from reading a Manish article?

 

That I can do better as a troll.

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The difference between Cimini and Mehta is that Cimini at least presents an accurate description of an actual event before commenting on it. Jets fans hate his conclusions, but he's at least not outright bullsh*tting anyone. Mehta will shamelessly build a thesis around an event he created in his head, act as though that event is real, and then build a conclusion off of a mound of paranoid fairy dust. The Idzik-is-a-failure storyline is simply idiotic at this point, and his Jets-fans-are-classless article was nothing but trolling. I'm sure he watched Cimini carve out a nice 20 year career in New York by tweaking Jets fans, and he wants to do the same. The only problem is, Cimini has a talent for it and Mehta doesn't. He's transparent to the point of absurdity, and he's going to find himself trying to scratch up a job in Des Moines soon. New York fans will embrace a media villain for a long time, as long as you're smart in your execution. But if you're dumb, you'll get tuned out and punted to the hinterlands like your name was Brandon Tierney.

 

Bold 100% agree. Didn't read the rest because I sudden had the desire to stab you with 500 toothpicks and then sand them down to skin level.

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Yeah, this is really something. Geno said if Friday had been a regular-season game, he'd have stayed in. He looked fine in practice Sunday-Tuesday. He has a sh*tty practice on Wednesday, and suddenly Idzik is the football equivalent of a dad who leaves his kids in the car at Walmart. I think yesterday's practice had nothing to do with the ankle and everything to do with the fact that he's a rookie.

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I don't think Idzik has done one single thing wrong when it comes to the QB position and We should certainly not hold the Gerrard signing against him. Mehta is an idiot.

When you sign a guy who hasn't played an NFL game in two years to compete for your starting QB job, you need to be 100% certain that player is capable of physically performing. It's completely fair to hold that against him. When the pitchforks eventually start coming for Idzik, Garrard will be brought up again. Might as well be fair about it now.

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When you sign a guy who hasn't played an NFL game in two years to compete for your starting QB job, you need to be 100% certain that player is capable of physically performing. It's completely fair to hold that against him. When the pitchforks eventually start coming for Idzik, Garrard will be brought up again. Might as well be fair about it now.

 

It's been argued that he is physically capable of performing.  He just didn't want to deal with it being more work than when he was 28 and didn't need to ice down his knees every day after practice.  He said he was into it and wanted it and was willing to work through it and just flat-out lied.  In week one of adversity, Garrard quit.  And the team wasn't even doing anything serious yet.

 

One could argue that he should have brought in someone else but he wanted a dirt-cheap, up to 1 year band-aid of a QB who would then be satisfied being the #2 guy and mentor.  Garrard seemed like a perfect fit and Idzik was wrong because Garrard lied about his resolve.  Lesson learned, I hope.

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I have been critical of Cimini mostly because it is fun.  But at the end of the day Cimini is a good writer and he understands football.  I just can't say the same two things about Manish!

 

when Cimini goes back and breaks things down, his insight is excellent.  What have you ever learned from reading a Manish article?

I agree

 

Cimini  is hated by Jets' fans because he always finds a way to throw a dig at the Jets, and revels when things go bad, but he doesn't just fabricate theories, and make believe sources  to give his, "grassy knoll" reporting some credibility  as Mehta does

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oh wow, geno practiced on a twisted ankle so idzik is the worst.  I see...

 

 

It depends.  The premise of Mehta's story is that Idzik intervened in a coaching decision, to push his agenda, and it went bad.  How would he know that?  

 

If Idzik is doing that this will be a rough ride.   I just don't think Mehta has a clue if what he is writing is true.

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It depends.  The premise of Mehta's story is that Idzik intervened in a coaching decision, to push his agenda, and it went bad.  How would he know that?  

 

If Idzik is doing that this will be a rough ride.   I just don't think Mehta has a clue if what he is writing is true.

 

I dont know man.  Playing dinged up is the way of life as an NFL player.  Playing on a sore ankle, knee, back, shoulder etc is going to effect every player during the year.  Maybe this was to see how Smith would respond.  If he was the starting QB do you think that the #2 QB would start the next game because of a twisted ankle? Def not. IMO, what we have here is a lesson for Smith, you cant let your play slip because you are dinged up.  He didnt use it as an excuse which is a positive but he wasnt able to compensate for it in practice.  A pro QB plays through injuries.  See Raplesburger, dood played with a cast on his ankle.

 

I just dont get where the blame falls on Idzik.  You think he went to Smith and told him to get out there on the field?  You think he told Rex to make Smith practice?  I just dont get it.  Maybe, MAAAAYBE, Smith was told if he wants a shot at starting he has to practice but that goes for just about EVERY player on the roster.  I dont see where Idzik is the bad guy unless drafting a QB with hopes he is better than our incumbent, uncuttable QB.

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When you sign a guy who hasn't played an NFL game in two years to compete for your starting QB job, you need to be 100% certain that player is capable of physically performing. It's completely fair to hold that against him. When the pitchforks eventually start coming for Idzik, Garrard will be brought up again. Might as well be fair about it now.

 

I think it was worth the risk.  IF HEALTHY, he was by far the best option out there in my mind.  Obviously we weren't counting on who we were bringing in to be anything more than a hold-the-fort guy, a role that Sanchez will now likely assume until he's booed out of the building.

 

The only thing I wish we'd done is immediately hired Garrard as a QB coach of sorts to help Geno, because he's a good, smart guy who would be solid in that role. 

 

If signing Garrard has been his worst decision, or at least top 2 or 3, then I'm very happy with Idzik so far.  At least you can say the LOGIC behind his moves with minimal cap space has been pretty sound, even if they don't work out as hoped.

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It's been argued that he is physically capable of performing.  He just didn't want to deal with it being more work than when he was 28 and didn't need to ice down his knees every day after practice.  He said he was into it and wanted it and was willing to work through it and just flat-out lied.  In week one of adversity, Garrard quit.  And the team wasn't even doing anything serious yet.

 

One could argue that he should have brought in someone else but he wanted a dirt-cheap, up to 1 year band-aid of a QB who would then be satisfied being the #2 guy and mentor.  Garrard seemed like a perfect fit and Idzik was wrong because Garrard lied about his resolve.  Lesson learned, I hope.

Sorry, but that's on Idzik, IMHO.

He traded a fourth round pick, and spent $2M/year -each- for two veteran RBs, while simultaneously opting to cheap out at the most important position on the field. All the while knowing full well that the draft wasn't offering anything remotely close to a sure-fire thing at QB, either.

I don't care what the player said to him, he hadn't played an NFL down in two years. Idzik took an unnecessary risk that backfired.

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Does he really think the GM makes the decision on who should practice?  Rex said in an interview that the Doc's cleared Smith to play.  Is this idiot saying that the GM of an NFL team went to team Doc's and told them to clear Smith so he could practice??  No freaken way that happened.  So only other practical conclusion is the clown author made the story up because HE does not think Smith was ok to practice.

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Sorry, but that's on Idzik, IMHO.

He traded a fourth round pick, and spent $2M/year -each- for two veteran RBs, while simultaneously opting to cheap out at the most important position on the field. All the while knowing full well that the draft wasn't offering anything remotely close to a sure-fire thing at QB, either.

I don't care what the player said to him, he hadn't played an NFL down in two years. Idzik took an unnecessary risk that backfired.

I still think that Jason Campbell would have been a solid QB to bring in. Around the same

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Entirely fair to say Garrard and Goodson are probably going to be viewed as debacles. Yet NOBODY expects this team to compete for the playoffs. The HC is obviously being set put to be the fall guy and even he probably knows it. And even with all that how can anyone jump to such conclusions since the Jets don't play a game that counts for roughly 4 weeks? Idzik clearly is form the Glen Grunwald/Glen Sather School of Press Availability-NONE. And really Herman Edwards and often Tannenbaum(oh, I have to go to a diner to negotiate!) were like a 7/11 for these guys and it ultimately meant nothing. You succeed by what your team does on the field. Being friends with Mark Canizarro or having coffee with Manish Mehta gets you nothing. Idzik may fail or succeed based on won/loss records. Unless he pulls a Tortarella and starts calling out media guys  how he does or doesn't interact with them means less than nothing. 

 

My conclusion-Mehta is a jerk off who no longer has any inside source feeding him information. He has to write something to fill his articles. This is today's gibberish. 

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i dont see how Geno resting for a week or two leads to him starting week 1. 

Given the schedule of weeks 1 and 2- 2 games in 5 days-makes no sense to throw Smith in Week 1 or 2. Week 3 coming of almost 10 days between games might make sense.

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I think all literate Jet fans should write to the Daily News and inform them that they will never read another Mehta article.  That might do the trick. Bismarck here he comes.

 

Much more effective would be writing to the advertisers and telling them that you will no longer read the Daily News if Mehta continues to be employed there.  If enough advertisers start yanking their $s away or telling the Schnooze to get rid of Mehta then something would happen.

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Sorry, but that's on Idzik, IMHO.

He traded a fourth round pick, and spent $2M/year -each- for two veteran RBs, while simultaneously opting to cheap out at the most important position on the field. All the while knowing full well that the draft wasn't offering anything remotely close to a sure-fire thing at QB, either.

I don't care what the player said to him, he hadn't played an NFL down in two years. Idzik took an unnecessary risk that backfired.

 

I've come to agree on Garrard.  I think he was too risky. I also think that Idzik tried to get by too cheaply at a key position.  In his defense however, I will say that there weren't many very good options out there of someone who could legitimately be a quality starter and mentor to Geno.  I think other than Garrard, Campbell or Gradkowski were the two best and Idzik should have at least tried to sign one of them.  I understand that he had hopes that Geno would develop quickly, and perhaps only saw this as a one-year rental, so he didn't want to sign a QB long term.  Gradkowski signed a 4-year deal  I believe, so maybe he wasn't interested in a one-year contract.  I think Campbell did sign a one-year deal, however.  The thing is, maybe Idzik did contact them or their agents and they had no desire to play for the Jets or in NYC.  I doubt it, but guess it's possible.

 

With regard to Sperm's point about Garrard lying, I don't think Garrard intentionally lied or even lied at all.  He may have underestimated the amount of pain he'd have or his willingness to play through it, or may have never even been asked what if type of questions.  He may have been asked nothing beyond whether or not he was healthy, and maybe he was healthy and pain free just walking around and though he'd be ok.

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Does he really think the GM makes the decision on who should practice?  Rex said in an interview that the Doc's cleared Smith to play.  Is this idiot saying that the GM of an NFL team went to team Doc's and told them to clear Smith so he could practice??  No freaken way that happened.  So only other practical conclusion is the clown author made the story up because HE does not think Smith was ok to practice.

 

QFT

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