*****The Official 2007 J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS THREAD******

[Veecee]

I found this interesting article, one that I completely agree with:

Jets have to sack their 3-4 defense for now
TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com
September 26, 2007

Eric Mangini said he's been part of "a lot of defenses that have allowed plenty of yards." Not exactly the type of thing that should be printed on the back of inspirational T-shirts. And it's far from comforting for Jets fans who just saw their team give up 424 yards against the Dolphins (who had gained a total of 607 in the previous two games).

Mangini's point was about points, that those are how a defense is measured. He does have some leverage for his argument. Some.

In 2001, the Patriots' first Super Bowl season, they allowed a whopping 334.5 yards per game, 25th most in the NFL, and held opponents to 17.0 points per game, which was sixth best. In that case, yes, yardage was irrelevant.

But in 2003 and 2004, the other two Super Bowl years in which Mangini was an assistant coach under Bill Belichick, the Patriots gave up 291.6 and 310.8 yards per game, respectively, both in the top 10 for those seasons. They were first and second in points allowed.

In 2005, Mangini's only year as a defensive coordinator, the Patriots' defense went back to giving up big yardage, allowing 330.2 per game, 26th most. That year, they also allowed 21.1 points per game, 17th most.

It's ludicrous to totally discount the relationship between yardage allowed and points scored. Are there anomalies? Sure. Are there teams that can bend but not break? Absolutely. Can some teams gear up when it counts the most, compensate for big plays with their own big plays, count on their offense to cover up defensive deficiencies? Yes.

Are the Jets one of those teams? No.

The Jets' defense is ranked 28th in yardage after three weeks ... and 27th in scoring. They've allowed a 47.3-percent third-down conversion rate, which ranks 25th. Teams have had 10 possessions inside the 20 against the Jets and scored seven touchdowns, with three field goals.

However you break it down, the Jets have a bottom-third defense. And bottom-third defenses don't win playoff games. They certainly don't win championships.

The troubling part is they have some top-tier talent that is being wasted in the 3-4 scheme. The Jets have essentially traded in the play-making capabilities of Jonathan Vilma, Shaun Ellis and Dewayne Robertson to make Bryan Thomas the key to the front seven (the same Bryan Thomas who, by the way, has four sacks in the nine games since he signed a late-season contract extension last December and was shut out of the statistics against the Dolphins).

The 3-4 defense works. We've seen it work. It's just not working with the players the Jets have right now. A year and a half after Mangini brought it to New York, there are no more excuses to be made about getting comfortable in it or learning the proper fits.

If the Jets and Mangini are so committed to the 3-4 defense, then they need to start feeding that scheme the proper players. Robertson as an undersized nose tackle is a failed experiment; there's a reason no other successful 3-4 team is without a 320-pound cornerstone. Vilma as a handcuffed inside linebacker is reaching that same proportion of disappointment. Neither is the fault of the players.

The Jets need to abandon the 3-4 as long as they have their current roster. If, during the upcoming offseason, they'd like to return to the 3-4 and make the necessary personnel adjustments, fine. It would be costly but fine. At least then, Jets fans would be able to get a fair sense of the scheme's potential.

Until that time, there will be more mismatched talent struggling to find a home in an inhospitable environment. And more arguments about yardage and points not being related.

[SMIGLET]

just read this on www.theredzone.org (where i get all my football articles) and completely agree. The jets have way too many good players to be such a pathetic defense, at worst they shud be top 20. unfortunately with the bills this week the 3-4 may lose some criticism for a little while [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

so i may actually be rooting for the bills offense to try and keep up

[wh1t3bread]

Just read this in the Post. Awesome.

[ QUOTE ]
September 28, 2007 -- Further illustrating the hatred that exists between the Jets and Dolphins was an incident that occurred prior to last Sunday's game.


Fullback Darian Barnes, who signed with the Jets in the offseason after playing the previous two seasons in Miami, saw Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter around midfield and the two began jawing at each other.


"You going to try to make a name for yourself?" Porter chirped to Barnes, who scoffed at him.


"Joey Porter is a [bleep]," Barnes recounted yesterday. "He's been trash talking for years. What was he trying to prove coming up to me at the 50 yard line (before the game) like it was some sort of showdown? I'm not worried about Joey Porter. He hasn't hit anybody in eight years."


When a photographer approached Barnes to tell him he had a good shot of he and Porter talking before the game, Barnes asked if he could have a print so he could send it to Porter and write the words "[Bleep] you" on it.


"I'm as serious as a heart attack," Barnes said to the photographer.


Porter, who has made nine tackles in three games this season, his first with Miami after eight with Pittsburgh, made news yesterday by guaranteeing the Dolphins (0-3) will beat the Raiders on Sunday, saying, "Write it how you want to write it. We will win on Sunday."


Those words surely didn't surprise Barnes.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!

[Miamipuck]

[ QUOTE ]
Just read this in the Post. Awesome.

[ QUOTE ]
September 28, 2007 -- Further illustrating the hatred that exists between the Jets and Dolphins was an incident that occurred prior to last Sunday's game.


Fullback Darian Barnes, who signed with the Jets in the offseason after playing the previous two seasons in Miami, saw Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter around midfield and the two began jawing at each other.


"You going to try to make a name for yourself?" Porter chirped to Barnes, who scoffed at him.


"Joey Porter is a [bleep]," Barnes recounted yesterday. "He's been trash talking for years. What was he trying to prove coming up to me at the 50 yard line (before the game) like it was some sort of showdown? I'm not worried about Joey Porter. He hasn't hit anybody in eight years."


When a photographer approached Barnes to tell him he had a good shot of he and Porter talking before the game, Barnes asked if he could have a print so he could send it to Porter and write the words "[Bleep] you" on it.


"I'm as serious as a heart attack," Barnes said to the photographer.


Porter, who has made nine tackles in three games this season, his first with Miami after eight with Pittsburgh, made news yesterday by guaranteeing the Dolphins (0-3) will beat the Raiders on Sunday, saying, "Write it how you want to write it. We will win on Sunday."


Those words surely didn't surprise Barnes.

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I read that in the post too. I have a mancrush on Barnes. That is [censored] AWESOME!

[Veecee]

I loved the Barnes signing then, and after that quote I love it now. He's definitely a different back than Anderson/Sowell but I think it'll work out just as well.

[Suigin406]

oh man, that is a pretty funny article, lol, hasn't hit anybody in 8 years...

[Veecee]

Something interesting your you Penningtologists.

http://msn.foxsports.com/rumors/nfl#1

Unless Rex Grossman somehow gets back in the lineup and saves the Bears' season, the free agent to be will be playing elsewhere next year. And so the issue of utmost importance to Bears general manager Jerry Angelo is who will be the Bears' quarterback in 2008. There is a chance it could be Brian Griese or Kyle Orton, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. But there also is a good chance the Bears will have someone else starting at quarterback next year. Here are the top candidates: Derek Anderson: The Browns quarterback who threw for 328 yards and five touchdowns in Week 2 is scheduled to become a restricted free agent. ... Brian Brohm: The Bears probably would have to be drafting high to get a shot at the Louisville quarterback. At this point Brohm looks like the only prospect you would even consider starting as a rookie. ... Donovan McNabb: It's unlikely the Chicago native will be traded or cut if coach Andy Reid remains in Philadelphia, as expected. But the Eagles did draft his potential successor this year, Kevin Kolb. ... Chad Pennington: He could be the best fit for the Bears' offense, and the Jets might be willing to trade him if Kellen Clemens shows he can be an NFL starter. -- Chicago Tribune.


I'd love to see him go to Chicago, it probably is his best option.

[EMc]

Christ we look sloppy and retarded right now

[Veecee]

When Trent freaking Edwards is carving yor defense up, you know you're in trouble.

[Magra]

Alright, I love Chad, but seriously..

HE IS GOING TO KILL THE RECIEVERS!!!!!!

Seriously, why do we look so sloppy, this shouldn't be happening, we should be up 14-0 right now.

TJones does look sexyyy though