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A couple of interesting topics explored today in Dan’s Website Whispers. First off, why are so many Tebow Wildcat runs being stopped on the line? Secondly, will Rex really do “whatever it takes” to turn the season around? . . .
It seems, too often, when Tim Tebow runs the Wildcat, he fakes a handoff, and runs right into a brick wall in the middle of the line, for no gain, or for just a yard or two.
When you see these plays, I’m sure a lot of you think to yourselves, what are they doing on that play? It seems like a waste of a down. I know I’ve thought the same thing.
We asked a league source, familiar with the Wildcat strategy, what is going on during these head-scratching plays.
“Most of those plays involve Tebow faking a handoff to a wide receiver in motion through the formation,” said the league source. “Last week early it was Jonathan Grimes. It’s also been Jeremy Kerley, probably Clyde Gates and a few others.
“I believe the concept is to get the defense’s run stoppers moving with the motion man so that larger creases can be opened in the front, allowing Tebow to bust through them to get to the second level and beyond.
“But the only place this really happened well was at Pittsburgh, when Tebow had a 22-yard run and the very next play was a McKnight 12-yard run. Otherwise, it looks as if opponents are willing to stay disciplined and wait for Tebow to come to them because that’s perhaps what usually happens. And this, I would think, was one of the tendencies uncovered by the Jets’ self-scouting this past week.” . . .
Rex Ryan said the Jets will do “whatever it takes” to improve as a team.
Will he really?
That remains to be seen.
If he makes zero lineup changes, you can make a strong argument this comment is just window-dressing. Rex is so protective of his players, it often seems gun shy about making line-up changes, and embarrassing a player.
Honestly, Kyle Wilson needs to move back to the third or fourth cornerback spot, or be on a short-leash in Seattle as the starter. He works hard, but his instincts are shaky.
Attention Mike and Rex – It doesn’t matter that he was a first round pick – what is more important your draft record or winning? Sometimes you wonder with these guys.
You don’t need to be a secondary guru to see that Isaiah Trufant is better than Wilson.
If Mark Sanchez is struggling bad in the first half of the Seattle game, and the game is starting to slip away, he needs to be pulled for Tim Tebow or Greg McElroy (very underrated quarterback).
And Rex, you better make darn sure that Sione Pouha’s back is really okay, and if it’s not, you need to re-sign Daniel Muir.
Pouha is a warrior, but he came back against Miami, and had zero tackles, and then was flat on his back in the trainer’s room, getting endless therapy after the game. Don’t play pretend here, if he’s playing in back pain, he’s not going to be of much good to you.
The Jets coaches did a lot of self-scouting during the bye-week, and clearly they had to come to the conclusion, the root of the problem with the run defense is the nose tackle spot. Whether it’s Sione playing at 50 percent, or Kenrick Elllis having slow feet and playing too upright – that is where the run defense problems all start.
Perhaps it’s time to give Damon Harrison (pictured above) a chance in the nose tackle rotation – he’s a fresh young body – 330 pounds with quick feet.
November 5, 2012
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