Content available exclusively for subscribers
Didn’t you think the Jets were going to have a good offensive day based on their first possession?
It certainly looked that way.
On the Jets’ first third down, 3rd-and-nine, Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes on a come-back route on the right numbers for a gain of 11. Holmes beat CB Cortez Allen on the play.
Later on this drive, Jeremy Kerley beat CB Keenan Lewis down the left numbers and Sanchez threw a perfect pass for a gain of 45.
And the drive ended with Sanchez selling the play-action effectively, creating space between Sanchez and CB Ike Taylor, and the quarterback hit Holmes on a quick slant, on the right side, for a 14-yard touchdown.
And that was basically it. The passing game fell apart after this drive.
The Jets only other scoring drive was early in the second quarter, and it resulted in a field goal. It was a run-oriented drive. The only two plays of note that passing game contributed were drawing a pair of interference calls.
After this early second quarter drive, the offense was basically done for the day.
Sanchez was very unimpressive after that first drive.
I asked Sanchez after the game if the team is still suffering from growing pains in Tony Sparano’s offense. After all, it was only the second game in a new system. He dismissed the notion.
But there is no question that is going on.
Remember how the second possession ended (before the field goal). Sanchez threw a hot read to Jeff Cumberland, and the tight end didn’t turn around. They weren’t on the same page.
Even Rex Ryan admitted that some of the route-running needs to get better.
“Routes have to be crisper,” Ryan said . . .
Matt Slauson did nothing to merit getting pulled for one series for Vlad Ducasse.
He didn’t have a bad game.
One play of note was when Slauson locked up massive nose tackle Casey Hampton on a Bilal Powell run to the left side for 10 yards on the Jets second possession (the field goal drive).
Rex gave this explanation for using Ducasse for Slauson on a third quarter possession –
“We were just giving an opportunity to Vlad to play,” Ryan said. “We do the same thing on defense. You saw Demario Davis in there some. You saw Josh Mauga in there. You saw the entire defensive line rotation. If you have a good football player, then you should use him. That’s always been my belief. I think Vlad has earned that right to play some.”
That is kind of a reach. Linebackers and defensive linemen often rotate in the NFL, especially defensive linemen. It’s very rare for offensive guards to platoon.
That answer doesn’t fly.
It’s highly unlikely Slauson is a Jet in 2013, and I think the feeling is mutual . . .
But there is no question Vlad has improved. On his one series, he did a very nice job on the Tim Tebow Wildcat run for 22 yards.
Vlad and Nick Mangold had a terrific combo block on a defensive lineman (I didn’t catch the number), and this helped open the hole up the middle . . .
Sanchez did a poor job in the second half, and no drive pointed that out more than the three-and-out, with about four minutes left, with the Jets down 27-14.
There was one force to Holmes who was not open. There was one pass that was thrown between Jeremy Kerley and Holmes, and it wasn’t clear who it was intended for. It was between the two of them. And then the drive ended with Sanchez overthrowing Cumberland over the middle.
That drive was ugly . . .
How did Austin Howard fair in his second start?
Not too bad.
He did give up a sack to Lamar Woodley on the Jets’ first possession of the second half. Hey, this is going to happen against a top-shelf pass rusher like Woodley.
On the Jets’ first drive, Woodley did beat him around the edge for a potential sack, but Sanchez did a nice of stepping up in the pocket and hitting Clyde Gates for an 11-yard gain on the left side . . .
Sometimes Mike Tannenbaum overdoes the “mini-draft” stuff on Labor Day, but it looks like addition of tight end Konrad Reuland was a solid one. He had two receptions for 20 yards (he’s a better receiver than advertised), and on the Jets’ field goal drive, he locked up OLB Jason Worilds, on a Powell four-yard run off left tackle. He’s a fundamentally sound blocker . . .
September 17, 2012
(Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Tuesday)