New York Jets Run Offense vs. Indianapolis Colts Run Defense
by John B on Jan 22, 2010 8:52 PM EST
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PrintShonn Greene is in. Brad Smith is out. The Colts have a small, fast defensive front. They go East and West well. The Tiger formation may not be that effective this week. A power run attack probably will be. I mentioned in the passing matchups that Robert Mathis against Damien Woody should scare the Jets because of Mathis' speed and athleticism. The Colts should be just as scared of the matchup in the run game if not moreso. Mathis is only 245 pounds. He's giving 85 to Woody. New York's use of the draw could cause problems for a guy like Dwight Freeney, who looks to get upfield as quickly as possible. Nobody from the tackle rotation of Antonio Johnson, David Muir, and Eric Foster was particularly strong against the run in the regular season. Ditto the linebackers of Clint Session, Gary Brackett, and Philip Wheeler. Indianapolis is without Bob Sanders, an excellent run supporter at safety.
The Jets made extensive use of their goal line package from everywhere on the field this season. Against a small front, we will surely see plenty of it. Gang Green will look to pound on Indy's line for four quarters to wear it down and keep Peyton Manning off the field. There will be double tight sets with Wayne Hunter and Robert Turner and Tony Richardson lined up at fullback. The Jets will just pound on them. Look at the way Greene popped one late against the Chargers last week.
The Colts will look to play the run, but it's not clear whether it will matter. The Jets have run it successfully against better run units gearing up to stop them. Ray Rice averaged over 5 per carry last week. Rice may be a more complete player, but he isn't as punishing as a power back as Greene. The Jets should be able to be very productive on the ground.
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Yep, TigerCat and Brad Smith will not be effective against this athletic defense. They’re too fast off the edge and their closing speeds are phenomenal. Could turn into a lot of “busted plays”.
But I agree with you in that we WILL have success running in between the tackles and punching them in the mouth.
GGN Staff Writer
www.ganggreennation.com
Indy got absolutely
thrashed by Miami and the WC. The Jets can run Brad Smith plays if they want, and if they execute their blocks they will work. Same as any other running play. If they all block their assignment, it will work.
"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS
why would they they didn't use much of the WC last time we faced that i recall. Or it just didn't work well so why would you try it again.
why change what you did before i mean you did win it fair and square. No extenuating circumstances :).
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
previously known as (ANGELSFAITH)
by TheAngelsColts on Jan 22, 2010 11:43 PM EST up reply actions
They did win fair and square.
The Colts wussed out. Okay. That’s what happened. However at the end of the day the only stat that matters in football is a win and The Jets got it and they beat the Bangles and the Chargers.
They won’t do the same thing because SMART teams make adjustments and the Colts will. And let me remind everyone again that the Colts managed a mere 15 points with Manning in, so a lot of the same will work.
Man I hope Gang Green does it this weekend. I am SO sick of Colts fans. How is it they chicken out on making history and we get mocked for it?
The Colts are where they are because of the same lucky breaks the Jets got. Case and point: Houston, Jacksonville (twice), New England and San Francisco. It’s not like the Colts have consistently mutilated teams. They’ve had close games against teams right in the same win/loss bracket as the Jets.
by cult hero on Jan 23, 2010 12:13 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Oh i agree you won the game and got the W.
And that last line was sorta messing around. Yes we managed 15 points with the starters in 2.5 quarters (not sure why that means anything special). Oh and so you know the Colts fans have not chickened out of anything. Umm we have had close games like you but not in the same lose column because we didn’t lose those close one though.
I just want to say we both (just like all teams) get breaks it doesn’t mean it is luck (for any team). Second i hope by your list you are not implying that they are better than us because that would be a dumb thing to do. They were close but they were not better than us obviously.
this will be a good game though i think and they key for you will be to get your run game going.
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
previously known as (ANGELSFAITH)
by TheAngelsColts on Jan 23, 2010 12:35 AM EST up reply actions
Over here the over/under line for Greene's yards is 75.5yds
I was thinking of making a solid play on him reaching 76yds here.. what do you guys think? His productivity has been excellent of late and he’s seeing more touches than Jones. I thought this matchup against the Colts’ run D was favourable..
On running downs
there’s a good chance you’ll see alot of Raheem Brock in place of Robert Mathis, he is about 30lbs heavier than Mathis and usually gets plenty of playing time.
Defense is more important than breathing.
Great write-up John B. I agree 100%
I think that the Jets will be heavy in the jumbo sets in the first half, and then will try to open it up more in the second half with play-action passing and counter action.
Well, the Jets Can Run on the Colts
but so can everyone else. Nevertheless, Indianapolis is an excellent defense. If Shonn Greene can break enough big ones, perhaps the Colts will be on the ropes. We’ll see what happens. Church gets out at 1:00 MST (i.e, kickoff time) Sunday so I can watch this game on entirety. I’m going to do a coin flip to see if I hang out on Stampede Blue or Gang Green. For the NFC, it’s no decision, I’m hanging out on the Canal Street Chronicles. It bears mentioning that every team’s blog I’ve frequented during the postseason (with the exception of the Cards last week) has won. Am I lucky?
Brad James
by the new Bradfather on Jan 22, 2010 11:01 PM EST reply actions
One reason I really like the Jets in this matchup
is how similar the “matchups” seem to be in this game and from the San Diego game. The Colts nor the Chargers are particularly good on the ground (in fact, I believe SD and Indy had the two worst ground games in the league this year). The Jets have the best pass D in the NFL.
Peyton Manning is a tremendous quarterback, obviously, but I can see this posing problems for Peyton, kinda like how the Jets posed problems for Rivers last week.
I went with San Diego last week despite the fact that I thought the Jets strengths played up well against the Chargers strengths, but seeing what happened last week, and the fact that I thought SD was better than Indy, I really like New York here.
by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 22, 2010 11:02 PM EST reply actions
Need to run
and run effectively and manage the game to win. Of course, this is all assuming the defense can limit the Colts offensive machine in some capacity to keep it a game. Although there were a couple of lucky breaks, the Jets played a model game against a Chargers team that did the opposite. Arguably, we have the formula to win this.
Mark has been pretty sharp lately, and we can’t be afraid to use him, especially in PA’s, screens and fakes. But if we put the ball in his hands too much or have to rely on him in a shootout if Manning and friends outplay Jets D, the inevitable will happen.
Colts 31 Jets 20 Sorry, I can’t suppress the notion that we’re outmatched. I hope I’m wrong.
Ah screw it
I’ve been wrong all season besides the 9-7. Might as well be risk being wrong for my team. They’ve given me a better year than I could have hoped for.
Jets 24 Colts 21
Little LBs too
Bracket and Session — 235 pds
Wheeler — 240
they are light yes but doesn't mean they are not good cause they are.
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
previously known as (ANGELSFAITH)
by TheAngelsColts on Jan 22, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions
Skill will only take you so far against size though. The key for the Jets is a consistent pounding which leads to breaks like Greene had against San Diego.
No one doubts the skill of the Colts on both sides of the ball, but it’s just as ridiculous to think the Colts are better in every way than the Jets and that the Jets don’t pose some problems for the Colts.
The Colts managed a MEAGER 20 points against the Ravens who shut their own offense down as much as the Colts’ defense did.
by cult hero on Jan 22, 2010 11:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
you're rationalization in the first sentence is flawed
You have it mixed up. Size will only take you so far. Skill and technique is what gets you further. The Colts speed and technique will keep them matched up well with the Jets. Apparently the Ravens were trying to do the same thing the Jets are going to try and do. Please don’t underestimate the Colts defense. They are very good.
As long as we have Peyton we will always have a chance to win.
"18 is coming"- Ed Reed
Of course it will only take you so far. I never said you can just field huge mongrels on the field and win. Size has advantages over finesse and vice versa. In the ground and pound run game, size is more important than finesse. Not to say it takes no skill, but no amount of skill is going to make a skinny, tiny running back a star. There’s a reason there are NO 220 lbs offensive linemen.
Believe me, I do not underestimate the Colts. Just because I think the Jets are well matched doesn’t mean I am deluded enough to think the Jets are going to manhandle the Colts. However, it would be completely legitimate to say Sanchez is no Peyton Manning. It’s just as legitimate to say the Colts defense is no Jets offense.
by cult hero on Jan 23, 2010 12:26 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Got know problem with you not thinking we will win necessarily just i gues after reading a few of the guys on the "ask a Cols"
that is all they do is assume they already one the game. we havent seemed to have any logical fans on there..
you are welcome to have confidence just don’t be over-confident and arrogant you know.
GO COLTS!!! 09 IS OURS!!!
previously known as (ANGELSFAITH)
by TheAngelsColts on Jan 23, 2010 12:39 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, that skill
and technique worked wonders againsts NE’s size when they thrashed you every year.
"Relax, all right? Don't try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring; besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. It's more democratic."
- CRASH DAVIS
thought the Jets ran too much wide in last weeks game, especially early on. Hope to see very little run plays go outside the tackles this week. I think the wild tiger can be effective on 2nd and 3rd and short but they again need to keep Smith in between the tackles, no option crap or outside runs. Keep pulling Faneca and Moore hit them in the mouth over and over until they are spitting up blood with cleet marks all over there chests.
If their offense starts as slow as it did last week, they’re dead. The Colts are more disciplined than the Chargers and will likely have fewer penalties.
I think with Sanchez playing as sharp as he has and Edwards actually catching the ball last week, they should throw more on first just here and there.
Frankly, as good as the Jets defense is, I think they should try a surprise onside kick now and then.
by cult hero on Jan 22, 2010 11:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
also agree that this would be a good game to work an effective draw or screen to help nullify Mathis/Freeney/pass rush
screens are tough because the LBs are fast and DBs tackle very well.
If you run it right you’ll do well, but it has to been executed very well or else it gets swarmed in the backfield.
Luck is probability taken personally, clutch is probability attributed to individuals.
by shake n bake on Jan 23, 2010 12:48 AM EST up reply actions
We’re not a very good screen team either. Havent been since Leon went out.
And in this game, I worry about Sanchez making a mistake and throwing a ball to one of their D-Lineman. Not sure the screens are a good idea.
GGN Staff Writer
www.ganggreennation.com
Here is a good article from Stampede Blue
Just how good is the Jets’ running game?
by ctnyc on Jan 23, 2010 1:42 PM EST 3 comments
I’m sure all of the Jets fan trolls we’ve seen recently will take this post as “dissing” the Jets (“The Jets get no respect! Karma’s a bitch!”) Nothing could be further from the truth. What this is is my attempt to go behind the numbers just a little bit to get more insight into what the Colts are up against. I’m no stat-master like mgrex or shake, but I’ve done a little rudimentary analysis of the Jets running game using just the basic stats.
I kept hearing about how the Jets had the #1 rushing offense in the league and didn’t think much about it; numbers are numbers. But then over the past week, popular opinion seems to have morphed into saying the Jets have the best rushing game in the league. A subtle difference, but I wondered if it’s really true. Here’s what I found:
First, the Jets being the #1 rushing offense in the league is based on raw numbers: the Jets have more rushing yardage than any other team, therefore they are the #1 rushing offense. But as we all know, numbers without context are virtually meaningless. For example, did you know that the Bills had the 2nd best pass defense in the league? Now, the Bills have some good young talent in the secondary, but are they really the 2nd best in the entire league? Or is it a function of the fact that teams realized they could run all day on the Bills and so simply didn’t throw as much?
So, context for the Jets numbers: one of the main reasons the Jets rushed for more yards than any other team is that they rushed the ball significantly more often than any other team. The Jets ran the ball 607 times, an average of 37.9 times per game. The next “rushingest” team was Carolina with 525 rushes for an average of 32.8 per game. Think about that. The Jets ran the ball 82 times more than anybody — not just more than the NFL average, but more the #2 most rushing team! They had 5.1 more rushes per game than their nearest competitor. And of course, the discrepancy is even larger as you go down the list. I’m not statistician, but that seems pretty significant to me.
In my view, a better indicator of a team’s running success is yards per carry. It may not be a perfect indicator, but it is certainly better than total yards. The Jets averaged 4.5 ypc. That’s very good, but not the best. The Jets are tied for 5th best ypc with Jacksonville and New Orleans. Leading the way is Tennessee with 5.2 ypc, Dallas and Carolina with 4.8 ypc, and — wait for it — Baltimore with 4.7 ypc. So the Jets are one of the top 7 teams in ypc. Very good to be sure, but not quite as daunting as it may have once seemed, particularly since the Colts shut down a higher ypc team last week.
Further, there are two teams that had a 4.4 ypc average, or just a tenth of a yard less than the Jets. Those two teams? Kansas City and our friends the Bills. That’s right, the Bills. With no passing game to speak of and a decimated offensive line, the Bills managed to come within one tenth of a yard of the Jets and their 3 Pro Bowl linemen.
So what does all this mean? Well, the Jets are clearly a very good running team. Within the top ten in the league without question, and that’s nothing to sneeze at. But suddenly I don’t feel quite so afraid of the “best” running game in football. If we can shut down Ray Rice and Baltimore’s 4.7 ypc, why can’t we shut down the Jets? Of course it will all be settled on the field, any given Sunday, yadda yadda yadda. I’m not saying the Jets can’t possibly run on the Colts, but I sure feel more comfortable than I did when all I was hearing was raw numbers being tossed around.
The fact that we've been shackled with terrible QB play for weeks at a time over the course of the season should reinstitute that fear.
Everyone has had the same game plan against us since week 1: put 8-9 in the box and let the rookie win the game. But despite the stacked boxes and our QB at times literally throwing games away, our running game has been a constant force that nobody could stop. We’ve faced better defenses than the Colts, defenses whose coordinators had the miraculous epiphany to stack the box and try to force Sanchez to throw to beat them. The result has always been the same: they can’t stop it.
So be prepared. Its comin. Whether there’s 8 or 9 in the box; whether we’re up two scores or down two scores. Its violent. Its relentless. And its comin.
Colts Defense was #1 in scoring defense most of the season!
The “Fast and the Furious” Will Win This Game !
by colt_monger on Jan 23, 2010 1:04 PM EST 5 comments
The “Fast and the Furious” Colts Defense will be the differense maker!
The Colts defense was the #1 scoring defense for nearly three quarters of the regular season. Then, injuries set in and starters were pulled the last two games. But we are back baby AND healthy. You saw this last week when we faced the Ravens. All this talk about our offense and the Jets defense is fine but mark my words, it is the Colts defense that will rise as the stars of this title game. The one area the media is overlooking is the one factor that will change the face of this game. COLTS “D” !!!
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