Just a snippet of the latest news...Gase/Jones talked Sunday night. All is well and Jones will be starting this week.
Im taking reshads side on this. Hes been nothing short of a true professional for us. If he needed a game off to feel better then its all good
Yeah, that was me. It was the obvious joke, given Gase was sitting alone on a bench. I don't know if that is typical for him, but I think I'd prefer him talking with the skill guys and getting feedback about what they are seeing out on the field, and what play calls might work the best. It also seems he has turned the defense completely over to Burke, which I don't like. Gase may have no feel for what the defensive guys are trying to do on defense, and what the players may actually prefer to do.
On paper yeah a W is a W. Yeah an easy schedule is always nice. Yeah I would take it every time. But an easy schedule and W's against the chaff only matter if you can hang with the wheat. We have shown we can't. I am sorry that I don't care about a 13-6 win over a bottom 4 team in the league. I am sorry that I can't get excited over the potential of sweeping a Bills team that looks to Derek Anderson as a savior. Why? Because the Patriots treat us like the jokers we always are. I don't think anyone is crying that we won. A win over the Jest is always a good day. I think many of us just aren't going to pretend it is something it isn't.
You need to re-read you Macchiavelli. “Destroy, do not wound” is the principle used by firing all the old regime. Essentially is to ensure that a prince does not allow alternate power within the principality to hinder his plans. “It is better to be feared than loved” is the principle I was referring to. However the full version is: It is best to be feared AND loved. This is difficult, so if you have to choose one it is better to be feared than loved. However above all do not be hated. This refers to how a prince commands loyalty among his subjects. In Macchiavellian terms Gase is the prince, the assistant coaches are his lieutenants and the players the subjects. The FO is best seen as a possible ally or possible rival. Ross is type of overlord akin to the Papacy or Holy Roman Emperor in Macchiavelli. The most interesting thing about the Prince us that it was written as a satire not as a “how to” guide. Similar to George Orwell’s 1984 or Stephen Potter’s “The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship (or the Art of Winning Games without Actually Cheating)” which was turned into “School for Scoundrels” - I mean the orignal 1960 British film not the awful 2006 remake.
I completely agree with you, but at the same time here's what it is....one game closer to the Super Bowl. Now, you might say, "The Fins stink right now, we can't move the ball at all." I agree there as well. But the team we had in week 9 isn't the team we saw in week 5 or week 1. And come week 17, we'll be completely different then as well....maybe even a team that knows how to score some points. That's why I celebrate every win just the same.....because if we got the L and we were one game out in week 17, we sure as heck would remember this Jets game. That's all I meant. Every win is huge.
My I understanding is that after evaluating the defense collapse of the prior two weeks, Burke decided to switch up the secondary with Minkah playing some FS along with McDaniel at SS. Rashad was going to play but there would be series where he was on the bench and the reason for that was his freelancing had hurt the defense the last two weeks. That is part of Jones game. One of the reasons he makes so many great plays is because he freelance like Polomalu used to on Pittsburgh. Add the fact that Jones has been playing with an injured shoulder all year and Jones got upset. So he sat out. Apparently Gase understands Jones reasoning and there won't be any repercussions
I like Jones. However, I think the key to a good freelancer is to know when to take a risk or when to play as it was designed. I think, in time, Fitzpatrick will be a good freelancer because fundamentally he is so sound and he studies his *** off. Jones has been a great player for us, but the future is Fitzpatrick if we don't need him at CB. Jones needs to step aside with grace as he hands the baton off to our newest star. There is nothing wrong with being the supporting cast. We all have to know our role.
We all love Jones but sometimes, something doesn't work - I still don't understand why putting the right players into a system that worked is a bad thing. I think we can all agree that Minkah playing free safety is better than either Reshad or TJ - if Reshad doesn't want to play the role required, you have to go with the player that will. BB always preaches 'do your job' and even Cam has admitted that some players haven't been doing that but instead tried to do something else, which has led to bad breakdowns. This week will be a test but if the D comes out looking even half decent against A-Rod, that's a huge plus
