It’s a good thing for the Bucs they have another corner with the same potential as Barber. Aquib Talib is an exceptional young athlete and is a rising star on this team.

At 6’1” and 205 pounds he’s built like a safety. This means he can body up on the bigger receivers and play them physically. Having a thirty-eight inch vertical leap has also helped him grab five picks so far this season.

This would spell disaster for Sanchez if he were playing but Rex Ryan decided to rest the rookie and go with veteran back-up Kellen Clemens. This was a no-brainer for Ryan.

With the medical staff driving this decision, he was wise to sit his young quarterback for a game that should be winnable with a strong running game and good game management by an experienced player like Clemens.

It will also provide Sanchez with 17 days of rest and treatment so he can have a better chance of being healthy and rested for three tough games to finish the season.

For Clemens to be successful, he must avoid free safety Tanard Jackson. Though Jackson’s numbers are not stellar, he plays with good instincts and is always around the ball. And recently, with the Bucs reverting back to some of that old cover two, his play has improved.

The cover 2 attempts to take away the quarterback’s primary passing zones with as many as seven defenders (3 linebackers and 4 defensive backs) dropping into coverage. But it is also predicated on generating a strong pass rush from its four down linemen, who, for Tampa, have been inconsistent.

To beat this formation, the offensive coordinator must flood zones with more receivers than there are defenders to cover them. The quarterback must also be patient and not force balls into the congested middle part of the field.

Clemens will have to do a good job of reading the corners on the outside. Schottenheimer must run two receivers at each corner with one running a short route and the other running a deeper route. Depending on which route the corner follows, Clemens must throw it to the other.

Clemens’ ability to read this coverage will be key in this game. He must be patient, take what the defense gives him and not force the ball down the middle of the field. He must rely on his top-ranked running game, which should have a clear advantage against one of the weakest run defenses in the league.

Tampa is ranked 31st overall against the run. Left outside line backer Quincy Black, in particular, has really struggled in this area and the Jets will no doubt test the young linebacker.

Though he shows great potential, he lacks strength and has difficulty getting off blocks. Expect the Jets to run to their right and to use their trademark power trap that pulls Faneca from the left and uses him and Tony Richardson as lead blockers for Thomas Jones.

This play was brought over by Offensive Line Coach, Bill Callahan from his time with the Raiders. It was called “96 Power King” and it pulled Pro Bowl left guard, Steve Wisniewski, from the left side and he just slammed anyone who got in his way.

Callahan and Schottenheimer are using Faneca in that role and are having a lot of success. Expect to see a lot of “96 Power King” against the Bucs.

The Buccaneers have given up more running plays of 20 yards or more (17) than anyone else in the league and are surrendering 160 yards on the ground per game. This bodes extremely well for the Jets.

Thomas Jones has rushed for more than 100 yards in five of his last seven games. Against Buffalo, the Jets incorporated the ageless Tony Richardson into the mix, and added a few crafty end arounds, to total 249 yards on the ground.

It should be a big day for the Jets’ running game.

The Bucs’ best run defender is MLB Barrett Ruud who is very instinctive, locates the ball well and takes good angles to the ball carrier. Five years in the NFL has made Ruud a sharpened, if underrated, veteran middle line backer. From run blitzing to pursuit, he will be the one to which the Jets’ blockers must pay attention.

Tampa will no doubt walk their safeties up to the line in an attempt to limit the Jets’ running game but like Oakland, Tampa does not tackle well and this could provide the Jets with big play opportunities.

With most of their defenders near the line, if the Jets can punch through, there will be few defenders at the second level.

This could be a big game for Shonn Greene who gets off the ball extremely well. He has great acceleration to the hole and gets a lot of positive yardage because he gets through the line before many defenders can even locate the football.

If the Bucs can generate a pass rush it will come from DE Jimmy Wilkerson or Stylez White. So far Wilkerson has six sacks, which is a quarter of the team’s total.

He is quick off the snap and plays with a good motor and solid technique but he is not super-athletic so Damien Woody should match up well against him. On the other side, White is an accomplished pass rusher with a good up field burst.

D’Brickashaw Ferguson should match up well against him because he has the quick feet to counter White’s quickness off the ball. Because White is more of a situational pass rusher than every down defender, Schottenheimer would be wise to call draws and reverses to White’s side of the field.

He is often too aggressive getting up field and can be had with these types of runs.

Unless something goes terribly wrong, the Jets should win this game. Tampa has only one win to its credit and the Jets are fighting for their playoff lives.

The only danger to the Jets is overconfidence. So long as they do not take Tampa lightly they should be able to control the line of scrimmage, dictate time of possession and win out in what should be a low scoring affair.


Keys

• Play calling. Schottenheimer must flood the Buccaneers’ zones on pass plays and force them to guess as to where the ball will be thrown.

• Clemens must read the cornerbacks. By running multiple receivers at them, the corners will have to commit to one before the ball is in the air. If they jump the short routes he must deliver the ball deep and vice versa.

• Avoid Tanard Jackson and Aquib Talib. Both guys drive hard to the football and are capable of making big plays.

• Run the football. Against the second worst run defense in the NFL, the Jets must keep Tampa’s defense out on the field with a power running game. Linebacker Quincy Black is especially vulnerable against the run.

• Run draws and reverses at DE Stylez White who likes to over commit to rushing the QB.

Written by Dave Evans