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It’s time for another helping of Dan’s Website Whispers on Gang Green. A lot of stuff to get into, so let’s get going . . .
The Jets situation at nose tackle is really bad right now.
Sione Pouha can hardly move because of a bulging disc in his back, and Kenrick Ellis needs major work on his technique.
The San Francisco 49ers dominated both of these guys.
I just saw a 49ers highlight from last Sunday, where Frank Gore ran for about 10 yards up the middle.
On the play, Ellis’ technique was so poor, he got pushed back on skates by left tackle Joe Staley about 10 yards and pancaked into the ground.
It was ugly.
It’s time for the Jets to get rookie DT Damon Harrison in the mix.
What is that old expression about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result? It’s foolish.
The Jets have the 31st ranked run defense, and in a 3-4 defense, so much of what goes against the run emanates from the nose tackle spot. Right now, the Jets have issues there.
If they want to keep playing pretend, that is fine.
But perhaps it’s time to deal with reality – Pouha’s back is a mess, and Ellis is too often a liability – he’s got heavy feet, and often plays too upright . . .
I talked to a couple of guys who are really on top of what is going on with the Texans, and came away thinking they are beatable.
First of all, their vaunted running game has only been average this year.
“Arian Foster is only averaging 3.7 yards per game, and his backup Ben Tate is averaging 3.9,” pointed out one daily team observer. “They’ve had some issues in short yardage (3rd and 1’s vs Tennessee last week). A lot of people are looking at the right side of the line, with two new starters, right guard Antoine Caldwell and right tackle Derek Newton. They have some good runs, but too many that go for 1-3 yards.”
And Caldwell is iffy for this game. He is dealing with knee and ankle issues. If he can’t go, rookie Ben Jones will start for him. Jones was a center at Georgia, so it remains to be seen what he will do at guard.
Speaking of the run, the Texans have been average stopping the run.
“They have given up yards to both Miami’s Reggie Bush and Tennessee’s Chris Johnson, who ran very well last week,” the observer said. “The defense is built to stop the pass more than the run, but it’s still a concern.”
Speaking of their defense, they suffered an injury to one of the safeties last week.
“Quintin Demps has a broken forearm and is out for a while, but the Texans play a ton of dime under Wade Phillips, with a bunch of cornerbacks and safeties on the field,” the observer said. “Demps is one of the best 3rd safeties around.” . . .
I know most people view the Jets wide receiver situation as dire, but they might surprise you on Monday.
Right now, Chaz Schilens is a better player than Stephen Hill, who will likely miss this game with a hamstring injury. Schilens knows what he’s going out there, and Hill is very, very raw.
Also, I don’t see a big drop-off from Santonio Holmes to Jeremy Kerley. Call me crazy, but I just think that the Mark Sanchez-Holmes combo leaves way too many plays on the field, and Kerley has quietly don’t some really nice things this year, including the two longest pass plays for the Jets. Kerley is underrated, and I think people will pleasantly surprised at what he can do in a bigger role.
Also, Jeff Cumberland is a stud athlete at tight end, and while he need to make less mental errors, his physical skills are off-the-charts.
We will see what happens, but my gut is that the trio of Schilens, Kerley and Cumberland will do better than people think.
And Clyde Gates and Jason Hill, a pair of 4.3 players, can be used to stretch the defense . . .
October 5, 2012
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