First thing I glanced at Newsday..

[lawngnome o-line]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-spglaub115409013oct11,0,1013894.column

Five easy ways to fix the Jets

Bob Glauber

October 11, 2007

Been waiting by the phone all week thinking Eric Mangini might call looking for a few suggestions about how to turn his team around, but only the telemarketers are getting through. Evidently, the Jets coach is gonna tough it out as he tries to right the ship after a 1-4 start.

In the meantime, we'll offer an unsolicited five-point plan that Mangenius might want to consider:

1. Be ready to pull the plug on Chad Pennington

I've been a Pennington defender through some pretty miserable times around here, but it's gotten to the point where Eric Mangini must seriously consider a change if his quarterback continues to turn the ball over. Pennington's biggest strength over the years has been his accuracy, and it's made up for his lack of arm strength. But if he can't whip the ball in there and he's throwing interceptions, then something has to give.

Kellen Clemens is the heir apparent, he showed tremendous improvement during the preseason compared to his rookie year, and he has a live arm. When you lose football games, you need a spark, and right now, Clemens is that spark.

Pennington has poured his heart and soul into his team and his profession, and his can-do attitude is infectious. But there's been too much can't-do on Sundays for Mangini not to seriously consider making a change here.

One more thing on Pennington: Against Philly, he has to throw the ball down the field, just to keep the Eagles from sitting on the routes as the Giants did last weekend. Even if the passes are broken up or miss the mark, at least you stretch the field and keep the defense more honest.

2. Run Thomas Jones

Then run him some more. And some more after that. In the Jets' only win (31-28 over Miami), Jones carried the ball 25 times. In the last two losses, Jones carried the ball a combined 25 times.

It's just not enough. Jones is a workhorse back, and that means you have to pound him over and over again, even if he's not producing immediate results. It's that way even with the great backs. How many times did you see Emmitt Smith stopped for no gain or a loss of 2 and then break one during his Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. You just have to be patient, and the Jets haven't done that enough with a player who figured to make their offense a ton better.

*********** 3. Blitz, Blitz, Blitz *************

And then blitz some more. The Jets' pass rush has been worse than pathetic, with three sacks all season. Three lousy sacks! It's almost laughable. But if they can't get sustained pressure with more conventional rushes, then defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has to come up with some unpredictable schemes that at least will be disruptive. Now, that does come with risk and requires the secondary to be more precise in its coverage because there are fewer players to watch receivers. Case in point: Plaxico Burress' touchdown catch Sunday came on a blitz, although if Andre Dyson had wrapped Burress up and made the tackle, it would not have turned into a big play.

One guy Sutton has to turn loose on blitzes is safety Kerry Rhodes. He regularly rushed the passer last season and came up with a career-high five sacks. But he has rushed very little this season and doesn't have a sack. Let the guy make some plays.

4. Get Leon Washington right

The kid was a phenom last year and was a huge reason the Jets managed to make the playoffs despite losing Curtis Martin for the season. He ran from scrimmage. He turned swing and screen passes into big plays. For whatever reason, he just hasn't been the same this year. Maybe defensive coordinators have him figured out. But offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer needs to get Washington going from scrimmage.

5. Find some emotion

Mangini keeps preaching consistency, but where has it gotten him? To 1-4, because the only consistency is inconsistency. But is there anything so wrong with getting your team so fired up to play that you see some emotion from it? This team looks flat as a pancake, especially on defense. And that's where you need your players to turn into psychos. Make a play. Get excited about it. Fire up your teammates. It's football. Where is the passion, people?

Some other ideas:

Tell Dewayne Robertson to make a play. Then tell Bryan Thomas.

Throw a pass once in a while to Justin McCareins, who has only one catch since his two infamous drops in Week 2. If you don't like the guy, then trade him.

Keep it simple. Gimmicks won't work. If anything, scale down the playbook and get back to the basics.

I liked the article alot, especially points #1 and #3. Rhodes needs to start getting in on blitzing attacks, and the D needs to start looking hungry out there.

[CoachTsurfing]

I understand Mangini is the coach and is going to do things his way. But, at this point he is being stubborn. He is going to wind up like Edwards. You have to make changes when the things you are doing aren't working. I love what Mangini did his first year, but this year he has been horrible. He should have gotten to personel to make his system work. he didn't, so I would give him one more year after this one. If he still hasn't then it's his own fault and should be fired.

[tparich]

2. Run Thomas Jones

Then run him some more. And some more after that. In the Jets' only win (31-28 over Miami), Jones carried the ball 25 times. In the last two losses, Jones carried the ball a combined 25 times.

It's just not enough. Jones is a workhorse back, and that means you have to pound him over and over again, even if he's not producing immediate results. It's that way even with the great backs. How many times did you see Emmitt Smith stopped for no gain or a loss of 2 and then break one during his Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. You just have to be patient, and the Jets haven't done that enough with a player who figured to make their offense a ton better.

I would love a team with a running game but to keep running when your not getting anywhere is only an option if you have a D that can keep the game close. With no D then the score is going to get out of hand to fast.

Just handing the ball off is not an answer before they get a few other things fixed first.