The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

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Jets Rewind: Analyzing the Good, Bad & Ugly in 9-0 loss to the Packers in Week 8 »

By Manish Mehta

We’ll begin the Goose Egg Edition of The Rewind with a little sunshine on an otherwise gloomy 9-0 loss to the Packers. For all the defensive struggles on third down, the Jets were masterful in shutting down Aaron Rodgers & Co.

GOOD

The Jets forced the Packers into an average of 7.9 yards to go on third downs. The result? The defense, which had been allowing a 42 percent third down conversion rate (24th in NFL) thru the first six games, stymied Green Bay. The Packers converted just 2 of 14 on third down. Rodgers was 4 for 11 for 33 yards.

Here’s how the Jets defense attacked on third downs:

1. Six yards to go… 4-man pressure + spy. (Pass Rushers: 1DL, 2 OLBs, S… ILB was designated spy on the mobile Rodgers). Result: Incomplete pass

2. Seven yards to go… 5-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLBs, ILB, S) Result: Incomplete pass

3. Eight yards to go… 3-man pressure + spy (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLBS… ILB was spy). Result: Incomplete pass

4. Two yards to go… 4-man pressure near goalline (Pass Rushers: 3 DL, 1 OLB… seven drop into coverage) Result: Incomplete pass

5.10 yards to go… 3-man pressure + spy (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLB…. ILB was spy) Result: Incomplete pass

6. Four yards to go… 6-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLB, 2 Safeties, 1 ILB) Result: Incomplete pass

7.19 yards to go… 5-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLBs, S, ILB) Result: 5-yard completion

8. Nine yards to go… 5-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 1 OLB, 2 ILBs, 1 S) Result: 11-yard completion for 1st down.

9. 10 yards to go… 3-man pressure + spy (Pass Rushers: 2 DL, 1 S… ILB/OLB was spy) Result: Incomplete pass

10. Six yards to go… 5-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 2 OLBS, 1 S, 1 ILB) Result: 14-yard completion for 1st down

11. 10 yards to go… 4-man pressure (Pass Rushers: 1 DL, 1 OLB, 2 Safeties) Result: 3-yard completion

Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie played the left and right sides of the defensive formations in the first half. The Jets altered its approach with Donald Driver out for the game with a quad injury. In the second half, Revis tracked Greg Jennings for the most part. There were two plays in the third quarter when Drew Coleman was lined up on Jennings in the slot. Rodgers promptly completed two passes for 22 yards to Jennings.

In the second half, Revis was thrown at twice and gave up an 11-yard completion to Jennings. Jennings had him beat on a double move, but Rodgers' pass was off the mark (over Jennings' wrong shoulder).

The Jets defense gave up its first points in the first quarter all season after Steve Weatherford’s failed fake punt gave the Packers a short field to work with. The Jets gave up a field goal in the first quarter. Hey, nobody’s perfect.

BAD

Mark Sanchez downplayed the dropped passes (six, by my count) from his receivers/running backs and accepted the blame himself.

Of course, it was hardly all his fault, but he needs to be much more accurate if the Jets have any chance of reaching the Promised Land.

Let’s break down the numbers: Sanchez completed 16 of 38 passes (42%). Even if we take away the six attempts that resulted in drops, he’s at 50% (16 of 32). Sanchez didn’t attribute his inaccuracy to the swirling Meadowlands wind, but Santonio Holmes admitted that it did play a factor on a few plays.

The bigger question was why the Jets didn't get Sanchez out of the pocket on the bootlegs that had worked so well during the five-game winning streak. The second-year quarterback had been very successful with those misdirection plays.

Instead, the Jets only called two designed roll-outs.

Here’s Sanchez’s breakdown:

In Pocket: 12-31; 182 yards, sacked twice, 2 INTs

Flushed out of pocket: 3-5; 61 yards

Out of pocket by design: 1-2; 13 yards

The Packers predominately played coverage and forced Sanchez to make the correct decisions rather than bring the kitchen sink. Consider, the Packers rushed just four players 53 percent of the time.

Sanchez vs. Packers’ Pressure Packages:

3 man: 4-8; 45 yards… 1 carry for 20 yards

4 man: 11-20; 147 yards, sack, INT

5 man: 2-10; 64 yards, INT

UGLY

Ryan’s decision to use two challenges in the first half and Weatherford’s failed fake punt has been analyzed ad nauseam over the past 48 hours.

So, let’s move on and look at the six dropped passes and two missed opportunities that killed the Jets.

First, the drops.

1. Santonio Holmes dropped Sanchez’s first pass of the game on a quick slant. The ball was thrown slightly behind Holmes, but he needs to make that catch.

2. Shonn Greene’s first-quarter drop on a beautifully designed screen pass cost the jets about a 20-25 yard gain.

3. Holmes’ dropped a nearly perfectly thrown pass on a drag route that would have been a 45-yard TD on the opening drive of the third quarter. It appeared as if Holmes looked the ball all the way into his hands, but he just dropped it. Hard to explain. By the way, excellent job by Braylon Edwards on the play to rub - and effectively pick - cornerback Sam Shields to help Holmes create about a 3-yard separation.

4, 5 and 6: Three uncharacteristic fourth-quarter drops by Jerricho Cotchery proved costly.

Sanchez missed out on two touchdowns to Braylon Edwards. On 1st and 10 from the Jets 10 in the second quarter, Sanchez rolled to his left on a designed bootleg. He hit Cotchery for a 13-yard gain, but Edwards was the guy he needed to find on that play. The wideout was streaking wide open down the field after Charles Woodson let him go (presumably a miscommunication in the Packers secondary). There was no safety help. It would have been an easy 90-yard TD if Sanchez had seen it.

On 3rd and 8 from the Packers 35 in the fourth quarter, Sanchez threw incomplete to Cotchery in the right corner of the endzone rather than looking to the middle of the field where Edwards open for a TD.

Five offensive penalties certainly didn’t help matters when the jets appeared to gaining momentum on several drives.

Three turnovers in Packers territory are unacceptable.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2010/11/jets-rewind-analyzing-the-good-4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fblogs%2Fjets+%28Blogs%2FThe+Jet+Stream%29#ixzz148u6E8A2

[nodimwithere]

There are no absolutely dominating teams in the NFL this season, in either conference.

With that said, the Pats have looked very good in every game except against the Jets. They currently have the best record in the league. Someone has to beat them--hopefully the Jets-- but that game is in Foxboro. They still have to play Peyton Manning and the Colts, but that game is at Foxboro also.

One thing from Sunday's game against the Pack that is worth noting well; if you stop the Jets run game, Sanchez may not be able to compensate with his arm. A team has to be able to both run AND pass successfully to go all the way. Even the Pats have established a running game, albeit with complete no-name players.