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Jets want officials to beware of Patriots' alleged hijinks

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  • Jets want officials to beware of Patriots' alleged hijinks

    The Jets want to make sure you know that the Patriots' offensive scheme is tough to defend. But they also want to let the officials know that it shouldn't be impossible to defend.

    And that's why the Jets coaches will make sure to tell the officials before Sunday's contest in New England to be on the lookout for the Patriots' illegally trying to snap the ball before the defense has finished substituting.

    Here's how New York defensive coordinator Mike Pettine described it to the NY Daily News.

    “It's going to be a major point of contention before [our] game with the officials to make sure that they know the rule is when they substitute, we're permitted to substitute,” Pettine said. “If the officials permit [the Patriots] to do that, then the game is going to become chaos. That's the problem. Because we're going to be running guys on. We need to make sure that that is enforced for this game, because we found examples on tape where it has not been. Then it's impossible. Now you can't defend it.”

    Pettine points to a moment in the Week 5 game vs. the Broncos when the Patriots -- who are running a higher-octane no-huddle offense under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels -- fooled the officials.

    As the Daily News explains:


    After [Stevan] Ridley was pushed out of bounds and the Patriots rushed to the line of scrimmage to continue their 16-play, 80-yard touchdown march, they made a pair of substitutions. Ridley and [Daniel] Fells were swapped out for running back Brandon Bolden and wide receiver Deion Branch. A 1-running back, 2-tight end, 2-wide receiver personnel grouping suddenly morphed into a 1-running back, 3-wide receiver, 1-tight end grouping.

    The Broncos scrambled to adjust, but were penalized for too many men on the field after sacking Tom Brady for an 8-yard loss on the next play. Denver had 14 men on the field, including three frantically trying to run off before the snap.


    The Jets want to make sure they're not victimized in the same way (the rulebook states that if the offense makes a substitution, the defense has to be given the same right; in other words, the offense can't make a change and then quick-snap the ball while the defense tries to bring on new defenders).

    “When they change, that should trigger the ability for us to change,” Pettine said. “I'm all for the no-huddle and one grouping. Whoever you put out there, you better be prepared to go through a whole series and be out there for a while. And that's fine. When they change, we need to be given the right to change . . . and we're going to make sure that right is given to us.”


    By Josh Katzowitz
    Trading for all Cleveland teams in Cleveland uniforms, Cleveland minor league affiliates & Columbus Bluejackets
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