Content available exclusively for subscribers
While the offensive line didn’t have a bad game, there were still too many hits on Mark Sanchez, and this needs to change if “The Sanchise” is going to make it through the season. He was hurting after this game . . .
On the Jets first running play they went with an unbalanced line, with both tackles on the right side, but ran left, and Shonn Greene picked up five yards.
D’Brickashaw Ferguson was beat for a sack by defensive end Gerard Warren for a sack at the two minute warning at the end of the first half. Early in the third quarter, on a stunt, outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham got by Ferguson, and Warren snuck by Matt Slauson, and they combined to crush Mark Sanchez on a sack.
On the Jets third possession, Vince Wilfork got by Nick Mangold, and was about sack Mark Sanchez, but the quarter was able to slip away and flip the ball to LT for a gain of nine.
Late in the second quarter, Tully Banta-Cain got by Ben Hartsock with an inside move, and was about to sack Sanchez, but the quarterback was able to sneak away, and run for three yards.
Defensive end Mike Wright got by Damien Woody to hit Sanchez as he threw on an incompletion to end a drive early in the fourth quarter. Woody did a tremendous job of sealing the edge and LT ran off right tackle for a gain of 31 late in the third quarter. LT helped his own cause by breaking the tackle attempt by OLB Rob Ninkovich early in the run. Jerricho Cotchery had a terrific block way down field on this play.
Brandon Moore was called for holding with about two minutes left. Moore had several really nice run blocks. In the middle of the third quarter, Moore threw the key block on big runs on two plays in a row. On the first play, Moore locked up LB Jerrod Mayo, and LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 14 yards behind him. On the very next play, Moore pulled to the left and paved the way on an LT gain of 11. Moore was out in front, and knocked LB Brandon Spikes out of the way, on a pass to LT that went for five yards in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Tony Richardson had a great lead block on Mayo, on a Tomlinson run by up-the-middle for three yards, on fourth-and-one, that iced the win at the end.
Matt Slauson did give up that sack at the top of the third quarter, but overall had a pretty solid game. Slauson had a terrific block on Spikes and Greene ran behind him for seven yards late in the first half. In the middle of the fourth quarter, on second-and-five, on the five yards line, Greene ran behind a Slauson block on Warren for four yards to the one (the play before the Dustin Keller touchdown catch).
The bigger concern on the left side might be Ferguson more than Slauson. The big left tackle has had two disappointing games in a row.
