Weekend Notes: The Jets take on Brady

The Jets’ matchup with New England on Sunday raises plenty of questions from New York’s perspective in terms of how they will attack Tom Brady’s offense from a scheme standpoint.

APTom Brady

If I am the Jets watching the Buffalo tape from last week, I can see that although the Bills gave up plenty of offense in terms of numbers (441 total yards), they never gave up the big play—or that play that swung the momentum of the game until the final five minutes. I have never been a fan of sitting back in Cover 2 versus a Brady-led team, but outside of those final drives, the Bills were able to match up with the Pats when New England spread them out because they could keep all of the routes in front of them. Yes, that is a staple of any Tampa 2 team, as you force the quarterback to throw underneath by taking away the deep route in hopes that one mistake by the offense will lead to a drive killer.

However, that isn’t the Rex Ryan scheme. Last week against the Texans, the Jets brought pressure for four quarters against quarterback Matt Schaub with positive results, and I don’t expect Ryan to change any part of his scheme just because of Tom Brady. But, in saying that, pressure teams that do have success against Brady must be able to compensate for the amount of weapons on the New England offense.

And, don’t be surprised to see the Patriots use some empty formations and to get creative with their personnel to see if the Jets back seven can match up with their offensive playmakers. Randy Moss might move inside in certain cases, and Joey Galloway—who was a non-factor in the Buffalo game—could play a major role in this game plan if the Jets rely on man-pressure for their dominant call.

APGarcia, now in Philly, is backing up Kevin Kolb.

The signing of Jeff Garcia showed us that tomorrow could be the last chance for Kevin Kolb to show the Eagles organization that he can handle this offense and put together scoring drives while protecting the football. If Kolb struggles, I would not be surprised to see Garcia warming up on the sidelines. Even without much action in the preseason, Garcia was brought into Philly because he knows the west coast system and has shown that he can win in that system. This is a production league, and Kolb will have to produce against a Saints defense that is sure to apply pressure from the start.

The Bills made a good call yesterday when they re-signed cornerback Terrence McGee to an extension that is worth $27 million in new money, according to reports. In my opinion, McGee is by far the most underrated corner in the game today. He has good feet, tackles well, has the ability to produce in both man and zone coverage, and is a weapon on special teams. But, perhaps more importantly, McGee is tough—he plays hurt and he plays when most other guys would shut it down.

Even more, this is a good move by the Bills organization, because by locking up McGee they don’t have to rely on bringing in new talent during the offseason via free agency, which is always a struggle in Buffalo. Rewarding your own players is the way to build football teams, and after losing Nate Clements to the Niners previously, this was a move they had to make.

APWill Cassel be on the field this Sunday for the Chiefs?

If I am the Chiefs, I do everything I can to get QB Matt Cassel ready to play tomorrow against the Raiders. Even though backup QB Brody Croyle did some good things last Sunday against the Ravens, this is a game that is winnable for the Chiefs, and starting in an 0-2 hole could put the team in the AFC West basement for awhile. No player in this league is 100% after Week 1, and I don’t see the harm in putting Cassel out there if he is able to move well enough in the pocket to make plays. Starting 1-0 in the division will be a big step for head coach Todd Haley.

When the Cowboys host the Giants Sunday night to open their new stadium, it will be interesting to see how Dallas attacks the Giants. Last week, Romo had a field day against a Tampa secondary that played below average—blowing coverages, taking poor angles to the football and missing tackles in the open field. The Giants, however, will not provide any free passes to Romo and the Cowboys receivers, and I believe that the Cowboys will have to establish some sense of the running game before they take their shots down the field. If you can run the football against the Giants, then you have the ability to control the clock and rest your own defense—which can be worn down by Brandon Jacobs and the Giants’ offensive line.

APWarner and the Cardinals did not look good in Week 1.

The Arizona Cardinals were exposed on film last week when the Niners used a physical game plan to wear down their defense in the fourth quarter and by sending enough pressure to rattle quarterback Kurt Warner. Considering they travel to Jacksonville tomorrow, I don’t expect them to see anything different from a Jaguars team that relies on physical play to keep them in ball games. Last week, the Jags were able to contain Colts RBs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown, and why should this week be any different going against Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower? Yes, I know it is still very early in the season, but from my vantage point the Cardinals need to become a more balanced and physical team to start winning again.

APWill Delhomme rebound this week against Atlanta?

If Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme wants to rebound from last weekend’s nightmare at home against Philly, his best option is to get the ball in the hands of WR Steve Smith—the Panthers’ only playmaker on the outside. If I am the Panthers, I get Smith involved early with easy completions in the short-to-intermediate passing game to get him the football in space with opportunities to make a man miss and pick up extra yards. The down-the-field throws will come, but to give Delhomme that early confidence, the Panthers need to shrink the game plan and go back to what works—and that means making Smith the No.1 option in the first quarter.

If I am the Bucs, I use the running attack of Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward to wear down the Buffalo defense if new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt continues to use the no-huddle attack, which will keep this Bills defense on the field again for most of the game.

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