Gang Green Nation
How the Jets’ final effort fell short.
The Jets’ Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks came down to one final play. With 38 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Jets faced a fourth and 15 from the Seattle 34 yard line.
Needless to say, the odds did not look good.
The Seahawks loaded the line of scrimmage making it look like they were bringing an all out blitz.
The Jets have three wide receivers running three vertical routes. Based on the presnap alignment, it appears it will be a bunch of one on ones.
The Jets leave in their tight end, Tyler Conklin and running back Isaiah Davis, leaving them seven blockers against eight defenders at the line of scrimmage.
Notable, John Simpson ends up with an assignment of number 2, Rayshawn Jenkins. Meanwhile, Davis has a read to make. His initial assignment is number 13 Ernest Jones. If Jones doesn’t blitz, he moves onto number 8 Coby Bryant.
Why does Davis have two assignments? Think about it this way. What is the maximum number of potential blitzers? The answer is eleven since the defense could in theory send every player on the field on a blitz. What is the number of maximum potential blockers? The answer is ten. The quarterback obviously cannot block. Thus the defense can always bring one more defender than the offense can leave in to block. This is known as a zero blitz. Protection schemes generally leave the guy at the end of the line of scrimmage as the unblocked player since he has to travel the greatest distance to get to the quarterback. The unblocked guy is the quarterback’s responsibility. The quarterback needs to either throw it before the unblocked guy gets to him or use his legs to evade that blitzer.
However, if Davis’ initial assignment does not blitz, he is free to take on the blitzer at the edge.
That is exactly what happens. At the snap, Jones retreats. This frees up Davis to take Bryant.
Jenkins also retreats. He was Simpson’s guy, leaving the left guard with nobody to block.
Seattle’s presnap alignment ends up making a big difference on the play. Because the Jets need to account for Jenkins in their protection scheme, Simpson is occupied. Without Jenkins there, Simpson could have slid left and allowed Olu Fashanu to pass off number 53 Boye Mafe early in the play. Fashanu then could have slide over and helped Davis block Bryant.
Davis ends up whiffing on Bryant, and the cornerback coming on the blitz gets to Aaron Rodgers.
This is tough to live with for the Jets based on what happens on the back end of this play.
As mentioned earlier, this is a three man pattern. All three are running verticals. Garrett Wilson is on his own on the left side, and his route appears to have an option component to it. He can take it straight and try to run past his man, or he can...
