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The Jets played about as rough as a second half as you can when you look at big plays. There were three turnovers, a completely blown coverage that I still have no idea who to fault, and a fumble recovery for a TD. Forgetting the fumble every big play was a fault of our own.
Fitzpatrick loves his back shoulder throws this year, and without any statistics to prove it, just from memory I can't remember that many from last year. This is an example of predetermining where you are going to throw the ball, a poor pass, and frankly going to the well way too many times.
The Jets lined up with four WR's three split to the right running a typical flood pattern with a short out, deep out and sideline fly route. On the other side, Marshall runs a 15 yard comeback.
The defense is straight man with a deep safety and middle linebacker in a lurk position. Basically, they are preventing deep routes and anything over the middle. Compared to when Marshall scored, Sherman's got solid coverage and at no time did Marshall ever gain any separation. In fact, they looked like conjoined twins moving down the field.
This is about as bogus of a pass as you can get. It's short, to the inside and completely covered. The only one who can make a catch is Sherman. Fitzpatrick predetermined where he was making the throw and made it despite the WR not getting open.
This is why Fitzpatrick is can be so frustrating. He locks on, makes a very poor decision in a key spot and doesn't scan the field. There's no real other reason to try to complete this pass other than he determined early on that's where he wanted to target, coverage be darned.
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The defense decided to make sure to add to their woes as well. I can't even begin to describe this play without film so let's just cut to it.
The Seahawks line up with a tight bunch right, with one wide receiver left. A running back will run the sideline route, while the far WR runs across the middle. The only other route is a tight end that blocks through the middle of the field eventually running an out route.
I think the Jets are in cover two man. I say I think, because this whole play is a jambalaya of garbage. The players that gave me the biggest impression of cover two man are the two deeper defenders who drop to zone level, and the way the other defenders play man up.The OLB rushes the QB, which I'm not sure if he was supposed have the back. Either way Williams is really late getting over if he was the deep man. Meanwhile Pryor ends up running forward towards one of the blockers, so maybe he's involved somehow?
Either way you put it, no one gets Michael out of the backfield and Williams is the only person within range. He can't make the stop and it was another easy 6 points for the Hawks.
I often go back to the film to try to figure out what the defense was and what happened. It's rare it's so bad that I have no idea. This is an example of that.
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Let's talk about good process and poor execution. This is more or less good process, just a fastball that could have been slowed down some and a rookie WR not making a very makeable catch. You'll see Fitzpatrick actually read the defense right, throw the ball to an open man, and somehow the Jets botch it.
The Jets line up with four wide outs, three to the left, with a single on the right, with a running back split right. The Jets run a classic West Coast Offense scheme designed to beat man coverage. Both outside wide outs run short slants with the inside man running the short out routes. The deep man is basically to move the safety and middle linebacker if there was a zone.
The Hawks come out in the same cover one lurk. Anderson does a great job of getting some separation with the corner. That allows him to cut inside with the CB still well outside. That means there should be a window to throw the ball.
Fitzpatrick unloads a spiral that was probably a bit too hot for the circumstances. He can't lob it in with the lurk coming over, but he could have added just a bit of touch.
We all know the rest. Anderson gets hit in the hands, the ball goes up and the Hawks ended with a pick. Let's start with the good: Fitzpatrick read the defense right and threw to an open man. The bad: He probably could have taken something off the ball in this case. That being said, it's a ball that a WR should catch every time. I'm not making excuses when I say that it was probably not all Fitz's fault and that Anderson should have came down with it.
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Another good process poor execution comes from the last pick. Marshall ends up open deep, but Fitz either tries for another back shoulder over the middle of the field...(LOL) or severely under throws Marshall. Either way this is on him.
The Jets trot out the same formation as the last pick with three to the left and Marshall to the right. There's two deep routes, Marshall going long and the far WR running a deep comeback or fly pattern. Three shorter routes, including an out a hitch and a sideline route round out the play.
The Hawks are in cover three. Four men cover short routes while three including Sherman get deep. What's interesting is that the defense is disguised by Sherman playing up near the line. However, he takes Marshall one on one up the sideline. Marshall easily has Sherman beat deep and to the inside.
This image sums up everything wrong this year. Marshall is gone with a good pass, but it's woefully short and easily intercepted.
This is another one on Fitzpatrick. Even when he makes good decisions with the ball, this year he's having trouble being accurate and hitting the long passes that could lead to scores.
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If the Jets have any hope to turn 2016 around Fitzpatrick will need to play much, much better. That or we go to option two and it's Geno time again. If both fail, there's always Bryce Petty which means, game over man, game over.