Some Rankings Dip but Run Defense Rises to Top ~ ~ ~

[kelly]

Todd Bowles Will Like Jets' NFL Rankings as No. 1 in Yards Allowed Per Game & Per Rush

Last week Todd Bowles addressed his feelings about the number of No. 1 rankings the Jets had attained after six weeks of the season.

"We don’t worry about rankings. We’re just trying to score or keep the opponent to one less point so our offense can win the ballgame," the head coach said. "For us, it’s about third downs, turnovers, red zone and stopping the run. All the other stuff, we don’t worry about."

Well, many of those No. 1 rankings dipped this week due to Sunday's game at New England, but Bowles will definitely not worry about a new top rank the Jets achieved this week: rushing defense.

In holding the Patriots to a Jets-franchise-record 16 yards, the Green & White rose to first in the league in both rushing yards/game (71.5) and rushing yards/attempt (3.4). They last held the yards/game top spot for the first four weeks of last season and last held it this late in the season from Weeks 8-13 in 2013. The Jets also lead with 25 rushing first downs allowed and are tied for the lead in yielding two rushing touchdowns.

Needless to say, the Patriots were complicit in that performance by deciding not to run much — the nine carries also were a franchise low by a Jets opponent.But that didn't diminish former QB Steve Beuerlein's view of the Jets D during his appearance on NFL Monday QB on CBS Sports Network last night."I was impressed with the defense. They were not intimidated at all," Beuerlein said. "It took Tom Brady a while to figure these guys out. The Patriots rushed for a total of 16 yards. You can make the case that they only ran the ball nine times in the course of the game, but the point is that they couldn’t run the ball. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady realized that they were going to have to beat them throwing the ball. That’s respect."

The Jets' run defense has emerged over a torrid last three games in which the unit has allowed a total of 109 rush yards — 59 to the Dolphins and 34 to the Redskins before the Patriots — which is easily the lowest three-game total in franchise history, ahead of the 125 yards allowed by the 1986 Jets from Games 6-8.It's possible the defense will face a similar approach by the Raiders, who are led on the ground by third-year tailback Latavius Murray but are 23rd overall in team rush yards. Meanwhile, Derek Carr is hot coming off of his winning road shootout with the Chargers' Philip Rivers and is packing an 11/3 TD/interception margin and a 100.9 passer rating as he dishes to first-round rookie Amari Cooper and seventh-year veteran/first-year Raider Michael Crabtree.

Among the Jets' top-ranked units of a week ago that dropped back: the rushing offense went from 1 to 3, yardage defense from 1 to 2, scoring defense from 1 to 4. But in outgaining the Patriots for the fifth consecutive game, albeit by a thin 372-353 margin, the Jets lead the league for the second week in yardage margin, an average of 95.3 yards/game.

But as Darrelle Revis said Monday, their Patriots experience will help take on the Silver & Black and beyond."For the most part, we felt like we played solid," Revis said. "There were a lot of positive things from this game that we can build on. That was the main focus, make the correction from what we did wrong, but also there were a lot of positives that we took out of this game that we can build on for this upcoming week and moving forward in the season."

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Some-Rankings-Dip-but-Run-Defense-Rises-to-Top/32c6a394-53da-4fbe-b8d6-b0f0763d4840

[JiFtheOracle]

Not worried about rankings except for 3rd down, turnovers, red zone and stopping the run.

[UntouchableCrew]

Well, the fact that they didn't attempt to run at all probably has something to do with it. But I think we all expected some statistical dives after playing the best offense in the league.

[kelly]

Todd Bowles was asked Monday if the Jets had made a statement the previous day by almost pulling off an upset of high-powered New England."There are no statements when you lose," Bowles responded. "We’ve got to win games. We’re not in this thing to play close games."

Bowles’ stance is the right one, and it certainly was the tack his players took when they spoke to media members immediately after the frustrating defeat. As Bill Parcells, one of Bowles’ mentors, has often said, "You get no medals for trying."

Yet superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis was right when he said he found some positives in the loss, nearly 24 hours after the fact."For the most part, we felt like we played solid," Revis said. "There were a lot of positive things from this game that we can build on. That was the main focus [Monday]: make the corrections from what we did wrong but also, there were a lot of positives that we took out of this game that we can build on this upcoming week and moving forward in the season."

There are plenty of positives for the Jets, especially on Revis’ side of the ball.

The biggest one is this: They won’t see Tom Brady again until Week 16, when the Patriots travel to North Jersey for the rematch.

Yes, the Jets’ defense, which came into Sunday ranked atop the NFL, allowed two decisive fourth-quarter touchdowns. And even against Brady, that is unacceptable.But they won’t be facing very many quarterbacks of Brady’s caliber the rest of the way in 2015. Unless, of course, they get into the playoffs.

In their next five games, the Jets (4-2) will play Oakland, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Houston and Miami before "visiting" the Giants and Eli Manning on Dec. 6.The current starting quarterbacks for those five teams, in order, are Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, EJ Manuel (at least until Tyrod Taylor is healthy), Brian Hoyer and Ryan Tannehill.

Nope, there are no Tom Bradys in there, even though Carr and Bortles are improving in their second pro seasons, and Tannehill already seems more comfortable under interim coach Dan Campbell than he did under the fired Joe Philbin.And as for the Jets’ loss to New England, "These games that come down to the wire, come down to making a play," Revis said. "Down the stretch they made a couple more plays than we did."And one major reason for that is that the Patriots have Brady. Consider one of the pivotal plays in the fourth quarter, a 27-yard reception by Julian Edelman that converted a third-and-17 and helped launch New England’s first touchdown drive.

"We were fine schematically" on the play, Bowles said. "We just didn’t stop them."

Edelman was open in the middle of the Jets’ zone because safety Dion Bailey made a momentary turn to the outside, leaving room for Edelman. Bailey was filling in for starting safety Calvin Pryor, who had suffered an ankle injury earlier in the game.

Bailey took the blame after the game, and Bowles said Monday, "He was right. He could’ve played it better."That is the kind of mistake Brady has made opponents pay for throughout his career. It’s possible that a lesser quarterback might not have spotted Edelman. But although Brady will sometimes miss a throw, just like any quarterback, he seldom misses a read.

The Jets have plenty of time to tighten things up on defense before they see him again.

>      http://www.northjersey.com/sports/football/rays-of-sunshine-in-loss-to-pats-1.1442598

[Savage69]

Well, the fact that they didn't attempt to run at all probably has something to do with it. But I think we all expected some statistical dives after playing the best offense in the league.

In the AFCCG against Denver they held the Jets to 14 yds on 13 carries.. 

[Long Island Leprechaun]

In the AFCCG against Denver they held the Jets to 14 yds on 13 carries.. 

Who was stiff we had a RB in that game?

[#27TheDominator]

 

>    http://www.newyorkjets.com/news/article-randylangefb/Some-Rankings-Dip-but-Run-Defense-Rises-to-Top/32c6a394-53da-4fbe-b8d6-b0f0763d4840

November 17, 1985.  The James Wilder revenge game.