QuickFix: Saucy Nuggets from the Lions win
We're going to kick off today's analysis with some things you might not have noticed from yesterday's win over the Lions:
If a pancake happens off screen, did it really happen?
We're very much looking forward to seeing the all-22 footage for Andre Roberts' touchdown because judging by the "oohs and ahhs" from the crowd, Brandon Copeland threw a tasty pancake block to release him into the clear.
Unfortunately, with all the focus on whether or not Roberts stepped out of bounds, the ESPN broadcast never showed a wide angle of the play, although you can see the aftermath at the 45-yard line.
It will also be interesting to know if Copeland got away with a potential block in the back penalty on that one.
And who's that driving his man out of the play to create the initial lane for Roberts? It's Trenton Cannon of all people - great play by the rookie.
Total Wipeout
It wasn't quite Nate Robinson at MSG but Jamal Adams had a pretty gnarly wipeout following Darron Lee's second half touchdown.
An Adams injury at that point would certainly have put a dampener on a feel good moment, but he was thankfully okay. Not sure about the security staffer who ended up taking a cleats-first corkscrew basement dropkick to the shins though.
We're going to need a name for this
With Demario Davis gone and Rontez Miles on the shelf, there will be no Miles/Davis formation this year. That was the moniker we came up with for the four safety dime package that employed the two veterans in creative ways.
Back to the drawing board this year then, with an interesting personnel grouping and an even more interesting formation for third and long:
Let's take a look at what we have here. That's a basic secondary alignment with Darryl Roberts and Morris Claiborne outside and Buster Skrine in the slot. Off-screen are two deep safeties - Adams and Doug Middleton. No surprises there, with Roberts deputizing for Johnson as he was checked out following a head injury. It gets interesting in the front seven (six, actually) though.
A three-man line comprises Henry Anderson as the nose tackle, Frankie Luvu and Brandon Copeland as the ends. Avery Williamson is off the field as JJ Wilcox and Darron Lee line up as outside linebackers. And anchoring the whole thing is a super-sized middle linebacker in Leonard Williams. Expect the Jets to employ this personnel package liberally throughout the season, with different positional configurations.
Shell Shock
Brandon Shell has really improved his run blocking. He sprung several big runs, including both of Isaiah Crowell's touchdowns, and the Jets actively ran plays where he was required to make a key block and with good success.
Check out the execution on this reach block early in the game:
However, it's also worth noting that he had several negative plays in the running game in the fourth quarter so perhaps he won't grade out that well. Shell was perhaps worn out after a strong performance although the Lions actually dominated time of possession from the end of the first quarter onwards. At least his negatives came when it no longer mattered as much.
More analysis to come later today and over the next few days. Please let us know who you'd like to see us feature in more detail in 3-on-D and 3-on-O.