what we learned from Jets-NE last night

[bostonbillsfan2008]

This game in many ways made me feel better about our football team, maybe not for this year, but going forward. It's OBVIOUS to anyone who watched that game would agree that NE and the Jets are better football teams this year than us. I think we will catch up shortly, we need another offseason..and a productive one. My thoughts:

 

1.) Dustin Keller for the Jets proved a viable tight end can win games.

2.) Brett Favre is the right QB for that team right now

3.) Having a TE not perform well (Ben Watson) can kill a team (sound familiar?)

4.) Jarod Mayo is going to be really good for years

5.) The Pats are quietly replacing Bruschi and Vrabel with some good young LB (Woods-#58)

6.) Kris Jenkins is a monster and makes all the other guys on the Jets DLine better

7.) The game is won in the trenches and both these teams have better trench guys than we do on both sides of the line

8.) Matt Cassel has more weapons to work with than Trent Edwards while Brett Favre's experience allows him to create weapons for his team.

 

What this tells me about our team is that we aren't as good as our 4-0 record indicated and not as bad as our 1-4 record in the past 5 games has indicated but we are not yet ready to beat these two football teams. The Jets had a better offseason than we did and if we want to compete, we are going to need to take a good look at our football team and make some vast improvements quickly as Miami is right behind us as well and will be way better next year.

 

Our division is going to be super competitive for the next couple years. We need to get stronger on both sides of the line, we need a TE and another line backer. We need to do that while improving the guys we have on our roster. I think one thing that is obvious, is our coaches need to coach better yes, but they need better players to work with. The one constant in the last few years has been not coaches, but our personnel department..it's been intact...in the meantime, we have seen other teams build and re-build a lot faster than us.

 

I think some amount of responsiblity needs to be put on the personnel side and I would say this upcoming off-season is a good make-it or break-it year for them.

[Paup 1995MVP]

This game in many ways made me feel better about our football team, maybe not for this year, but going forward. It's OBVIOUS to anyone who watched that game would agree that NE and the Jets are better football teams this year than us. I think we will catch up shortly, we need another offseason..and a productive one. My thoughts:

 

1.) Dustin Keller for the Jets proved a viable tight end can win games.

2.) Brett Favre is the right QB for that team right now

3.) Having a TE not perform well (Ben Watson) can kill a team (sound familiar?)

4.) Jarod Mayo is going to be really good for years

5.) The Pats are quietly replacing Bruschi and Vrabel with some good young LB (Woods-#58)

6.) Kris Jenkins is a monster and makes all the other guys on the Jets DLine better

7.) The game is won in the trenches and both these teams have better trench guys than we do on both sides of the line

8.) Matt Cassel has more weapons to work with than Trent Edwards while Brett Favre's experience allows him to create weapons for his team.

 

What this tells me about our team is that we aren't as good as our 4-0 record indicated and not as bad as our 1-4 record in the past 5 games has indicated but we are not yet ready to beat these two football teams. The Jets had a better offseason than we did and if we want to compete, we are going to need to take a good look at our football team and make some vast improvements quickly as Miami is right behind us as well and will be way better next year.

 

Our division is going to be super competitive for the next couple years. We need to get stronger on both sides of the line, we need a TE and another line backer. We need to do that while improving the guys we have on our roster. I think one thing that is obvious, is our coaches need to coach better yes, but they need better players to work with. The one constant in the last few years has been not coaches, but our personnel department..it's been intact...in the meantime, we have seen other teams build and re-build a lot faster than us.

 

I think some amount of responsiblity needs to be put on the personnel side and I would say this upcoming off-season is a good make-it or break-it year for them.

I totally agree with your analysis of last nights game. The biggest differences I noticed between Pats-Jets and us is their D lines vs. ours. No comparison. Their D lines are much more dominant than ours. They just have a lot better players than us at D line. And their O lines are just more physical. I am very puzzled as to why our O line is so passive. Football is a mean and nasty sport. I just don't see that in our O line. Maybe Butler can bring that to it. Our guys just do not play nasty. Peters, Dockery, Preston, Fowler, Walker. All way too passive. O line is attitude. Just don't see it.

 

Love the play of Dustin Keller. He reminds me of a young Tony Gonzalez, though not as big. Very fluid in finding open area to catch ball, and can run. We have noone like that on the roster. Though maybe Derek Fine can make some plays if used enough. I agree, we need better players. We have been too satisfied bringing in second tier guys who are not great athletes. I.e. Robert Royal, Dockery, Tripplet, Spencer Johnson. Even Marcus Stroud-who I thinks best days are behind him. The personnel dept. has to get better. Bringing in Faneca and Jenkins was huge for the Jets. We need a lot more difference makers which we do not have right now. Guys like Ellison, Kelsay, Denny, Royal, the entire O line have no upside. Why do we still only have one quality receiver? And our rookies need to start producing. We need some major changes in the offseason. I sincerely hope Brandon understands that.

[Cugalabanza]

Here's what I learned: Good football teams go out there and play football. They play hard and they take some chances. They try to play to the strengths of their players and create positive matchups on offense and defense. They try to anticipate what the other team will do and they use creativity to try to confuse them.

 

…Unlike the Buffalo Bills whose only strategy lately seems to be to try to suck all the life out of a game and bring the opponent down to their low level. Then they hope for something flukey to happen in their favor late in a close game to come away with the awkward victory.

[bizell]

The only reason Woods was playing was because Adalius Thomas broke his arm.

[KOKBILLS]

Here's what I learned: Good football teams go out there and play football. They play hard and they take some chances. They try to play to the strengths of their players and create positive matchups on offense and defense. They try to anticipate what the other team will do and they use creativity to try to confuse them.

 

…Unlike the Buffalo Bills whose only strategy lately seems to be to try to suck all the life out of a game and bring the opponent down to their low level. Then they hope for something flukey to happen in their favor late in a close game to come away with the awkward victory.

 

Agreed...

[dave mcbride]

Great post. The only thing I'd add is that Marcus Stroud and Kawika Mitchell are playing at very high levels, so the Bills have made some improvements through free agency.

 

A couple of games ago I decided that the Jets were probably the second most talented team in the AFC (after the Titans). I expect them to get to the AFC championship game. Even though they gave up a ton of yards last night, I felt that they were clearly the better team. Nick Mangold is a helluva player, by the way. NE's special teams were dreadful, as they were against the Bills.

[bizell]

A couple of games ago I decided that the Jets were probably the second most talented team in the AFC (after the Titans).

 

and the worst part is, we were kicking their ass all over the place until Edwards' horrific pick-six.

[dave mcbride]

and the worst part is, we were kicking their ass all over the place until Edwards' horrific pick-six.

That was less than one half of the game - they kicked our ass the rest of the way. They were clearly the better team.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

Never use a Prevent Defense?

[bizell]

That was less than one half of the game - they kicked our ass the rest of the way. They were clearly the better team.

 

disagree that they were clearly the better team.

[marauderswr80]

Jets played with a ton of emotions........and their coach coached that way aswell

[murra]

disagree that they were clearly the better team.

 

I agree (in disagreeing that they were clearly the better team).

 

Edwards doesn't throw that pick-6, and we kick a field goal and have a ten point lead, its almost impossible for them to pull out a win with no offensive touchdowns.

[dave mcbride]

I agree (in disagreeing that they were clearly the better team).

 

Edwards doesn't throw that pick-6, and we kick a field goal and have a ten point lead, its almost impossible for them to pull out a win with no offensive touchdowns.

I see the logic, but the thing is, he did throw the pick-6. The yardage was pretty even, but the Jets won the TO battle (partly because the Bills couldn't do safe running plays) and the sack battle. Win those, and you usually win the game. I always look to see who won the TO, rushing, and sack battles. Those are usually the key indicators. The Jets won the TO battle 3-1, the rushing battle 96-30, and the sack battle 5-0.

[Ned Flanders]

I see the logic, but the thing is, he did throw the pick-6. The yardage was pretty even, but the Jets won the TO battle (partly because the Bills couldn't do safe running plays) and the sack battle. Win those, and you usually win the game. I always look to see who won the TO, rushing, and sack battles. Those are usually the key indicators. The Jets won the TO battle 3-1, the rushing battle 96-30, and the sack battle 5-0.

What are these "sacks" you keep talking about...I remember Deacon Jones back in the day, and I've seen other teams perform a "sack," but I can't remember the Bills ever pulling one off...are they legal?

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

Jets played with a ton of emotions........and their coach coached that way aswell

 

 

I don't disagree that they played with emotion, but they also blew an 18 point lead at the end of the first half, and a 7 point lead with two minutes left to go, and (according to Collingsworth and my quick review of the Moss TD pass) changed the strategy to contain Moss on the most important play of the game.

 

If this went a different way, Mangini and the boys looks like chumps.

[dave mcbride]

What are these "sacks" you keep talking about...I remember Deacon Jones back in the day, and I've seen other teams perform a "sack," but I can't remember the Bills ever pulling one off...are they legal?

 

The Bills getting a legit sack (not a "vulture" sack) occurs about as frequently as this:

 

http://www.geocities.com/zotik/img5m.html

[John from Riverside]

I think everybody pretty much knew Keller was going to be a good player.....I really wanted him

 

BUT

 

I also think that Fine showed some stuff when he finally got the opportunity......with Royal banged up maybe we see more of him on Monday night?

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I think everybody pretty much knew Keller was going to be a good player.....I really wanted him

 

BUT

 

I also think that Fine showed some stuff when he finally got the opportunity......with Royal banged up maybe we see more of him on Monday night?

 

God, I hope so. The Browns are notorious for struggling against quick tight ends.

[Pneumonic]

What I learned is that a full strength Jets team needed a favorable coin flip in OT in order to beat a Patriots team that were so injured at key spots that they had no right to be competitive.

 

Now either the Jets are pretenders or the Pats are at another level or more (if healthy) from the Jets.

[cale]

I think everybody pretty much knew Keller was going to be a good player.....I really wanted him

 

BUT

 

I also think that Fine showed some stuff when he finally got the opportunity......with Royal banged up maybe we see more of him on Monday night?

 

Problem is John - this front office is acting like finding/drafting/signing a pass catching TE is against their religion. I just don't get it. In our division, it has been proven again and again by teams like the Patriots, Dolphins and now the Jets that the middle seam is open for the taking. The defenses are not willing to give up the outside and the front to run. So that leaves a zone right past the run D zone where if you have a a guy open, you can pick at it all day. Plus that's Edwards' game.

 

You can find a top notch WR in the later rounds or even FA. But a good quality TE is a necessity in Rds. 1-3. The notable exception is Gates from San Diego who was a FA signing.

 

C