Jets do have a great rushing attack. However, in the first half of yesterday's game, the Chargers completely shut down the running game. The Jets looked terrible. They barely advanced the ball and the time of possession was heavily in favor of the Chargers. The Chargers had success throwing the ball to Gates in the middle as well as to the receivers. Phillip Rivers had good protection and the Chargers moved the ball with ease. However, they did not punch it in. Their drives stalled. Had they been aggressive such as going for it on 4th 1 early in the game instead of kicking the field goal (missed), the complexion of the game would have been very different.
The Colts, in similar situations with the Ravens, were very aggressive with their play calling, going for it on 4th and 4 and getting the touchdown before the half expired. When you play aggressive pound and ground teams such as the Ravens and the Jets, the way to take them out of their usual (effective but boring) game plan is to get a big lead, espcially if you have a high-powered offense like the Colts. If you jump out to a 2 touchdown lead like the Colts did at the end of the half, all hell breaks loose. Teams like the Jets are not built to overcome such deficits. They self destruct because they are out of their comfort zone. They are forced to throw more than would like to and that allows an opportunistic defence such as Indy's to take advantage.
I think the difference between the Chargers and the Colts is that the Colts understand this and don't waste any time in going for the Jugular. You have to take your opponents strengths away quicky and take their heart out of the fight. Notice how desperate the Colts were to get that touchdown at the end of the half. They weren't satisfied to just come away with a field goal. Chargers lacked the killer instinct and that is why they lost the game. It is interesting that everyone mentions the missed field goals but the Chargers, with the abundance of talent on their team, should never have let it be decided on the leg of their kicker.
Indy won't be making the same mistake. Jets start slow. Their offense didn't get going till the second half of their game with the Chargers. Indy's defense will stop the run and make Sanchez throw. If Rex Ryan is smart, he should actually exploit this by making the rookie throws some easy passes early on but I doubt he will. He will start with what has worked for him so far - run, run and then run some more. There will be plenty of three and outs. Peyton will have lots of opportunities to put points early on. Will he able to score touchdowns and create separation? Will Indy settle for field goals, or worse, turn the ball over? In the first game, Peyton didn't have any trouble advancing the ball. I believe that he will be able to do the same in this game as well.
As Indy's offense gets into a rhythm and starts putting points on the board, Jets will slowly abandon the run and the rookie will finally start looking like the rookie. At least Flacco had Mason and Heap. The Jets don't have the passing game that would pose any significant threats. They key is scoring. I believe Indy will do that throughout the game and that, in the end, will be the demise of the Jets. They will not be able to hold serve with the Colts.
The Colts, in similar situations with the Ravens, were very aggressive with their play calling, going for it on 4th and 4 and getting the touchdown before the half expired. When you play aggressive pound and ground teams such as the Ravens and the Jets, the way to take them out of their usual (effective but boring) game plan is to get a big lead, espcially if you have a high-powered offense like the Colts. If you jump out to a 2 touchdown lead like the Colts did at the end of the half, all hell breaks loose. Teams like the Jets are not built to overcome such deficits. They self destruct because they are out of their comfort zone. They are forced to throw more than would like to and that allows an opportunistic defence such as Indy's to take advantage.
I think the difference between the Chargers and the Colts is that the Colts understand this and don't waste any time in going for the Jugular. You have to take your opponents strengths away quicky and take their heart out of the fight. Notice how desperate the Colts were to get that touchdown at the end of the half. They weren't satisfied to just come away with a field goal. Chargers lacked the killer instinct and that is why they lost the game. It is interesting that everyone mentions the missed field goals but the Chargers, with the abundance of talent on their team, should never have let it be decided on the leg of their kicker.
Indy won't be making the same mistake. Jets start slow. Their offense didn't get going till the second half of their game with the Chargers. Indy's defense will stop the run and make Sanchez throw. If Rex Ryan is smart, he should actually exploit this by making the rookie throws some easy passes early on but I doubt he will. He will start with what has worked for him so far - run, run and then run some more. There will be plenty of three and outs. Peyton will have lots of opportunities to put points early on. Will he able to score touchdowns and create separation? Will Indy settle for field goals, or worse, turn the ball over? In the first game, Peyton didn't have any trouble advancing the ball. I believe that he will be able to do the same in this game as well.
As Indy's offense gets into a rhythm and starts putting points on the board, Jets will slowly abandon the run and the rookie will finally start looking like the rookie. At least Flacco had Mason and Heap. The Jets don't have the passing game that would pose any significant threats. They key is scoring. I believe Indy will do that throughout the game and that, in the end, will be the demise of the Jets. They will not be able to hold serve with the Colts.
