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Cortland – There was so much focus on the quarterbacks, and I while that is an important topic, I was also focused closely on something else, and that something else needs to get fixed.
The Jets offensive line didn’t play very well against the Colts.
For instance, early in the game, Breno Giacomini was beat around the edge by OLB Bjoern Werner forcing Geno Smith to throw the ball away.
Giacomini didn’t use a very good kick slide to get out and meet Werner.
On Chris Ivory’s second run of the game, Brian Winters did a poor job picking up blitzing linebacker Henoc Muamba, who blew up this run up, and it gained just one yard. Muamba didn’t make the tackle, but he wrecked the play in the backfield, allowing two others to make the tackle.
On the play after Geno’s pretty read-option run for 10 yards to the left side, Willie Colon was late pulling from right to left, and the guy Colon was attempting to block, OLB Erik Walden, made the stop for a loss of one, Not only did Walden make the stop, but Colon smashed into Chris Johnson the ball carrier, attempting to get over to block Walden
Pulling right to left was a strength of Colon last year. You have to wonder his off-season surgery is impacting his quickness a little.
On Chris Ivory’s second carry of the game, Colon missed a block on D’Quell Jackson who stopped the runner for no gain.
Jets can only help Willie hasn’t lost a stop, and this is just rust. They really needs to this guy to still have it.
In the second quarter, Michael Vick’s second drive ended with a three-and-out, when Cam Johnson beat backup OT Ben Ijalana for a sack. He beat him off the edge.
Ijalana is competing for the backup swing tackle job.
A guy who also is probably in consideration for that, even though he’s played some guard this summer, is Oday Aboushi, who played right tackle in the fourth quarter.
Aboushi got beat twice around the edge on one series. One play ended with a Matt Simms throw away. The other ended with a guard Patrick Ford holding. The reason Ford ended up holding was that with Aboushi getting beat, Simms started to run to the right side, and Ford’s guy stopped going forward, and starting moving laterally, messing up with Ford’s block.
The Jets need to keep Aboushi at guard, and forget about the tackle thing. He’s not good with edge pressure. That is a problem now, and last summer. He’s better at guard.
But with Ijalana and Aboushi struggling, you have to wonder who the all-important backup swing tackle will be.
Maybe Marcus Zusevics has a shot when he gets back from a leg injury.
But overall, whether it was the first or second-string, I thought the Jets lines were a disappointment.
Mike Devlin needs to get this fixed.
Because whether it’s Geno Smith or Mike Vick at quarterback, the Jets need to be a top shelf running attack, and that certainly wasn’t the case on Thursday’s night.
August 8, 2014
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