Content available exclusively for subscribers
New Jersey – This is Mike Westhoff final year as Jets special teams coach. The way his charges have performed the last two weeks is no way to send him out . . .
I was wondering how different the Jets-Dolphins game would have been, if the Jets special teams ddin’t fall apart, allowing a blocked punt for a touchdown, a blocked field goal, and failing to recover an on-side kick.
We asked for a long-time, astute observer of the Jets for his take –
“I think the problem with trying to figure this out on some theoretical level is that because of the two blocked kicks in particular, the game changed quite a bit,” said the observer. “The Jets started throwing all over the lot, not a strength, and Miami played soft on both sides of the ball and let them try to come to them in the 2nd half and they couldn’t.
“I thought the Jets would put out a better effort than they did. I think the weak offensive showing in the first half, especially in response to being behind 10-0, then 17-0, then 20-0, was not promising and the Jets might have had that same weak offense without the blocked kicks.
“Then if it was a tighter game, let’s say 13-3 at half instead of 20-0, would the Dolphins have played a little more aggressive defense and offense? So I would say that without the special team’s failures, the score would’ve been closer, but I just didn’t see the performance that would have led the Jets to a comeback victory.”
Interesting . . .
While on the topic of the struggles of the special teams, let’s be honest, they have had two bad games in a row.
We just mentioned the issues in the Miami game, but the New England game wasn’t much better.
You had the Devin McCourty kickoff return for a touchdown, and some penalty issues.
You know what – this is no way for these players to send off Mike Westhoff!
“I think we were terrible,” said Nick Bellore about the Miami game.
I feel bad for the crusty coach.
Can you imagine what this is doing to him?
He’s 64, coming off another major leg operation, and remember, he announced this is his final year.
This is one of the greatest special team’s coaches of all time.
It’s time for these players to get their act together, and stop letting the old guy down.
All of sudden, he didn’t lose his magic touch.
His schemes are still sound.
And honestly, the kicking game has been pretty good.
Nick Folk is 12 of 13 on field goals this year, and the only miss was the block, so it really wasn’t a missed kick.
Robert Malone has done a decent job as the punter with close a 47 yard average, and 12 punts inside the 20.
But the other parts need to get their collective acts together.
Maybe the elevation of core cover guys Ellis Lankster and Isaiah Trufant into more prominent defensive roles, along with DaMario Davis last week (for Bart Scott), has hurt the unit.
We will see.
But it’s time for the players to step up for Westy, and send him out the right way.
November 2, 2012
Premium will return by 9:30 on Monday. Have a great weekend, and to the people dealing Hurricane-related issues, stay strong, and I hope your lives gets back to normal as soon as possible.
