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Here is Part Two of Dan’s extensive look at the Jets-Houston. Part Three will appear on Thursday . . .
Mark Sanchez threw a bunch of one-read passes (this is smart because it helps avoid injury) and called it a night. He hit Santonio Holmes on a pair of quick slants. He also threw a one-read quick out to Derrick Mason. On the second series, he ran a bootleg right (this is a good play for him because it cuts the field in half) and he hit TE Matthew Mulligan, who dropped it. If I were the GM, Mulligan would be on the fence. He’s too inconsistent. The next play was a quick slant to Mason that gained 12 . . .
Getting back to Mulligan – he had a false start in the fourth, and also was involved in the play where Sanchez was sacked to end the opening drive in the red zone, and the Jets had to kick a field goal. The man lined up over him, Xavier Abidi, sacked Sanchez. Mulligan went out on a route, and Abidi was unblocked, and easily sacked Sanchez. I have to check on this before I totally point the finger at Mulligan. Perhaps he was supposed to get help . . .
Yesterday, I detailed Ducasse’s struggles, which I do blame a great deal on the coaches for moving him around so much. But there was a play, actually called back by a penalty, where Ducasse showed his enormous ability.
Late in the first quarter, Shonn Greene had an 11-yard run off left tackle. It was called back by a holding call on WR Patrick Turner. On the play. Ducasse pancaked linebacker Tim Dobbins. He just rag-dolled him. Once he gets the nuances of of the game down, this guy can be a dominating run blocker. He’s just a brute.
There was another example of Ducasse’s power as a run blocker, also in the first quarter. On a Greene gain of 19, the runner ran right behind Ducasse, who opened a big hole (with an assistant from FB John Connor) . . .
Bart Scott hurt his leg on Houston’s first play – he got caught in a pile. This was a three-and-out series. On second and third downs, his replacement, Josh Mauga, made excellent plays. First, he stopped runner Derrick Ward for a loss of one. Then he blized up the middle and sacked Matt Schaub for a loss of 11. He also had a pick later in the game. Can you say Wally Pipp?
Scott returned pretty quickly from his injury. I’m not saying it’s because of what Mauga did. Scott is very tough, but the Jets clearly have Scott’s heir apparent in place, whenever the veteran linebacker moves on.
This kid is really good. He went undrafted out of Nevada-Reno due to a back problem. If he was healthy, he might have been a third or fourth round pick. He had surgery, and had to basically sit out what would have been his rookie year. The Jets monitored him throughout his rehab, and brought him back when he is healthy.
He’s instinctive, tough and has good mobility . . .
Jamaal Westerman suffered some kind of elbow injury in this game. His right elbow was wrapped for most of the game, and he left the lockerroom with a lot of ice wrapped on the elbow.
In the second quarter, Westerman was stuck in a tough spot on a Matt Leinart roll to the left that resulted in a four-yard touchdown pass to RB Chris Ogbonnaya. Westerman had the quarterback in front of him, and the running back behind him. Should he cover the QB, or drop back to the runner? He stayed with the QB, and Leinart threw to a wide open Ogbonnaya.
We looked into this. Westerman did the right thing staying with the quarterback. He was supposed to get help on the runner than never came . . .