The league's best offensive line, blocking for two quality backs (one being a hall of famer), three potential "Number 1" WR's, a top pass-catching tight end, combined with another year of experience in the same system would only allow our Mexican leader to progress, right? How can you possibly expect a bad game with that lineup?
The answer lies within the success of 2009. It seem like the Jets pass-run-pass-punt, rather than "run until you stop us". While LaDainian has been terrific, he does not run with the same kind of brute power that Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene combined for. The Jets must go back to the power running that led them so close to the Super Bowl a year ago.
Now, let's make this clear; the Jets are still an excellent running team. They show as much commitment to the run as any team in the league. However, the style of running has slightly changed, as personnel changed. With Tomlinson, Brian Schottenheimer is able to call more counters, sweeps, and draws. Because Tomlinson is so versatile, using different formations and plays designed to pull the defense away from the play, rather that run right at them. Let's face it, Thomas Jones was not the ideal "finesse" back.
As a result of this, the Jets have gotten away from the straight-ahead, just-try-to-stop-us kind of running. Shonn Greene only gets about a third of the carries.That needs to increase to about 60%. Trust me, defenders like tacking Tomlinson a lot more than Shonn Greene. We all saw Cromartie shy away from that tackle in the AFC Divisional game a year ago. He wanted to part of trying to slow Shonn down.
When you are a physcial kind of back, like Shonn is, you feed off the emotion of the game. As you wear down the defense, you get stronger, until you finally break the big run. With this enhancement of the running game, the laws of football dictate the passing game is bound to improve.
So Schotty, instead of trying to get cute with fancy formations and "gotcha" reverses and whatnot, go back to what the Jets know how to do: power football for 60 minutes. Be the team no one wants to play.