Preliminary Thoughts: Jets vs. Raiders

The New York Jets have their first road game of the 2011 season this Sunday when they face the 1-1 Oakland Raiders. In their last trip out to Oakland in 2009, the Jets rolled to a 38-0 win, however that had a large part to do with JaMarcus Russell being under center. Oakland has since improved but is coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills, where they allowed a massive second half comeback led by Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson.

On offense, Oakland begins and ends with Darren McFadden. Jason Campbell is a decent quarterback and rookie wide receiver Denarius Moore had an incredible game last week. Yet, a Campbell/Moore combination doesn’t do much in the face of Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Rex Ryan blitzes. The Raiders best chance lies in a huge day from McFadden both running and catching the ball out of the backfield. On defense, the Jets may want to consider having a safety like Brodney Pool shadow McFadden out of the backfield, so he can avoid being matched up on a linebacker.

The Raiders are solid on defense but are clearly missing Nnamdi Asomugha, as they were carved apart by Fitzpatrick last week and couldn’t cover Stevie Johnson or David Nelson. Fred Jackson was also able to pile up well over 100 yards on their rush defense, which looked terrific the week before against Denver. But then again, doesn’t everybody look great stopping the run versus Denver? Mark Sanchez should be able to move the football, even with the absence of All-Pro center Nick Mangold.

In order to protect rookie Colin Baxter, who will be starting in Mangold’s place. The Jets must implement a high amount of quick passes to the outside. Get the ball in the hands of Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress in space, as both should have mismatches this week. Dustin Keller should also be a major factor in the short/intermediate passing game. The Jets can also help Baxter by shifting their rushing attack to the outside, which could lead to an increased use of 2nd year back Joe McKnight and hopeful Brad Smith clone, Jeremy Kerley.

Final Thoughts On Jets/Jaguars

A few final thoughts on Jets/Jaguars…

Game MVP - It has to be Antonio Cromartie, who bounced back from being last week’s Goat in this article. Cromartie came up with 2 interceptions and 2 big kick returns, demonstrating his big play potential.

Game Goat – I will go with Wayne Hunter, who has given Jets fans no reason to believe the right tackle position is in good hands moving forward without Damien Woody.

Play of the Game - The first quarter touchdown strike from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes, ending the team’s first quarter touchdown drought, showing Sanchez’s accuracy and that Holmes was healthy.

Trending Up

• Dustin Keller - Back to back big games, as he finished with 101 yards and another touchdown.
• Muhammad Wilkerson – First career NFL sack went for a safety.
• Bart Scott – Second straight week with a sack. Scott looks poised for a big year.
• Nick Folk – 3/3 on field goal attempts.

Trending Down

• Nick Mangold – Will likely be out 3-4 games with a high ankle sprain.
• Wayne Hunter – Badly in need of a steady performance against Oakland.
• Derrick Mason – Still hasn’t found his niche in the offense.
• Mark Sanchez – Two ugly interceptions. He must protect the football better.

1. Calvin Pace and Scott have been consistently getting pressure on the quarterback, which is limiting the need for the Jets to blitz as much. This is an encouraging trend moving forward. It will also help if Muhammad Wilkerson can continue to get after the quarterback.

2. Colin Baxter should be living at the Jets facility the next month. After Oakland, he has Haloti Ngata and Vince Wilfork headed his way. Brandon Moore and Matt Slauson need to step up to help him out.

3. Regardless of double teams and his mature attitude on the situation. The Jets must do a better job of getting Plaxico Burress involved in the offense, in the first half. Throw the guy a quick hitch or slant and let him get in the flow of the game.

TJ Rosenthal reviews his top 5 keys from the game

Jets vs. Cowboys: Grade Report

Quarterback (B) – Outside of two ugly turnovers, Mark Sanchez put together a strong performance. The game manager title is clearly a thing of the past, as he went 26/44 for 335 yards and two touchdowns. His confidence is fully there and considering the weapons around him, a big statistical year is a real possibility. The turnovers must be eliminated as they both came in killer spots. However, it was nice to see how well he distributed the football among his top targets and didn’t hesitate to push the ball down the field.

Running Back (C+) – LaDainian Tomlinson gets an “A” while Shonn Greene settles in somewhere around a “D.” Neither Greene (10 carries, 26 yards) or Tomlinson (5 carries, 16 yards) did much running the ball but Tomlinson was key in the receiving game, finishing with 6 receptions for 73 yards, leading the team in both categories. The Jets are going to need more from their running game, Greene in particular, moving forward.

Wide Receiver (A) – The playmakers did what they were paid to do. Santonio Holmes turned in a solid 6 reception, 70 yard performance, while Plaxico Burress stole the show in the second half with 4 receptions for 72 yards and a beautiful touchdown catch. Burress looks capable of having a much bigger year than many (including myself) projected. Derrick Mason had 3 receptions for 19 yards, and dropped a potential touchdown pass. Jeremy Kerley only played one offensive snap.

Tight End – (A) – Dustin Keller remains a reliable safety valve for Mark Sanchez and posted 6 receptions for 51 yards, along with the team’s first touchdown of the season. The offense finally demonstrated the use of a two tight end look as a passing threat, by getting Jeff Cumberland involved on a 33 yard reception.

Offensive line – (D) – It wasn’t a pretty night up front, as Mark Sanchez was sacked 4 times and there was no push in the running game. Wayne Hunter was repeatedly beaten by DeMarcus Ware in his first game as team’s new starting right tackle. Hey…at least he won’t face anyone better than Ware the rest of the year.

Defensive Line – (A) – They were solid against the run, as usual. Mike DeVito also had one of the biggest plays of the night by forcing a crucial Tony Romo fumble on a sack. He finished with 3 tackles. Muhammad Wilkerson was quiet in his NFL debut with 1 tackle.

Linebackers – (B+) – Bart Scott had a big night with 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for a loss. Calvin Pace also had a sack. The group still struggled defending the screen pass at times and part of Jason Witten’s big night goes on them. However, on the whole it was a productive night.

Secondary – (C) – It is going to be a long season for Antonio Cromartie if he keeps up at this pace. He was beat by Dez Bryant on a jumpball for a touchdown and then by Miles Austin on a deep touchdown, where he let him pull the ball away from him, which is unacceptable. Eric Smith and Jim Leonhard continued to struggle in pass coverage. Darrelle Revis was beat by Dez Bryant on an early deep ball down the sideline but shut him down after that and then came up with an enormous interception that set up the game winning field. You know the saying, “you come at the King, you best not miss.”

Special Teams – (A+) – The deciding factor in this game…outside of Tony Romo being a choke artist….was the Jets special teams. Nick Folk was money on the game winning 50 yard field goal. Joe McKnight blocked a punt in the 4^th quarter that Isaiah Trufant took back to the house. TJ Conley was solid all night at punter as well.

Coaching – (B) – They didn’t come out ready to play and at times seemed a step behind Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan. Yet, this is a resilient, scrappy team that finds ways to win games and a big part of that comes from Rex Ryan. Also, stand up and take a bow Mike Westhoff for continuing to put together excellent special teams units. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine deserves credit for his call late in the game that help set up the Revis interception, which did a good job of masking zone coverage as man.

New York Jets: Linebackers Need to Make Plays

The New York Jets have a solid, veteran group of starting linebackers. Calvin Pace, David Harris, Bart Scott, and Bryan Thomas are now entering their third year together as the 4 in Rex Ryan’s 3-4, and while the group has been instrumental in the defense’s success the past two years, it would be nice to see them increase their playmaking ability in 2011.

Scott and Thomas have roles that are more conducive to doing the dirty work and making plays that don’t always show up on the stat sheet, so it is more on Pace and Harris to come up with the game changing plays.

Pace was signed to a monster contract before the 2008 season and has been productive, but still hasn’t put together that one big season for the Jets. The past two years he has missed the first four games, once because of a suspension and once because of a foot injury. On the current depth chart, he is the guy most likely to pull in double digit sacks and now needs to put together a full 16 game season where he produces like he is being paid.

Harris is now one of the highest paid linebackers in the NFL, and after playing at an All-Pro/Pro-Bowl level in 2009, took a minor step back in 2010, coming up with less tackles, sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles. Rex Ryan’s scheme is designed to free Harris up to make plays and he needs to take advantage of that. There is no reason he shouldn’t be able to match his 2009 production (127 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 INTs) on a consistent basis.

Even though backup linebackers like Josh Mauga have shown potential in the pre-season, it is especially important that this group stays healthy this year. The depth behind them is extremely young and inexperienced. A full, healthy season from all of them with a bump in plays made from Pace and Harris could propel the Jets back to being the NFL’s number one defense.

Waking Up From 4th Of July: Round-Up Of Jets News

After a five day hiatus to work on a few technical changes to the site in anticipation of football starting in the coming weeks and all that will come with that, TOJ is back with a quick round-up of recent Jets news…check back throughout the day for a new TOJ Top Five and Justin’s latest article…

Good interview with Bart Scott - The stats don’t jump off the page for Scott, especially since joining the Jets but he remains a key part of their defensive scheme and does a big chunk of the dirty work necessary for it to succeed. It is encouraging to hear that he thinks Jamaal Westerman is ready for a bigger role, as the Jets need improved depth at linebacker and could use another pass rusher. Scott also has praise for Ropati Pitoitua, Joe McKnight, and Vladimir Ducasse.

There has been plenty of hype around Pitoitua’s potential because of his size but we have never really seen him with the chance to flourish in a bigger role because of his injury last year. It will be interesting to see how much he will play this year, although it will largely depend on how quickly Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis adapt to the NFL and if the team brings back Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce.

McKnight is in desperate need of a strong training camp to show he learned from the mistakes he made during his rookie season. I think he can fill the void that will likely be left by Brad Smith in the Jets offense. He can take over those touches, except instead of working out of the Wildcat (which he could still do), he could take primarily outside handoffs and be an option in the screen game.

I am not sure if Ducasse will get much of a shot to start at right tackle. It sounds like the Jets are likely to bring Damien Woody back for another year, which could be good for Ducasse in the long run as he could spend a year learning the his new position behind Woody.

NFL Top Ten – The NFL Network’s top 100 player countdown concluded this past Sunday, with Darrelle Revis finishing at number eight. It isn’t worth getting worked up about lists like this but how is he behind Andre Johnson? I am pretty sure they have went head to head twice and Revis has completely shut him down both times.

Another Free Agent Thought – Roy Williams is likely going to be cut by the Dallas Cowboys. If the Jets can work out a low cost deal with him, which he may have to consider if there isn’t much interest in him on the market, he could be a potential replacement for Braylon Edwards if he leaves via free agency.

If You Haven’t Seen It Already – A great parody of Field of Dreams by Funny or Die, which features a cameo by Antonio Cromartie.

Just About That Time – July 15th is the supposed deadline for a deal to get done so a “normal” season can occur with a full training camp and pre-season. We are now only 9 days away from that date…and only 23 days away from when Jets training camp is supposed to open in Florham park.

Lockout Off-Season: Rounding Up Top Jets Defensive Storylines

Earlier today we looked at the top storylines on offense…now to the other side of the ball

Defensive Line

• Draft Heavy, Veterans Leaving?

The Jets spent their first two draft picks on defensive lineman, Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis, and released Kris Jenkins. There is also speculation that both Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce won’t be brought back, with Ellis leaving via free agency and Pryce contemplating retirement. However, it would be smart for the Jets to keep at least one, hopefully Ellis who is the longest tenured player on the team, to help mentor the rookies and ease their transition into the NFL.

Linebackers

• Draft Ignored, Free Agent Answers?

The Jets didn’t select any linebackers in the NFL Draft and as of right now have some depth concerns. Unless they are anticipating a bigger role for players like Jamaal Westerman or Josh Mauga, they may look to coax Jason Taylor out of retirement or sign a free agent like Matt Roth.

Secondary

• Everybody’s A Free Agent

Seriously…Antonio Cromartie, Drew Coleman, Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, and James Ihedigbo all need new contracts and obviously some tough decisions will have to be made.

• Jim Leonhard On The Mend

Leonhard has recovered well this off-season from his season-ending injury in the middle of last year.

• Is Wilson Ready?

If Antonio Cromartie leaves via free agency, Kyle Wilson will likely have to step into the starting line-up. He struggled his rookie season, is he ready for a bigger role?

Thoughts On Ongoing Jets Off-Season Workouts

Click here for more coverage of the New York Jets off-season workouts

1. Great work by Sione Pouha organizing the Jets defensive lineman for workouts in North Jersey. This is a group that will have some new pieces in the rotation with draft picks Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis, along with Ropati Pitoitua coming off season ending surgery now in the mix. It is also encouraging to hear that Shaun Ellis will join the workouts later in the week, considering his status with the team is up in the air. Let’s hope any work Wilkerson gets in the off-season will contribute to him making some type of immediate impact whenever the season starts.

2. It is encouraging to hear Mark Sanchez talk about putting together full team workouts, if the lockout continues to carry on. He stated he thinks somewhere around 50 players would show up, which would be great since New England only has around 40…every victory counts, right?

3. Speaking of New England, what is with the paranoia of keeping the media away from your team workouts? Did the secrecy pay off last year in January? Nobody is stealing the information about what routes you are running on air.

4. Jamaal Westerman is taking part in the defensive line workouts and had also worked out with Bart Scott and a few other Jets at the TEST facility in Martinsville, New Jersey earlier in the off-season. It is good to see Westerman getting after it, as he will have a chance to maybe contribute in some of the Jets defensive packages this season considering their depth chart at linebacker.

Click here for more coverage of the New York Jets off-season workouts

Best New York Jet To Have A Beer With?

Can you tell we are in a lockout yet? Don’t worry, TOJ will be back at analyzing the more football centric aspects of the team tomorrow, but for tonight let’s explore this important question…

Which Jets player would the be most entertaining to spend a night on the town with, a few nominees in no particular order…

Nick Mangold – The Jets center seems to be a funny enough guy and you have to figure you’d be rolling with the other offensive lineman, which means you can get as rowdy as you want because who is messing with a bunch of NFL tackles, guards, and centers?

Mark Sanchez – You can’t not nominate him. He seems to be generous enough (think Jets West) and he can’t handle all those women at once, can he? I am pretty sure Sanchez’s scraps would be better than many players on the team top option.

This video still cracks me up…well done Sanchez, well done. Don’t be foolish enough to settle down with the girl from Heroes … do it Jeter style and stay single well into your 30s.

Bart Scott – I know Scott is a married guy who claims to never really leave the house on weekends, but you have to figure if he could get out of the cage it would be a great time rolling with him and the Jets linebackers. First off, invite all your friends who are Giants and Patriots fans because who is going to out trash talk Scott? Second, they are making a movie about Scott’s life so you know he will have some interesting stories to tell.

Darrelle Revis – Revis and best friend John Geiger seem like a knock off of Rob and Big and like they’d be an interesting crew to roll with. Beyond that, you know Revis isn’t short on cash and apparently he is dating Olivia from G-Unit, so maybe you can get some hang time in with 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks as well.

I guess it ultimately depends what type of night you are looking for. Let me know your thoughts here or on the Facebook and Twitter page. Also weigh in on our Forums…

12 Pack Of Jets Off-Season Thoughts – Edition #15

A quick, refreshing 12 pack of off-season thoughts on the New York Jets

1. Adam Schefter stirred the pot on the Plaxico Burress to the Jets rumors again this week by mentioning it in his insider column. I think Plax could be a good low cost option to replace Braylon Edwards for a year or two. It is hard to picture Burress being anything but on his best behavior in the next couple of years after the amount of time he spent in jail and the Jets will need to replace Edwards’ size if he leaves.

2. We all know about Jets West but don’t forget about Jets Southwest, where Darrelle Revis and Kyle Wilson have been workigt out. It is great to see Revis taking Wilson under his wing because if Antonio Cromartie leaves via free agency, Wilson will be taking over one of the hardest defensive spots in football…the man opposite Revis Island. Also don’t forget about Jets East, which features players like Jerricho Cotchery, Bart Scott, and Vladimir Ducasse. We have Jets getting better all over the country…

3. Good debate on 1050 ESPN Radio today about the better rivalry at the moment: Yankees/Red Sox or Jets/Patriots. Obviously historically Yanks/Sox will always take the cake but the past couple of years, Jets/Pats has been a more bitter and entertaining match-up. The headlines don’t even compare. Yankees and Rex Sox are too damn respectful of each other these days. Somebody get in a fight or something.

4. Random Jets offensive prediction for 2011 – Joe McKnight will have over 500 total offensive yards from scrimmage. I think Brian Schottenheimer will turn him into an effective weapon on screens and outside handoffs.

5. Random Jets defensive prediction for 2011 – The Jets defensive line rotation will turn into one of the team’s major strengths, led by strong rookie years from both Muhammad Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis, along with improved performances from Marcus Dixon and a healthy Ropati Pitoiuta.

6. Random Jets special teams prediction for 2011 – It will be Kyle Wilson who ends up taking over the punt return job and showing the production we all expected from him last year at that position.

7. Great move by the Jets taking quarterback Greg McElroy in the seventh round. They needed a long term backup to develop and he should learn plenty from both Mark Sanchez and Mark Brunell this year. McElroy is a proven winner with the right mental make-up to handle a backup role.

8. Remember to join the discussion at TOJ’s Forum Page

9. Similar to how the Bilal Powell selection should serve notice to Joe McKnight, it should serve notice to Shonn Greene. This is the year for Greene to show he can be the number one back he was during the Jets 2009 playoff run. Rex Ryan already called him his “bell cow” so now let’s see it.

10. Nick Mangold passing time during the lockout…

11. Congratulations on a great career to Alan Faneca who is a sure fire Hall of Famer. Faneca was very good for the Jets in his two seasons with the team and was important in the development of Nick Mangold and D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

12. May 16th and we are still waiting for words on appeals, stays, complete shutdowns, and 8th circuits when we should be talking OTAs, trades, and free agency, sad and confusing how such a good thing could be messed up by greed and money.

Turn On The Jets 2010/2011 Report Cards – Bart Scott

Today we continue our series of evaluating how each player on the Jets performed this past season, along with looking forward to what their role on the team will be next year…up today, linebacker Bart Scott -

Stat Line – 81 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Playoff Stat Line – 9 tackles, 1 pass defended, 1 all-time interview

Best Moment – Is there even a question? I prefer the auto-tune version…

Best Game –Scott didn’t have any that really jumped off the page. He is more of a steady, consistent player who doesn’t really fill up the stat sheet but is a key component of the Jets run defense. He did have a particularly strong stretch in week 8 and 9 against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Over the course of those two games, he had 13 tackles and one sack.

Overall Evaluation – Scott doesn’t make big plays in this defense and probably talks more than his productivity merits. However, he is an emotional leader on the defense and is very good in run support. Don’t underestimate his overall importance just because of his low sack totals or because he doesn’t lead the team in tackles. (B)

Future: Scott got a monster contract before the 2009 season and isn’t going anywhere any time soon, which is good for the Jets run defense and for reporters covering the team.

Random Update — I tweeted Peter King of Sports Illustrated today to prioritize Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, and Antonio Cromartie if he was Mike Tannenbaum…he responded “Cro-Holmes-Bray, remember Rex LOVES cbs“…take it for what you will but he makes a good point.