Jets Fool (Head Coach 09 Career)

[Bear Pand]

I bought HC 09 about a week ago for $5 and it's a suprisingly good game so I'm gonna run a career on it.

This isn't gonna be a dynasty so much where I make up news stories and post a bunch of images. More of a tracker. Main reason for making this is I restart too much and hopefully making this will prevent me from doing so.

Settings:
Qtr length: 15 mins
Difficulty: HC doesn't have skill levels like All-Madden but Jets are labeled very hard.
Coach: Based Pand. Good at developing RBs. Ok with QBs/LB/OL. Bad with everything else.

Off Playbook: Custom Run PB. A ton of I-form / weak-I / strong-I, full house and shotgun.
Off Philosophy:
QB: Mobile QB who is capable of rushing the ball a ton.
RB: One Workhorse RB and a second speed RB. Will be using RB by committee apprach.
FB: Need an excellent blocking FB since I do not use any singleback.
TE: Need a versatile TE who can block and has soft hands. Or multiple TEs who can fill both roles.
WR: Need quick WRs who can run jet sweeps and get open deep. Passing game isn't a big priority.
OL: Large strong guards who excel at run blocking.

Def Playbook Modified Rex Ryan 3-4.
Def Philosphy:
I'll be running a standard 3-4 D. Lots of blitzing and man coverage.

Special Teams Philosphy:
Punter: Big leg so I can control field position
Kicker: Accurate as I'll prob have to settle for a ton of FGs.

Other Philosphy:
-Will Build through the draft mainly.

[Bear Pand]

Staff Evaluations:

Jets coaching staff is pure trash on this game, but I'm stuck with them for at least a season.

GM: Guy Torrent
60 OVR
Fake name cause EA didn't have rights to GMs or whatever. Would like an upgrade but might be stuck with him.


Offensive Coordiator: Schottenheimer
35 OVR
Don't like him IRL, don't like him in the game. His philosophies don't match with mine and outside of QBs he's pretty much trash. Has some room for growth but prob will get fired.

QB Coach: Brian Daboll
23 OVR
Trash, limited potential. Looks like a clone of schotty except dumber.

RB Coach: Jimmy Raye
62 OVR
Good but little upside. Matches what I want to do. Will stay keep his job down the road but unlikely to be promoted.

WR Coach: Noel Mazzone
29 OVR
Sucks but since I plan on running mainly I might not even notice him

OL Coach: Mike Devlin
5 OVR
LOL can't wait to fire him.


Def Coordinator: Bob Sutton
17 OVR
Is this a joke?

LB Coach: Jim Herrmann
47 OVR
Good, focused on stopping the run. Will def get a chance to stay with team.

DB Coach: Jermone Henderson
1 OVR


DL Coach: Dan Quinn
13 OVR
Is terrible but has a lot of potential.

Special Teams: Kevin O'Dea
4 OVR
Yawn.

Trainer: Ed Scott
14 OVR

[Aso]

Looks interesting so far. Will follow.

btw, Schottys a beast, don't hate.

[Bear Pand]

Offense Quick Evaluation



Best:

-Brad Smith was a suprise I since he rates as an 83 OVR QB after converting him. Pretty sure HC gives OVRs based on how they fit the system and he fits it well. He can't throw, can't learn a playbook and has bad intangibles but he's cheap and will be at least a good backup QB.

-Coles is best overall player but this offense probably won't make the most out of his skills. My WR corps as a whole is good enough for what I'll be doing.

- I have some good young talent on the OL which is very important.

-Jones will be a good workhorse RB and I just need to fine one or two more to sit behind him. Leon Washington is trash now but has ok potential.

Worst:

-Pennington is an awful fit and costs $10 million. No way he'll be on the team opening day.

-Moore is another overpaid bum who needs to go.

-Baker is my best TE but he's trash, TE is a big hole right now.

[Bear Pand]

Defense Quick Evaluation

Defense overall is filled with overpaid players.



Best:

-Revis pretty much obvious

-Rhodes is in a contract year and will be resigned as long as he produces

-Harris solid MLB, nothing special though.

-Jenkins is locked into a 5 year and has already maxed out his potential. He's not bad but not thrilled about him either.

-Despite being my best DE he might end up a getting cut. Third highest salary on team and is just OK.

Worst

-Coleman sucks and is overpaid.

-Thomas sucks and is overpaid.

-Barrett sucks and is overpaid.

I also forgot Dwayne Robertson who is total trash but has the highest salary on the team. Way too many players overpaid bums on this defense. Only benefit is they all know the 3-4 PB well. I'm likely gonna have to eat a ton of cap penalties and deal with younger players who don't know the system at all.

[Bear Pand]

DT Dwayne Robertson
10.77M savings 4.0M penalty

CB David Barrett
4.18 savings 1.6M penalty

TE Chris Baker
1.68 savins, .5M penalty

LB David Bowens
1.77M savings .8M penalty

Salary Cap Status after cuts
38M in cap room, 7.66M in current penalties




FA signings
RT Jordan Gross 38M / 6 years 10M Bonus w Incentives
RG Ben Knoll 19M / 4 years 2.5M Bonus

These two will start immediately and give me a solid oline. I may have overpaid a little for Knoll but he's young and has good potential.

FS Ken Hamlin 16M / 4 years 4M Bonus
I might regret this deal but I think he's good enough.

OLB Kawika Mitchell 18M / 4 years 5.5M Bonus
Don't like his contract but I needed help at OLB and didn't want to pay what Suggs was asking for.

HB Julius Jones 4.8M / 2 years .5M bonus
Some health concerns and not that good but should be an OK backup.

CB Stanley Wilson 3.8M / 2 years .5M Bonus
Definently overpaid for him but I needed a nickleback

Leon Washington
traded to raiders for 6th round pick and future 7th

Salary cap status after FA
16M in cap room, 7.66M in current penalties

[Bear Pand]

NFL Draft

I did a lot of trading down in this. Also Raiders were willing to give me a 6th for Leon Washington. Speeeed.


HB Darren McFadden Arkansas
1st round 10th overall pick

Wanted to take him at #5 but traded down because my roster lacked depth. When it got to pick #10 he was still on the board so I had to take him. I scouted him heavily and he rated well in every category. Now I have 3 RBs in Thomas Jones, Julius Jones and McFadden.


MLB Curtis Lofton Oklahoma
2nd round 36th overall

Wasn't the ideal MLB I wanted but was BPA at my spot.


CB Reggie Smith Oklahoma
4th round 99 OVR

Good value pick, hopefully can contribute.

----
5th round
134 FB Jerome Felton Furman - Good size, I have no FB sho hopefully he's good
150 TE Corey Watson South Dakota State - Drafted him for size

6th round
163 RG Roy Schuening Oregon State - GM suggested this pick
165 DE Christ Harrington Texas AM - I think he'll be a sleeper, good speed and strength
194 WE Brent Swann SD State - I don't need WRs but he has an outside chance at contributing. Good speed.

7th round
270 P Brian Keely Toledo - Big Leg will try to oust vet Ben Graham in camp

Undrafted Free agents

RB ryan torain asu
FB carl stewart auburn fb
DT hank smithers texam
LB marcus howard georgia
OL matt spanos usc

I'm excited about Smithers and Howard. The other three will really have to show something in training camp.

[Bear Pand]

Preseason / Training Camp

Going to give a quick recap of what happened.

First cuts:
WR David Kirkus
QB Parsons
DT Holmes


QB Preston Parsons
Would have rather kept Parsons than Pennington but Penn has a 9M cap penalty and I'm still trying to trade him. The other two I'm pretty sure are just guys my GM invited to camp.

First preseason game
Jets 24, browns 44
Notes:
-McFadden scored on a 70 yard run his second play.
-Leaning towards using a dual QB system with Kellen Clemens and Brad Smith. Clemens for situations where I'm forced to throw. Smith's arm is weak and inaccurate.
-D was awful, especially the d-line.

-------------

2nd cut day:
K Metlock
K Frease
P Graham
S Earl
S Cox


P Ben Graham
He's like 90 years old and the punter I picked up in round 7 will do.

2nd preseason game
Redskins 23 Jets 20
Notes:
I simmed this. DT Kris Jenkins went down 3-5 weeks with a high ankle sprain.
DE Kenyon Coleman 4-6 weeks with a bruised hip. My DL is already weak so I'll cut Coleman and bring in a FA DT. Coleman was overpaid and not very good, no reason to wait for him to get healthy.

Third Cuts:
TE Watson
DE Coleman
DT Albright
DT Pouha
DE Coleman


Signed: DT Rashad Moore
Will fill in early for Jenkis who is injured. Serviceable backup and better than the players I cut. Only a one year deal and unlikely he stays longterm.

[Bear Pand]

TC / Preseason

3rd preseason game:
Giants 31 Jets 14
Eli throws for 4 TDs and is the second QB to torch my defense this preseason.

4th Cut Day
C Spanos
DT Kolodziej
CB Jones


C Matt Spanos
Brought him in as a UDFA but my OL has a ton of depth and I don't see him ever contributing.

--------------------

Last preseason game:
Eagles 45 Jets 17
So I finish the preseason 0-4. I simmed the last three games though. I'm concerned about the defense but I think they'll improve as the learn the playbook and get some experience.

Final Cuts:
LB Howard
CB Coleman
DE Harrington
CB Perkins


DE Chris Harrington
Thought he'd surprise but he's too small to play DE and not athletic enough to play LB. I'll check and see if he gets picked up by someone, I think he could be at least a good 4-3 DE backup.

[Aso]

You cut Sione Pouha and Marcus Howard? C'mon man.

[Bear Pand]

Depth Chart



I'm gonna have a rough year since I'm relying on so many rookies / new players. I told the owner we'd finish below .500 and he dropped my approval rating.

Players to watch


CB Reggie Jackson
He's not even that good but is my best option at the second corner spot. Justin Miller is braindead and only knows how to run fast.


OLB Kawika Mitchell
Looks like a rapist but I need him provide an outside rush since my DL can't get any penetraion.


QB Brad Smith
I'm skeptical whether or not he'll last at QB. My plan is for him to be a running threat 1st and passer second. Clemens will get PT if I'm ever forced to pass consistently. Smith is just 22 and has a shot at being my long term QB since I failed to pick up any scramblers in the offseason.

[kmanharris]

This looks cool and kinda makes me want to scoop this game up for cheap.

[Bear Pand]

You cut Sione Pouha and Marcus Howard? C'mon man.

Pouha was buried deep at the bottom of the roster. I wish he was better, I'm just looking for a reason to get ride of Kris Jenkins.

Howard pissed me off. I was happy to get him as a UDFA but he then he got to camp and looked terrible.

[Bear Pand]

This looks cool and kinda makes me want to scoop this game up for cheap.

Game has a few annoying things about it but it's a lot better than I thought it'd be. I never payed attention to it when it was new. I always figured it'd either suck or be full of stuff that should have been in Madden.

-Having a player's OVR changed based on what kind of philosphy your team has. Ex: Smith goes from ~80 OVR to 70 if I change from speed/mobile QB to Pure Passer.

-The way they track injuries all the way from injuries players suffered in college.

-The whole draft/scouting system.

-Players actually having to learn the teams PB instead of just plugging people in wherever.

on and on...

Some of the stuff from this game made it into Madden this year, wouldn't be surprised if they copy the rest of it over next year.

[G-men]

This makes me wanna play this game again. If only there was a way you could update the game and do this past offseason. That would be so much fun.