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Florham Park – There is something going on that doesn’t make a lot of sense, and it keeps going on, and it’s a self-inflicted wound by John Idzik . . .
I’m not sold Geno Smith is the long-term answer for the Jets, but his GM isn’t helping him succeed.
I’m not going to lie, I’m sick and tired of criticizing Tommy Bohanon and Brian Winters, but they are really hurting the Jets’ offense.
And John Idzik has done nothing about it.
I don’t want to hear – “Who else are they going to play?” That is bull and a cop-out.
First of all, you can always find fullbacks. Fullbacks are a dime a dozen. There are plenty of them on the street, and some decent ones.
As for Winters, the Jets have three other players, aside from Vlad Ducasse, who can play left guard – Caleb Schlauderaff (four year starter at left guard at Utah), Ben Iljalana (a guard/tackle) and Dalton Freeman (a center/guard) on the practice squad.
I feel bad for Bohanon and Winters. They are great guys. They work hard, but neither is playing well, and they are hurting Geno Smith.
I blame their struggles in the NFL more on Idzik and company for starting them before they were ready, more than I blame the players.
But the bottom line is each player is struggling big-time, and Idzik just keeps rolling with them.
What is that old line about doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?
I want to point out some of what went on in the first half of the Jets-Baltimore game. Just the half. I’m not even talking about the entire game.
Smith needs a running game to be successful, and Bohanon isn’t doing a great job as a lead blocker – he’s very indecisive.
On the Jets’ first run of the game, Bilal Powell ran for just a gain of two. Bohanon, serving as his lead blocker, blocked nobody.
On the Jets’ first series, on third-and-one (the kind of manageable down-and -distance you are looking for), Chris Ivory was stopped in the backfield, when Winters was beat by NT Haloti Ngata.
Later in the first quarter, you had a poor running play where Bohanon and Winters were both at fault.
Once again, Bohanon blocked nobody, and DT Arthur Jones blew by Winters to stop Powell for no gain.
In the second quarter, on a run to the right side by Chris Ivory, OLB Courtney Upshaw easily shed Bohanon, allowing CB LaDarius Webb to stop the runner after a gain of one.
Also in the second quarter, OLB Terrell Suggs stunted inside and stopped Powell. D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Winters doubled DE Chris Canty, and Suggs looped inside to the spot vacated by Winters. Ferguson doesn’t need help double teaming Canty.
Late in the first half, Winters didn’t pick up Suggs on a stunt, and he crushed Geno Smith has he threw.
Two common denominators hurting both players – short arms and recognition on who to block.
So in this regard, Idzik has done a poor job of helping his young quarterback.
And there is no sign Idzik is going to make any changes here.
Clearly this season is about developing players – first and foremost. If they happen to win, that is gravy.
If that is what Idzik wants to do, that is his right, and perhaps it will help the Jets next year.
But Rex Ryan keeps saying, “we all need to play better,” when asked about the team’s offensive struggles.
And there is some merit to that, but since he and Idzik refuse to make any changes at left guard and fullback, how much better is the unit going to play? Look at all the rough plays I pointed out in one half alone from these two positions. Let’s not forget Winters also had a holding penalty on DE Chris Canty, in the third quarter, that knocked the Jets out of field goal range, on their best drive of the game.
Like I said, I’m not convinced Smith is the long-term answer, but the man who believes in him probably more than anyone else, Idzik, is dealing him a bad hand.
Which doesn’t make a lot of sense.
November 29, 2013
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