Welcome to the e A Podcast. Rik Gallen here joined by Bucky Brooks, who's an NFL media analyst. You can file Bucky on Twitter at Bucky Brooks and he's also the host Moved the Sticks podcasts along with Daniel Jeremiah. That's available on NFL dot Com, NFL now, iTunes, and YouTube. Bucky, thanks so much for joining us. The first thing I want to ask you is if I would have told you in March the New York Jets would be nine and five with two games remaining, what would you have
told me. I don't think that would be a pretty fair estimate or evaluation based on the talent that you had um On the Jet defensive side of the ball, I think you definitely could see them making a playoff run, but the defensively the way I think the biggest surprise is how well the offense is played of late, with Ryan Paspatrick playing quarterback and Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker emerging as one of the job Why receiver deals in
the LEAs you played receiver in this league. Why do Marshall and Decker work so well together as a tannem They're nice compliments to one another um. I think when you're building a wide receiver corps, you want to have different pieces of the puzzle, but it all comes together to make a perfect picture. And when I look at the Jets, particularly Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, those guys are placed in roles that are very comfortable to their
skill sets. And Brandon Marshall, you have a classic number one receiver, a guy that can deal with double teams. He's effective as a big body playmaker down the boundary, but also has the ability to be a factor in the red zone. Doesn't mind doing the dirty work working inside.
So he is a nice number one receiver. And Eric Decker, you're finally getting him back in the number two role, the complimentary player on the back side of a dominant number one, a guy who was effected working between the hashes. But it's also a special talent down in the red zone.
And so when you have two big buddy guys, because remember both of these guys are over six three, they are weapons in the red zone and it really makes it hard for the defense to key in on where the ball is going when you get inside of the chin. And I think because Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't necessarily field that need to be tied to one of those guys in
the red zone. It really makes the Jets offense more effective because they can be balanced, They can pick and choose who to go to based on the matchup in the situation. The Jets have definitely excelled in the red zone throughout the entire two thousand and fifteen season. How impressed have you been by Fitzpatrick the way he's gotten acclimated to his weapons so quickly because he did get traded here in March is eleven, season six NFL team and Bucky he's got twenty six touchdown passes and he's
only four shy of setting the franchise record here. Yeah, I think it's a testament that not only Fitzpatrick being able to be um a quick study, but it's also a testament to change gay league and what he's been able to do with that offense. A lot of times when you have acquisition, being the draft or free agency, it's about how do you get that player to fit into your scheme. What chan Gailey has some familiarity obviously
with Dispassion from their time together in Buffalo. What he's been able to do is build upon with Dispatrick does really, really well, which is why you're seeing a lot of empty for amazings, a lot of spread looks designed to clear the picture for the quarterback, and really it puts the owners on the quarterback to get the ball out of his hands quickly and the target the ideal matchup they're living in that uh tim personnel package, one back, pour,
wide receivers in spread in the field and right Fispatrick is thriving. I think you have to tip your head off to chan Gaily for record as a very early in the year that Dad is Fitzpatrick's comfort zone and allowing him to play in his tweet spot. Throughout the season, his fence got better in the pocket. You think none you've seen him throughout his career. The book on him
always was that he gets the ball out quickly. But what I've noticed overwatch him these fourteen games is that he's got a great feel when that rush is coming and when to step up and deliver. You know, you look back at the Dallas game on Saturday night, that throwing to Quincy and Nona when the Jets converted on a third and long fits new where the rush was coming from, and just at the last second, it seems
like he can step up and fire. Yeah, a long time player better and he's seenalized in a lot of situations, understand um how to play the game from the pocket, and playing in the pocket is more of a feel than a visual team like. He feels the pressure roundhim.
He understands whether the lanes are He also understands why the sight line or and part of the reason you're chain gailing, you like to open it up is because fits operate better when he can clearly see where the pressure is coming from and how to counteract that pressure.
So I think what you're getting is an offensive play caller, a play designer that understands exactly what his quarterback comfortable joint, and he puts them in a situation that accentuates his strips and allows him to play the game very very quickly from the pocket. What do you think these wins the past to come back, specifically the Giants game and then most recently against Dallas even though they weren't down in the fourth quarter, What does that do? Uh, not
down by a lot in the fourth quarter? What does that do for a team's confidence? Coming back late in games? Whenever you can win a game where you haven't played at your best, you feel confident because ultimately it is about finding a way to win. I know Todd Bowles has preached that, uh countless times throughout the off season and during the year. Let's win games. Let's find a way to win. There's no such thing as an ugly win.
Even though things haven't gone according to plan the last couple of weeks, they found a way to get it done. And ultimately, you want to put enough wins and the win ledger to put you over the mark to go to the playoffs. That's what they've done. They'll need a better effort to close out to finish the way that they want to. But I think it's easy year to go in there and to correct those things when you
won games as opposed when you lost Bucky. What stands out to you what the Jets are doing defensively and especially on third down, because they continue to come up with different looks and you're speaking about Todd Balls and Casey Rogers. Seems like they go to the lab each week and they're throng quarterbacks, different different things on third down and continue to get off the field. You have to tild you had to uh top Boles and Casey Rodgers for what they've been able to come up with
from a scheme plan. This is a team that they aggressively come after the quarterback. They bring pressure from every angle. They put a lot of pressure on their dbs to hold up and because of that, you'll see it's on your Carmarti and de Real Reves give up a play because they love naked a lot in coverage. But by putting so much pressure on the quarterback, you're seeing the ball come out hurried. Sometimes it's arrants, tipps is deflected.
Those ultimately lead to interceptions, and so when you think about it, I won't say that a turnovers against the Cowboys before interception. A lot of that came from pressure being in the face of the quarterback, forcing them off of this spot, forced them to throw from uncomfortable platforms. When your dvs are in the right position, they can
make plays. The pressure and the coverage works together, you're gonna have a lot of success in key situations, and third down is one of the biggest situations that defense coaches focus on. What do you think about the play David Snacks Harrison playing the nose tackle He continually has stood out NFL's number one rush defense throughout the year. And even though that mcfannon got free for over a hundred the other night, I thought Harrison was phenomenal. I mean,
he's a dominant player. Anytime you can control the middle. I was tard a long time ago from defensive coordinator that when you build your defense, you want to build a strong right down the middle. Uh your defensive tag as you might lineback and you say these they need to be dominant players forced everything to run to the boundaries and snacks. You have a guy that can control the middle of the field, it can it forces opponents to put two blockers on him. That allows your linebacks
to run and chase uninstructed to the ball. And so when you see him able to play on the other side of the line of experiment to create penetration and force running back to titter fast stop defeat. It allows the rest of the defense to kind of build a wall around them. That's what we're seeing from the Jets run defense. Look, Todd Bowles is emphasizing stop the run on early downs. Put him in a long yardage on
second to third down. You have a tremendous amount of success because now you're forcing the team to play one dimensional. Snacks is a big part of that one dimensional effect because he can stop the run by himself and allows others to feast off his work. Bucky Easier said than done. But what's the blueprint for the Jets this weekend as the host of New England Patriots? You know it's it's it's really forcing tom Brady to be uncomfortable. And if you can get to tom Brady rushing four and being
able to drop seven, that's your best bet. You want to make some pressure. But what you have to do you have to get to him and you have to get hits on tom Brady. Tom Brady's like any other quarterback. Once they get hit, they change. It quickens the clock in the head. The ball comes out not as accurately as it normally does. So it's really important that they generate a rush. Sheldon Richardson has to be big, Mohammed Wilkinson,
they have to be big upfront. If they can win their one on one matchup, then get into the backfield, they can disrupt the timing of the passing game and then the real reeves in the junker. Antonio Camarty have to lock down those guys on the outside, and then you have to find a way to deal with Grenkowski because he's the alternate mismatch on the passing game. What about on the other side of the ball. I think this is one of the better Patriot defense is that
we've seen over the past decade. Yeah, they have a young, intriguing defense Chandler Jones, Rob Nikovic, Ball Sheer just playing well. Their front seven is probably one of the best ones they've had since there. Hey, they win, they won three out of four Super Bowls. You have to be able to protect those guys because I do think they're still vulnerable in the back end. Malcolm Butler has played great, but I still believe that he can be Um got in a situation where he's matched up with an elite
receiver and Brandon Marshall. However, they elect to the Capital's mismatches. You gotta for Texas Patrick enough so you can allow him to get to those guys. Typically, what the Patriots want to do is they're going to double team you're best guy and forced you to find someone else to win. Eric Decker has to wear the big sombrero this week. He has to be the guy that wins the matchup because ultimately he could be the one page to one
on one. If he wins, then the jeff have a lot of big opportunity have success in their passing in How do you think this is gonna play out over these final two weeks? The Jets are sitting here at nine o five, Pittsburgh nine five, Kansas City nine five, and the Broncos are ton of four, albeit the leaders the f C West, but Kansas City is right at their heels. Yeah, Kansas City is ready to heal and difference. They have a tough schedule finishing out. They played Incinnati
on Monday night. That could be a tough game, particularly Broncos. While we started, even though Ajan mccarroon started for the Bengals, the Broncos got ahold of their water. I think with the other games Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Kansas City, I think it's the easiest role if you get into the playoffs. You know, the Jets, you have the work cut off because they have to face the patient. They have to do with the patients. I think to deal with the
bills again, right, yeah, you yeah, you're right. The Jets yea and So when you think about those two games, like the Patriots are tough in itself, but then dealing with the Rex Ryan in fact, even though they're out the playoffs, you know, it's a personal game, and because they don't have anything to quote unquote play for, they're
going to throw caution into the win. I think the Jets have to take care of business and hope that the Broncos going to slide so they get back to her into the playoffs, because I think the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to find a way to get in. So I think the team that I'm looking for if I'm the Jets, I'm looking at the Broncos to see if they can hold on. Yeah, and that would be fascinating
just looking at their schedule. The Jets have the Patriots this weekend, and then they're at Buffalo to close the season. The Steelers, who had that seventeen point comeback victory over the Broncos Sunday, finished at Baltimore, team who struggle throughout
the season, then at Cleveland another divisional batter battle. Kansas City's got Cleveland at home, and then they host Oakland Raiders, and then finally, like you mentioned, Bucky Denver's got that tough matchup with Cincinnati, and then they host the San Diego Chargers in the final week of the season, So that's Cincinnati Denver matchup out Mile High this weekend could have a lot of playoff implications, obviously, not only wild
card implications, but um seating implications as far as that one, two, and three spots in the FC. Yeah. Absolutely, it's a big game. And it's a big game because the Broncos have less some games come to slip and so they put themselves in a very vulnerable position. And with Cincinnati, I know a lot of been made of the backup quarterback and can't they get it doing ag I've always been a huge fan of a j McCarry. I think
he's actually get fit. This offense reminds me of the offense that he played in in Alabama where he had a lot of weapons around them. He only has to act as the bus dropper and so their defense playing, I think they can probably knock off them, and I think it makes it tough for them to get into the playoffs. I think to lose like the half and that would be something because that would mean the Jets would be in a position to control their own destiny.
But Todd balls, As you know, Bucky, He's got these guys focused on the Patriots. They've concentrated on the task at hand each and every week. That's not gonna change this week. Holand pressed, have you been by Balls this year? You know, I've been impressed. But I've known top for a long time. When I was playing for the Green Bay Packers, he was in an area, he was on the road. Always looked up to him based on how he was able to go from scouting to the coach.
He want the morehouse with Doug Williams, continues to kind of make his way of the rank. The one thing that I knew about side that Todd was going to be ready for the job. He had great mentors Joe Gills, Bill Parcel, some of the other guys that he worked for. He had the opportunity to act as an interim coach during his time in Miami and everywhere that he has gone.
He's commanded the respect of his players and ultimately, the NFL is about getting players to buy into what the plan is, getting them to follow what you have your vision for your program to be, and hold him accountable. He has done that, and I think we have seen that even though he's not demonstrave on the sideline, we understand what we hear the Jets players taught. There's a
level of accountability that he holds them too. So outside of being a great tactician and a schemer, he is an outstanding guy in terms of building those relationships and ultimately that is what gets you to go to the next level. I've been impressed with the job that he's done, and I think they really put together a solid foundation
to be a good team for a while. And speaking of the foundation, how about what Mike mccagnet pulled off in March by acquiring Brandon Marshall via trade late round pick and then coming back what mid round pick, I should say, and then coming back the next day and landing Ryan Fitzpatrick for a late conditional pick, And how big those guys have been for not only this offense
but the entire team here in two thousand fifteen. No, I mean, it's really understanding what you're bringing in and understanding the personality that you're bringing into the wrong and also understanding the current state of the locker room that you had. I think with both situations Ty Bows and Mike mccavinin they understood what they were bringing to the locker room. Obviously, Ty Bows knew Brandon Marshall from his
time in Miami when Bows was their head coach. He had an opportunity to really get close in person with Brandon, so he understood what made him tick. He understood how he was fit in that locker room and it would be a good dynamic. With Ryan Fitzpatrick being in Houston, Mike m kennon had a way to He had the opportunity to watch him every day and practice how he handed himself as a pro, and whether he could accept
being the starter or the backup. Because remember some really expected, most of us expect the kind of geno to be in the mix to be the starting quarterback, So you wanted to make sure you had a veteran that could play that role at the backup or also be the starter. Because he had that intimate knowledge, he knew that Fitzpatrick was the right guy for the job because he could
thrive in either role. Now, last one here, Bucky. Ryan Fitzpatrick enters this week with three thousand four yards, passing Chris Ivory at nine hundred fifty one yards rushing and Eric Decker at nine hundred thirty yards receiving. With all that being said and Marshall already on his way to and beyond, it's conceivable that the Jets could finish with a four thousand yard passer, a thousand thousand yard Russia and to a thousand yards receivers. That's something else. There
is something else. I think that's something that no one necessarily expected, because as when you have a defensive uh minded guy got from a defensive back line as your head coach, you expect a team that's kind of a ground and pale team, a team that really leans on
the defense to do everything. But what I'm saying from the Jets is a team that is a little more dynamic on offense and most expected, they spread the ball around, they thought around the yard, but they also retained the physicality and toughness while leaning on the running game with Chris Ivory, and Ivory has been the right guy for the job because he's a grinder, not necessarily flashy, but he gets it done. If he gets a fell in yours.
With this Patrick having four thousand and two thousand yard receivers, that offense is difficult to prepare for and it really gives a lot of people problems, particularly if they're able to get their way into the playoffs. Well, Jets fans are hoping that is the case. This Jets team with two wins would get to eleven and five and then we'll see what happens from there. But big task ahead
against the New England Patriots. Bucky Brooks tremendous analysis will be following you all over the place on all those NFL media platforms and you can follow him at at Bookie Bucky Brooks. Thanks Buddy, Hey, thanks so much for having me on me