Final: Redskins 23, Jets 20 (OT)
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- November
- 4
Remember that line from the last entry about the Jets’ defense not playing badly?
Never mind.
The Jets run defense was atrocious today. It’s beyond baffling that nine weeks into the 2009 season, coach Eric Mangini is still citing poor tackling. It’s tackling. It’s what, as a defensive player, you’re supposed to know how to do. The players have no explanation for it, just a, “We need to get this corrected,’’ attitude.
In fact, what I can report from the post-game locker room is that this is not the devastated team you would hope it would be at this point. Sorry to say, but the losses seem to be starting to roll of their backs, almost as if this is what they expect.
It’s a very disturbing trend.
Another thought: The usually sure-handed Jerricho Cotchery dropped two balls today. Justin McCareins dropped two in a Week 2 loss at Baltimore that Kellen Clemens started. I’m thinking the receivers might be having a hard time adjusting to the difference in the way Clemens throws as compared to Chad Pennington.
Pennington’s balls tend not to be fastballs. Clemens’ are. There may be a period of adjustment the Jets’ receivers need to go through. I didn’t get a chance to ask Cotchery that today, I’ll try tomorrow.
Finally, here are some post-game notes courtesy of the Jets’ PR staff that I have lazily cut and pasted.
Jets RB/KR Leon Washington returned the opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. It was his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, which is a Jets record for a single season and ties Justin Miller for most career kickoff returns for a touchdown as a Jet. He is the 11th player in NFL history to return three kickoffs for a touchdown in a season. Buffalo’s Terrence McGee was the last player to accomplish the feat, returning three kickoffs for touchdowns in 2004. Bobby Humphery was the last Jet to return an opening kickoff for a touchdown. He had a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Cincinnati (12/21/86), a 52-21 loss. Leon Washington’s return was the Jets 10th kickoff return for a touchdown since special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff joined the Jets in 2001. The 10 touchdowns are the most in the NFL during that span.
Washington is now averaging 33.5 yards per kickoff return on 25 returns.
TE Joe Kowalewski caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Kellen Clemens in the second quarter to cap off a 10-play, 80-yard drive. It was the first touchdown of Kowalewski’s career and his second career reception. The Jets signed Kowalewski as a free agent in 2006 after he came to rookie minicamp on a tryout. He spent 2006 on the practice squad before making the 53-man roster in 2007.
WR Laveranues Coles was inactive today, ending his streak of 104 consecutive starts and 107 consecutive games played, which was the longest active streak in the NFL by a wide receiver. The last game that he did not start was at Baltimore (12/24/00), the last game of his rookie season.
WR Chris Davis made his NFL debut lining up at wide receiver in the first quarter. He had a three-yard rush in the second quarter before leaving the game with a shoulder injury.
K Mike Nugent was two-of-three on field goal tries, nailing a 29-yarder in the first quarter and a game-tying 30-yarder with 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The field goals were the 58th and 59th of his career, passing Bobby Howfield for fourth all-time in team history. He now has 251 career points, passing Wayne Chrebet for 13th all-time in team history.
LB Eric Barton recorded his first sack and first interception of the season in the third quarter on the same series. He sacked Jason Campbell for a seven-yard loss and then intercepted him five plays later.
It was Barton’s fourth interception in his nine-year NFL career and first since 2004 vs. Seattle, his first year as a Jet.
WR Justin McCareins started at wide receiver for the second time this season. He caught a season-high three passes for 32 yards.
WR Brad Smith started at wide receiver for the fourth time this season. He caught a career-high four passes for 27 yards.
QB Kellen Clemens completed 23-of-42 passes for 226 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 48 yards on seven carries, including a career-long 18-yard run in the second quarter. Clemens’ 18-yard rush was the Jets longest run by a quarterback since Vinny Testaverde ran for 24 yards at Buffalo (9/8/02). The last Jets quarterback to rush for 40 yards in a game was Brooks Bollinger against Oakland (12/11/05), when he ran for 56 yards on six carries.
Jerricho Cotchery caught five passes for 90 yards to extend his streak to 15 consecutive regular-season games with at least four catches.
It is currently the second-longest streak in the NFL behind Rams Torry Holt’s 16-game streak. The Rams had a Week 9 bye. Cotchery leads the team with 51 receptions for 682 yards (13.4) and one touchdown.
Thomas Jones rushed for 49 yards on 13 carries. He passed Travis Henry, Chuck Foreman and William Andrews to move into 66th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Henry rushed for 31 yards on nine carries today at Detroit. Henry now trails Jones by 13 rushing yards.
Chris Baker caught a season-high four passes for 42 yards.
David Harris, according to the press box defensive statistics, recorded 24 tackles with 20 solos in his second career start. The defensive coaches’ film statistics will be released Monday night.
The Jets recorded a season-high 23 first downs.
This was the Jets first overtime game since vs. Jacksonville (9/25/05), a 26-20 loss. They are now 14-15-2 in overtime games.
The Jets trail the all-time series with the Redskins 8-1.
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on Sunday, November 4th, 2007 at 10:12 pm by Andrew Gross.
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Jane McManus 
As we approch the bye-week, this team (coaching staff) needs to really take a step back here and think about going back to basics. I watch the Colts-Pats game and besides the Brady’s and Manning’s who will someday be legendary, I just can’t see how much better NE is from a personnel stand point than the Jets. Rosie Colvin, Bruschi, Vrabel, Jarvis Green, these guys are not superstar guys, they are pretty good players, but that’s it, how can they be so much better than the Jets? They are always making plays. It has to be the coaching and the coaching of the scheme (I won’t even get into the lack of adjustments). We need to go back to square one, simplify things and let the few playmakers we have make plays. Let Kerry Rhodes blitz more, let Thomas Jones actually carry the ball a few times, stop getting so cute on offense and just attack the defenses. Once again, a few plays here and there and we WIN 23-20. A few plays here and there and we are 6-3. It really is time for some changes.
AH, coach mangini,
shall i compare you to….
a ball boy for weeb ewbanks
who remains the best coach in jets history and
the best.
he also was the first coach the jets ever had.
we are doomed.
This team is woeful. What was with Brad Smith ? Twice he stepped in front of Leon Washington on kickoffs. Every running back the Jets play has a career days. In the last 5 games we have only scored 2 TDs in the second half. Clinton Portes didn’t have a 100 yard rushing game in the last 14 games. Today he almost had 200. Pittsburgh and Dallas up next. I know Dallas is going to ruin my Thanksgiving dinner. Miami, Cleveland, NE, Tenn and KC. How many can we win? maybe one ?
With the third selection of the 2008 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select Chris Long, DE, University of Virginia. (applause… applause….applause….)
[...] here for full [...]
Andrew, please ask Mangini why the coaches are out-adjusted EVERY week at half time.
Have not done the math, but sure the Jets have been outscored in the second half by at least 3-1.
Brad Smith had an atrocious game in his first chance to shine at wideout. Not only did he drop two balls, he ran bad routes and yes stepped in front of and stole two kickoffs from Leon.
While I have previously posted they MUST draft a pass rusher, they certainly NEED a big wideout too.
Justin will be gone, Coles is concussed and therefore questionable every game for the rest of his career, Cotch is small, and Smith took a step backwards, so if a quality wideout is there when they pick they need to seriously consider. Clemens has a big arm, but if he does not have a big downfield threat it will be useless.
The coaches get a lot of credit for winning 10 last year, how many more do they have to lose before Mangini and his staff officially go on the hot seat?
Someone has been posting that they should go get Cowher this offseason, thought it was ridiculous but now seriously thinking that may be the way to go.
Here are the ugly stats;
First half, JEts 94, Opps 83
2nd half, Jets 65, Opps 145
Total, Jets 159, Opps 228
No way you can tell me it is because they “wear down”. Last year everyone claimed exactly the opposite.
Veteran coaches adjust, bad young coaches fail to adjust.
Jets will not win anything, until they bring in dominating linemen. The Pats and Colts have game changing defensive lineman! We have no one even close to that. We have to blitz to get pressure on the QB.
Jets must look to create a dominate offensive line by draft and free agency. I love vilma, but when you look at David Harris, he fits this defense much better. Trade vilma for a late 1rst rounder and focus on building the lines!!
To me, yesterday’s game was a replay of every game this season… with a different QB.
I don’t see a huge difference between last season, and this one. A few plays in each game, and our record is different, despite our D.
If Cotch catches that 3rd-down pass, in OT, it’s first-down inside the 30. A decent chance we win.
Wayne, I’m not so sure it’s halftime adjustments, or lack thereof, that’s killing us in the 2nd-half. We aren’t a very physical team, and when other teams start playing physically, in the 2nd-half, we’re just whipped at the point of attack.
Frank, those guys you mentioned, on the Pats, they’re all playmakers. And together, they take turns making plays.
Also, their DL is so much bigger/better than ours, it allows them to make plays. Our guys are being blocked, often at the 2nd-level. And we just don’t have many playmakers.
Put the Pats DL on our team, and Mangini/Sutton will look a helluva a lot better.
It’s our talent level that’s killing us on D, especially in the 2nd-half, when they start tiring.
And it’s not the scheme. We played a lot of 4-3 yesterday.
There’s only one skill player, I want to see us pick up during the offseason – - a speedy receiver.
Other than that, I want to see lineman… period.
I don’t remember how to win a football game anymore. What do you have to do to get a W?
Excluding the NE game the average margin of loss is 6 points! We are so close but it seems so far from being a solid team.
Pretty awesome experience for me, despite the outcome. Had a fantastic perspective of Washington’s opening kickoff return. Thought Clemens looked pretty good, though they still didn’t really air it out much. The run defense stunk and the receivers dropped some big balls. The thing that struck me, as I looked down on the field, was how the Jets seem to get too carried away with the motion. At the end of it all, it really isn’t very difficult to guess what they are going to do from up there. Once in a while, it would be nice to see them throw some of that motion out the window and just line up with two backs in the backfield and run a few plays that way. I’d like to see them run with a lead blocker and maybe eventually run play-action out of that formation.
I’m glad they keep the defense honest, by faking the reverse and handing it off inside and then eventually come back to the reverse…but they do way too much of that. It becomes very predictable after a certain point.
Oh well, those are my random babblings.
David, at least the game was exciting.
You are dead on about the motion. Add to that the constant shuffling of packages. Created a diversion last year, but the league has caught up to it.
Useless at this point, all it does is prevent rhythm from developing and of course giving the defense a usually needed rest, which may be the point.
Everyone knows they run the same plays over and over, and worse that they will snap the ball when one tick is on the play clock. Defenses tee off knowing the snap is coming.
Anyhoo, they lost because of the run defense, although holding them to 20 should in theory be enough, especially when you get 7 on the opening play.
Yes they need a talent infusion, but this same team won 10 games last year and is losing all the close ones this time around. I still believe it comes down to coaching adjustments, the defense was even smaller last year and did not fall apart in the second half every game.
Can not compare to the elite teams, but they could easily be in the hunt to be what will be a mediocre final wild card team with a little better coaching.
Good point about the play clock winding down, Wayne…not much chance of drawing anybody off with a hard count, either. I’m still hopeful about the Mangini regime, but they have given us reason for concern. I don’t understand why they can’t recognize some of these things.
When are the Jets going to try to run the ball consistently? The Jets failure to run the ball combined with their failure to stop the opposing team to run the ball is the mark of a losing football team.
My comments last week about Mangini needing to be fired weren’t very popular at all, but I believe more strongly in it each and every week I watch them play.
The more I consider the loss of Pete Kendall, the more I realise how much this saving of one million dollars cost the Jets. I think they could have won maybe 2 or more games if their O line play was better. They could have had more ball control in the second halves of a few games, let alone leaving their big investment in Thomas Jones totally on his own with no substantial holes to run through.
The major goat is Mr. T. He did not adequately staff this team. I hope he made all his budget projections.