Content available exclusively for subscribers
The problem with starting over
all the time is it’s debilitating to chemistry.
When you see some of the plays that Josh Allen makes with Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Dawson Knox, they stem from knowing the system and each other’s tendencies like the back of their hands.
That touchdown pass from Allen to Knox early in the Dolphins games was two players incredibly comfortable with their system and each other and connecting, on a play where LB Jerome Baker had great coverage.
The Jets starting over with a new system and new quarterbacks all the time, which could happen again, is hurting the Jets’ ability to get that point . . .
From what I hear, the Jets have cast a vast net in their offensive coordinator search. They plan on interviewing a lot of people from around the league.
If he doesn’t get a head coaching job, Frank Reich might make the most sense.
After rolling the dice on somebody (Mike LaFleur) who had never called plays before in the NFL, it would probably behoove the Jets to hire somebody who has called plays on the NFL level and has done it well, like Reich or Darrell Bevell.
Robert Saleh has seen Reich do it well against him, in a 45-3o win during the 2021-22 season.
Reich’s offense wasn’t great this year before he got fired, but he had no left tackle, with a statue QB (Matt Ryan), a terrible combination, and had a mercurial owner meddling at QB . . .
One of the Jets’ first moves after their season ended was to re-sign DT Tanzel Smart, perhaps the smallest defensive tackle on their roster, at under 6-1, and probably in the 280s. He’s listed at 296, but that is an old weight, and he doesn’t look heavy right now.
Not to pick on Smart, who is tough as hell, has a great motor, and earned the right to be re-signed, but the Jets have had an issue this year, especially since the bye-week, with their undersized DT getting engulfed by blockers leading to long runs up the gut.
They have to tweak their defensive tackle philosophy, or at least mix and match more.
Watching the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and seeing two huge athletic space-eating defensive tackles, D.J. Reader and B.J. Hill, plugging up the middle, it’s pretty apparent the Jets need to add some players like this.
You can’t bank on 280 pounds DTs beating interior linemen into gaps off the snap, because if they don’t win that battle off the ball, they often get velcroed to blocks.
Joe Douglas and Chad Alexander should have a long, philosophical chat with their defensive coaches about this.
The one bigger DT they have, Nathan Shepherd, is somewhat penalty prone, and for a big guy, he’s too often handled by one blocker. His motor is excellent, but for a guy as big and strong as he is, he’s surprisingly locked up by one blocker very often. Saleh loves him because he is the “king of strain.” But what the film says – some nice “strain” plays, but too many other runs right at him.
Saleh is a great human being with undying loyalty to his guys, but somebody needs to convince him they need to get some bigger guys up the middle, to compliment Quinnen Williams.
There was a drive against Miami in the third quarter, that is the picture postcard of why philosophical changes need to be made – Dolphins runs of 9, 14, 11, 8, and 21 yards on this one drive alone, leading to the field goal that made it 6-3.
There is no doubt the Jets’ defense improved a great deal this season from the 2021-22 season, and they deserve credit for this, but they better do something to sure up this run defense, if they want to take the next step, get a Reader/Hill, Dexter Lawrence kind of player is what they need. Not saying those guys specifically, because none might be available, but somebody like that.
January 16, 2023
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Tuesday.