The turning point, according to Schottenheimer, was the Indianapolis game. After completing 10 of his first 11 passes, Sanchez misfired on his next four. When he came off the field he went right to Schottenheimer and said, “Hey, how about giving me something easy so I can get a completion and get back on a streak?”
According to Schotty that was the first time Sanchez had really absorbed the team concept and no longer was hell bent on trying to win the game on every play. Since that moment, Sanchez has been more patient, has taken what the defense has given him and most importantly, has eliminated his turnovers.
Despite the stepped up intensity of the playoffs, Sanchez looks poised and confident and is giving the offense the boost it needs. Once the liability of the unit, Sanchez could turn out to be the wildcard in the playoffs.
Against San Diego, the Jets will need a strong effort by Sanchez so his improved play could not have come at a better time. The Chargers are the hottest team in football, winning their last 11 in a row.
The biggest reason for the Chargers’ surge? QB Phillip Rivers.
Rivers consistently plays at a high level and is one of the most competitive players in the league. Do not be surprised if he talks smack with some of the Jets’ players, particularly Bart Scott.
Both guys like to get in the heads of their opponents so this will be an interesting, if not entertaining, battle of words.
Rivers is smart, tough and extremely accurate with the football. He is a guy who wills his team to win and is unfazed playing in big games.
The Chargers are perennial slow starters each year but they really come on down the stretch and Rivers is the reason. Since coming into the league, he has yet to lose in December, sporting an 18-0 record in the final month. Now that’s impressive!
Rivers is used to playoff pressure and is capable of scoring points from anywhere on the field, particularly during two minute drills.
He is big (6-5, 228) and uses his size to shrug off rushers similar to Ben Roethlisberger.
In addition, he has the release of Peyton Manning and gets rid of the ball in a hurry. Both factors make him very difficult to sack. The Chargers finished 6th in the league in sacks allowed with 26.
Norv Turner and his coaching staff do a good job of preparing the offensive line for blitzes and stunts. They are accustomed to picking up overloaded fronts, which offsets one of the Jets’ strengths.
Rivers is a pure pocket passer. He likes to get in a rhythm and fire away. He is not overly mobile but he knows how to buy time and that often creates opportunities for his receivers to uncover.
He has been deadly this season completing better than 65% of his passes and his passer rating (104.4) trails only Drew Brees and Brett Favre. He also has an excellent TD-INT ratio (28:9).
Rivers had three sub-par games this season. The Ravens, Dolphins and Steelers all held him below a 60% completion rate and the Chargers lost two of those three.
The Dolphins played him tough but could not move the football after Chad Pennington injured his shoulder. Miami was able to keep it close because they stiffened up in the red zone. They forced San Diego to settle for field goals as Rivers and company finished 1-6 inside the 20.
The Ravens were also tough near their own goal line and held San Diego to 0-5 in the red zone. If the Jets’ defense is going to be successful, it must limit Rivers’ big plays and make him drive down the field to beat them.
As San Diego gets close, the Jets must stiffen and keep them out of the end zone. If they can force San Diego to kick field goals they will stay in this game and have the best chance to win.
It is not crucial that they sack Rivers but they must hit him. The Ravens had only 2 sacks against him but they hit him seven times and forced him into two interceptions.
The biggest help for the Jets’ defense will be the Jets’ running game. San Diego is ranked 20th in the league stopping the run so it will be imperative that the Jets run the football, control the clock and keep the Chargers’ off the field.
That is how the Steelers beat them. They wore down San Diego’s front with a steady diet of runs for a total of 177 yards and nearly five-yards a carry.
What makes Rivers so dangerous is his assortment of weapons. If his number one receiver, Vincent Jackson, gets shut down (a good chance with a highly motivated Darrelle Revis) he will spread the ball around to his other receivers.
Jackson will be a tough assignment for Revis but “Master Lock” still matches up well against him. Jackson combines superior size (6-5, 230) and speed and has one of the highest averages per catch in the league (17.2) so his big play potential is always a threat.
Jackson is very good at adjusting to the ball in the air and likes to use his size to outmuscle smaller defenders but Revis is a very physical corner and tracks the ball better than any corner in the league.
Revis will have to limit Jackson’s big plays and force Rivers to look elsewhere in the passing game. The Chargers offense is predicated upon working mismatches but they will not have one in the Jackson-Revis match up.
One player who creates a mismatch for nearly every defense is running back Darren Sproles. Right out of the Leon Washington mold, Sproles is quick and elusive and very dangerous in the open field.
Sproles will likely get 6-8 carries and is only averaging 3.7 yards for the season but it is in the passing game where he most dangerous. The Chargers like to work him on screens and dump offs in the flats.
To stop him, the Jets’ linebackers must chip him before he can get out in space. That should disrupt his timing and give an advantage to the Jets’ secondary, which will gain a split second in reaction time.
Rex Ryan should deploy an extra nickel back whose sole purpose is to spy Sproles. This may put the Jets’ defense at a disadvantage if Rivers audibles to a run but with the 31st ranked rushing attack, that is a chance he should take.
A guy like Drew Coleman or Dwight Lowery would make a lot of sense to shadow Sproles. They both have the quickness to run with him and will be needed on the field for at least some of his reps.
The Jets will also have to tackle well against Sproles. He is small (5-6, 185) which makes him hard to find in a crowd but he also has a strong lower body so he can break tackles if he is not wrapped up.
In addition to holding down Darren Sproles andVincent Jackson, the Jets’ secondary has the added burden of containing All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates.
The secondary will have to earn its #1 ranking because San Diego trots out one of the best tight ends in the business. He has been slowed by injuries in recent years but still presents a match up problem for linebackers.
The luxury Ryan has with Darrelle Revis is that he does not require safety help over the top which will allow him to use Kerry Rhodes either one-on-one against Gates or to help double team him.
This will be a big game for Rhodes who has not only improved his play in recent weeks but is playing with more aggressiveness. He did a nice job on Tony Gonzalez earlier this year and is the only Jets’ defender who has the size and speed to match up with Gates.
Ryan will need to use more zone coverage against San Diego and drop seven and eight men into coverage. This will clog passing lanes for Rivers and force him to hold the ball longer than he would like.
Although this is not exactly Ryan’s style, he must keep the Chargers’ offense off balance. Bringing consistent blitz pressure will make them too predictable and vulnerable against a guy like Rivers.
The Chargers are now a pass-first team and average only 3.3 yards per carry. This running game is a far cry from what it was just two years ago when it was 7th in the league but that was when LaDanian Tomlinson was healthy.
After a series of injuries, the future Hall of Famer no longer has the same burst. He is still a productive back but does not generate the big plays he once did.
He will get 15-20 carries but is no longer the centerpiece of this offense. Tomlinson poses the biggest threat as an audible option when the Jets “go small” with nickel and dime packages.
The Chargers’ offensive line does a good job in pass protection but needs a lot of work in the running game. They are much more powerful along their left side with tackle Marcus McNeil and guard Kris Dielman.
Conversely, their right side is unproven and inexperienced. Injuries have forced rookie guard Louis Vasquez and second year tackle Brandyn Dombrowski into the starting line up and the Jets should be able to win these battles on both passing and running downs.
The Jets’ defense did not tackle well against Cedric Benson and will have to do a better job of closing down cutback lanes against LaDanian Tomlinson. He still has excellent vision and agility and is well equipped to break runs to the outside even if the Jets shutdown his initial lanes.
The Chargers’ offense is one of the most explosive attacks in the NFL. Phillip Rivers likes to drive the ball down the field and is capable of generating big plays at any time. He has a bunch of weapons at his disposal and usually does a good job distributing the ball to all of them.
To be successful, the Jets’ secondary must come up big against San Diego’s playmakers. Rex Ryan must mix up his looks and keep Rivers off balance. If the Jets can minimize the Chargers’ big plays and even generate a turnover or two, the Jets will have a much better chance to win.
Keys
• Tighten up in the red zone. Other teams have had success against San Diego when they stiffen up near their own goal line and force the Chargers to settle for field goals.
• Get hits on Phillip Rivers. Sacking him is not essential. If the Jets can knock him down it can disrupt his rhythm.
• Minimize big plays in the passing game. By defending big plays over the top, especially in zones, the Jets will force the Chargers to drive down the field and prevent them from gaining quick momentum.
• Chip Darren Sproles. The Jets’ linebackers must prevent him from getting clean releases. By being physical with him, they will also allow their secondary more time to react to this explosive back.
• Darrelle Revis must take out Vincent Jackson, the Chargers’ biggest downfield threat. Take him out of the game and Rivers must settle for more underneath throws.
• Rex Ryan must mix things up. Rivers is too good at reading coverages and will pick the Jets apart if he gets comfortable in his reads. Similarly, Ryan must stagger his blitzes with coverage schemes to keep Rivers off balance.