Content available exclusively for subscribers
For people who are at a loss for how to analyze a debacle properly, they often say after a team has a bad loss, “They quit.”
You have heard a lot of people say that about the Jets effort in their 41-10 loss to the Colts.
I don’t agree. That is a cliché answer. That isn’t what happened.
I think Todd Bowles put it best when he said today, “Actually, I thought the effort was a lot better, but I thought we made some bonehead mistakes that cost us.”
I brought up Mike Catapano and Rontez Miles yesterday.
Those guys have amazing motors and give your everything they’ve got, and they did on Monday night.
Catapano goes a million miles an hour when he rushed the quarterback, but he doesn’t have the quickness to take the edge on an offensive tackle. That isn’t his fault. It’s how he was created.
Rontez Miles gave up some plays in coverage. It wasn’t a lack of effort, but a lack hip flexion and ideal speed.
Jets first-round pick Darron Lee had some issues in coverage, but was running all over the field like a whirling dervish trying to make play. Sometimes he was running so hard, he overran plays. He needs to play more under control. But his effort is there.
The only thing I can point to as an effort issue is in relation to Darrelle Revis tackling, but that has been going on for a while.
I said it before, and I will say it again, when you get no pass rush against a quarterback as good as Andrew Luck, he will destroy you, and he did.
The Jets outside linebacker pass rush, so essential in a 3-4 front, was no existent. This is a huge problem that can’t be minimized. Like I’ve said before – watch Denver and Kansas City. That is the way a 3-4 defense is supposed to look – game-wrecking outside linebackers making the opposing QB miserable.
Something that surprised me was how ineffective the Jets offense was coming out of the gate. This, against a pedestrian Colts defense with three starters out (a safety, cornerback and Robert Mathis).
Chan Gailey’s a good man, and has been a good offensive coordinator in the league. Yesterday was a tough one for Chan and his unit. They didn’t seem to have a good plan. I think he’s going to retire after this season.
But this debacle wasn’t about the Jets quitting. It was more about bad execution and some personnel deficiencies.
People are ripping Todd Bowles up and down, and he deserves criticism, but I think Revis is like a $17 million ball-and-chain around his ankle as a head coach and defensive coordinator. He shouldn’t be out there anymore. They need an excuse to put him in IR. He’s giving up so many freakin plays. Also, not helping this struggling secondary is the lack of a game-wrecker coming off the edge at OLB. Also not Bowles’ fault.
They also are having punting issues which are hurting them in the field position game. Not Bowles fault. Also not helping the field position game is kick/punt return issues. Also not Bowles fault.
You need to talk to Mike Maccagnan about some of these personnel shortcomings.
Dumb penalties. That is on Bowles. Blown assignments on defense. That is on Bowles.
Lack of effort. Not on Bowles. Because in my opinion, that wasn’t the issue.
December 6, 2016
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Wednesday.
