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Premium – Today we have a couple of nuggets, one on Marty Mornhinweg, and the other on the Cincinnati Bengals’ game last year. Let’s get this underway . . .
Marty Mornhinweg was asked how he would rate the training camps of Geno Smith and Michael Vick.
“Geno has had an outstanding camp; Mike has had an outstanding camp,” Mornhinweg responded.
One writer joked after hearing this – “Marty, we need you to pee into this cup.”
In other words, take a drug test. The writer thought “outstanding” was way over the top.
Smith and Vick were okay in camp. “Okay” is a good word. “Outstanding” is probably a bit hyperbolic. Too many passes hit the ground, and the team didn’t get into the end zone enough during Cortland practices.
But the writer who joked about Marty, also understands the team’s outstanding offensive coordinator needs to pump those guys up.
“He knows they both weren’t outstanding, but he needs to say that to us, support them publicly,” said the writer . . .
Rex Ryan was asked if there is extra motivation in the Jets-Bengals preseason game, after his team got destroyed by Cincinnati in the regular season last year. The Bengals beat the Jets 49-9.
“We did get smoked by them, there’s no question,” Ryan said. “We got waxed pretty good by that team. (That’s a) a good football team you’re playing there. I don’t care if it is preseason or regular season. There’s no doubt we’ll want to play well. You know, did we get our tails kicked last time we were up there? We absolutely did. I think the competitor in you, from a coach, from a player, you don’t like that. The fact that we have a lot of guys, however many guys are playing, it’s a little different feel. Obviously, preseason guys are trying to win jobs. It’s not just about the team or whatever. I mean, I don’t know if it is more motivation, but you certainly want to account for yourself better than we did the last time.”
If the Jets want revenge for that loss, they should challenge the SEC Television Network or SiriusXM College Sports Nation to perhaps a touch football game.
Because a major reason why the Jets got blown out by the Bengals last year was the intelligence that their practice squad quarterback named Greg McElroy gave them leading up to that game.
McElroy, who was with the Jets for three years, and was released in early September, was on the Bengals practice squad last year.
After the Bengals signed Jason Campbell this off-season, and he realized he wasn’t going to get a fair chance to be Andy Dalton’s backup, he hung up his cleats, and started a broadcasting career. He got jobs with the new SEC Television Network and SiriusXM Sports Nation.
McElroy did a great job of preparing the Bengals for that game. Great job!
He knew the Jets’ offense after learning it during Marty’s install last spring and summer.
And he knew Rex’s defense after running the scout team offense against that defense for a couple of years.
He knew the strengths and weakness of players like Geno Smith, defensive backs like Dee Milliner, and so forth.
He helped the Bengals offense and defense prepare for this game, and his impact was obvious.
The Jets weren’t a great team last year, but the Bengals weren’t 40 points better than them.
McElroy’s information for priceless.
August 14, 2014
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