Content available exclusively for subscribers
The Jets protectors do so many good things, but there is too much bad mixed in. Here is Part I of our look at the Jets blocking . . .
The Jets first possession was a three-and-out, but like we mentioned before, this drive should have continued, but a timing route to Patrick Turner, on third-and-five, was incomplete when he stumbled out his break, on the awful turf.
The Jets protectors had an impressive second series. The Jets went 77 yards on eight plays on this scoring drive, which ended with a Mark Sanchez TD pass to Dustin Keller.
LaDainian Tomlinson had a terrific series.
In the middle of the possession, he had impressive back-to-back runs of nine and seven yards.
On the nine-yard run, Keller and Wayne Hunter did a really nice job locking up a pair of defenders to open up a big hole on the right side.
On the seven-yard run up the middle, John Connor did a terrific job leading the way, locking up DE Kendall Langford, who has 50 pounds on him, and LT followed him into the hole.
The biggest play of this drive was 41-yard strike from option QB Jeremy Kerley to Matthew Mulligan down the deep right side. The line did a nice job on this play giving Kerley plenty of time to throw to Mulligan.
Let me say this about Mulligan. No question he commits way too many penalties, but the man has ability. While there is a very good chance the Jets will move on from him. He’s a stout blocking TE. He will get another job, but he needs to learn to calm down. Matt is a little too wired, and this contributes to some of these penalties.
On the two possessions that followed this one, Mulligan had false starts.
Back to the first quarter TD drive.
On the TD pass, it was bootleg to the right side by Sanchez who hit a wide open Keller. The Jets line, Shonn Greene and Sanchez did a great job of selling the fake run up the middle, and the Dolphins bought it.
There was a sack on this drive by DT Randy Starks in the red zone. What happened on this play was Sanchez felt the pocket falling apart, so he went down on his own, and the play lost three yards. Considering how many bad things have happened when he rushes throws feeling pressure, maybe this wasn’t a bad thing.
Following this pretty drive, the Jets next two possessions were three-and-outs. And making matters worse, is these three-and-outs were scenarios were the Jets offense was giving great field position, around mid-field, and did nothing with either opportunity.
The first of these two, the Jets put themselves in a manageable third-and-three, but then Sanchez threw an incompletion to the short right side to Kerley. As we mentioned before, this play wasn’t Mark’s fault. Kerley slipped on the terrible field coming out of his break on the right side, and this messed up the timing of the route.
On the Jets next possession, they were in a tough spot from the get-go, with a false start on first down, so they essentially began with a first-and-15.
The Jets got five yards back on first-and-15 with a five-yard run by Greene, but then the next two plays didn’t work out.
On second-and-10, Sanchez attempted a pass down the deep right side to Holmes, and he was covered very well by Vontae Davis, so the pass fell incomplete. Holmes felt he was interfered with.
Then on third-and-10, Sanchez feeling some pressure up the middle, rolled right, but instead of taking a chance down field, he ran out of bounds, and the Jets punted. You should try something here.
We will have Part II of our look at the blocking by 4 pm on Saturday.
