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The New York Jets fired their specials teams coaches today. Do whatever you want, and perhaps it’s the right move, but the problem goes deeper than the coaching . . .
Mike Maccagnan has a lot on his plate right now. A lot of meetings, a lot of film review and so forth. He has so much on his plate, his season-ending press conference was pushed back until next week. This press conference is usually held during the week after the season ended.
They thought he was going to do it this week, but it’s been pushed back until next week, and the organization can’t commit to what day he will do it.
I don’t really care when I speaks, I’m just trying to point out that a lot is going on at One Jets Drive this week.
Bizarre turn of events the last three days.
Todd Bowles on Monday: Q: Do you expect your full coaching staff to return next season: A: “Yes.”
Today he fired special team’s coach Bobby April, assistant special team’s coach Steve Hagen and assistant offensive line coach Ron Heller.
I don’t understand why he gave that answer on Monday.
Perhaps his hand was forced by people above him.
“After having our season-ending meetings with the staff, I decided that changes were necessary in these areas,” Bowles said today.
That answer on Monday made little sense.
Why say that when you haven’t had your meetings yet?
At the time, the answer caught many off-guard. I think most of us expected some changes.
Why not say, “Not sure yet, we still have had not had our season-ending meetings.”
Was he just trying to avoid having to answer follow-up questions about his staff on Monday? Perhaps.
This wasn’t handled well.
I think a lot of us expected April and Hagen to be thrown under the bus.
And perhaps it was time for a change.
But in all fairness, Maccagnan did a pretty poor job supply the special teams coaches with requisite talent they needed.
The kick returning was awful, as was the punt coverage.
Two of the worst kickoff return and punt coverage units I’ve seen in quite some time.
Having Antonio Cromartie return kicks was basically giving up on the play. He’s not physical and can’t change direction. He also took a knee in the end zone on plays he shouldn’t have. The general rule on kick returns is if your momentum is going forward, you take it out of the end zone. If you have to go backwards to catch the ball you stay in. He kept some kicks in the end zone he should have taken out. I’m sorry, he’s not a good kick returner. It was a bad idea to have him returning kicks.
Devin Smith isn’t a good kick returner. He never should have touched a kickoff, and he did against Buffalo, and it might have cost the Jets the game. Terrible idea to have him back there.
Lorenzo Mauldin is a bad punt cover guys. He has very stiff hips and isn’t the quick or fast. He was implicated on some of the long returns, including Darrin Sproles touchdown. Never should have been on the punt team – not a space player.
The Jets do a smart thing and signed linebacker Josh Martin in the middle of the season – a very good special teams cover guy. He was inactive for every game with the team. Why?
Ryan Quigley had a bad year. Shanked a punt in Buffalo.
Hey, it’s probably a good idea to make some changes on special teams.
But Maccagnan needs to do a much better job of supplying the necessary players for that unit to succeed.
January 6, 2016
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