Last night I had to pop on the last Patriots – Jets game not to see what the Patriots did, but what the Jets tried to do.
In the last twelve hours since we found out we’d be getting a third game for the AFC East rivals, we’ve already been hearing that the Jets were just getting a look at the new Patriots offense. That they’ll study that film and be more prepared.
Well they weren’t getting their first look at the New England defense. When looking back at the last time they met it was apparent that the Jets really tried to attack the Patriots through the air.
They put the game in Mark Sanchez’ hands early by going with a 3-WR set and LT2 in the backfield. Clearly the Jets wanted to attack the Patriots secondary, but Sanchez just wasn’t up to the task that day. His passes were off target, and those that were on target were dropped.
The Patriots defense meanwhile showed up to play. They had often been gashed by runs on their nickel defense, but this day they were fairly stout in that regard.
The Jets only real glimmers of success can from their power running game, but by the time New England had a lead it was too late to mount a comeback entirely built on moving the ball on the ground.
The Jets bread and butter was their power run game against the Colts. They were moving the ball there, and taking the pressure off Mark Sanchez, who had his usual “only good when there’s less than two minutes left in the game” passing performance.
So this time around? I’m already expecting the Jets to abandon the multiple receiver looks and try to ground and pound the Patriots. Really when you look at how the Browns beat the Patriots it was all set up by Peyton Hillis and a power running attack, which allowed them to protect Colt McCoy.
McCoy made the plays that he had to and the result was a blow out. Granted most of the Patriots team never got off the bus that day, but still, it is an effective way to win a football game if you can execute it.
What the Jets must’ve learned last time is that it’s better to do what you do well, instead of leaving your comfort zone to try and attack a perceived weakness. The game unraveled for them quickly last time, they’ll want to try to slow things down and write the same script they wrote against the Colts.
As for the other side of the ball I’m not so sure the Jets can necessarily look at the game film, see what the Pats did to them, and easily adjust to it. It’s not the scheme that made it so hard on the Jets last time, it was the match-ups.
The fact is that the Jets cannot make Antonio Cromartie a good match-up for the Patriots receivers. They cannot make Eric Smith into Jim Leonhard. And most of all they won’t shut down New England’s run game like they did the Colts.
This will be a rested Patriots team, that is more than familiar with everything the Jets do. And of course you’ll have any and all extra motivation after a week full of Jets trash talk, which of course has already begun.
New England’s 3-4 run stopping defense, and sub-package run defense better come to play. Expect the Jets to take the game out of Mark Sanchez’s hands, and put it into their offensive line and running backs.