Mehta: Jets expect a 'monster season' from Shonn Greene in 2012
 

BY Manish Mehta

CORTLAND – The Jets have made it clear what they expect from Shonn Greene this season. The fourth-year running back will be the engine for an offense that hopes to revive its ground-and-pound attack.

“I’m asking for a monster season,” running backs coach Anthony Lynn told me. “I think he’s one of the best power backs in the game. Why wouldn’t you?”

Greene, coming off a 1,054-yard season, admitted that there’s additional incentive to play better in the final year of his contract and “get a fresh new start” under new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, who could turn him into the bellcow running back that Rex Ryan claimed he would be prior to last season.

Greene posted career highs in carries (253) and yards last season, but he never became the centerpiece of an offense in perpetual flux. He averaged 39 yards and 3.1 yards per carry through the first four games when the Jets leaned on Mark Sanchez to beat teams through the air. After Ryan made an executive decision to return their run-first roots, Greene averaged 75 yards and 4.4 yards per carry in the final 12 games, which would project to a 1,196-yard season. He averaged 31 percent more carries per game (16.8) in the final 12 games than he did in the first month (12.8).

“He was frustrated as hell last year,” Lynn said.

The quiet Greene never allowed those frustrations to bubble to the surface.

He hasn’t gone to Ryan, Sparano or Lynn to demand more carries this offseason, either.

“I said, ‘Whatever y’all need me to do, I’m going to do,” Greene told me.

“This a team sport. Nobody should be selfish. Whatever we got to do to win games, that’s what everybody should do.”

He remained confident that he could become an elite back. “I think I can do it,” he said.

Although Greene admitted that he felt fresh by season’s end, could he withstand the rigors of a 300-carry season?

“I had 250 last year,” Greene said. “So 50 more ain’t nothing.”

How about 350? “Whatever it takes,” he said.

Greene hasn’t approached the coaches with the 300 mark in mind, Lynn said, because, “at least he thinks he knows that he’s going to get it 300-350 times.”

“I don’t know,” Lynn said about the number of touches that Greene could get this season. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to win. That’s all we’re going to do. We give him the ball. He’s a power back. He gets better as the game goes on. If we give him the ball, he’ll help us. If he touches it 10-12 times, he’ll help us.”

“We talk about winning,” Lynn added. “And we know the formula to winning is rush attempts plus completions. We’re just trying to get back to our formula. Rex has been preaching that from Day One.”

To that end, Gang Green’s rush attempts-plus-completions numbers took a hit last season. The Jets totaled 817 and 822 rushes plus completions in 2009 and 2010 before recording 753 last season, an 8.5 percent reduction.

Greene, who has also adopted a big brother role to the young core of backs after learning from Thomas Jones and LaDainian Tomlinson, could finally be primed for the type of year that he envisioned in 2011. Could this be his breakout year?

“If I knew, I’d be in Vegas,” Lynn said. “But we sure plan on it happening this year.”

NOTE: The Jets still haven’t decided between Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell for the third-down back job.

“That job’s open right now,” Lynn said. “Bilal has done more (blocking in the past). I’m not saying that he’s better than Joe. That’s why we have camp.

When we leave Cortland, we’ll know. But those two are competing for that job. Shonn Green can always go in and do it. Shonn did it some last season, because he had to. But we would rather rest him on that down.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jet...greene-in-2012

Time for Greene to be consistently good this year. He can look great for a few games then not good for more. If he doesn't have a great year this year the team will be looking to replace him next year for sure.

Same here.

As a 3rd year player/1st year starter, behind an awful offensive line, Greene still rushed for over 1,000 yards. Greene was only 37 rushing yards away from cracking the top 10 in regards to rushing yards. Greene was only 12 rushing first downs away from cracking the top 5 in that regard. His 4.2 average yards per rushing attempt is very impressive, especially considering the fact that he was rushing behind a depleted (struggling) offensive line.

With Tony Sparano being the type of coach who loves to establish a physical rushing attack in order to set up a vertical passing game... Look for Shonn Greene to become 'Sparano's #1 back'. Expecting Shonn Greene to crack the top 8 in both rushing yards and rushing 1st down.

In your eyes, who ISN'T going to have a great year for this team?

Reminds me of the old Gholston articles.

Expecting one and actually getting one are two entirely different things. Given Greene's running style and ability, I would not expect a "monster" season. In my mind a "monster" season is one with at least 1,400 yards. Greene just does not break enough long runs to get those kinds of numbers. He also does not have very good hands so he will come off the field in passing situations thus limiting his production a bit.

:huh: :confused: Greene has produced.

eh,I'm not a big Greene fan.Like him as part of a two headed monster,but not the #1 back

Hope I'm wrong

I'll believe this, when I see it.

Although I do agree he definitely gets better the more carries he gets. Only way to do that stay out of 3rd down and move the chains on 1rst and 2nd down.

He calls last years offensive line awful, which it was. Yet we still have the same offensive line and he always talks about how they will dominate this year.

I really hope they are better. But will the OC alone make this a reality? I really think we are doomed with Hunter. One bad lineman can totally screw the entire unit. Hunter is going to kill the team this year if he doesn't figure it out.

How many times were we promised "monster seasons" out of various players who fell waaaaay short since Rex and his staff have been here?

Unless the term "monster" means "wasteful" to these guys, I'm not taking them for their word until I see it on the field.

I think this poster has a lot of potential...just like Shonn Greene.....

I may be wrong but I don't think they ever said "monster season" for Gholston...But I hear what you are saying.

good chance this is no different than other teams during this time of year.I bet most teams have articles about their players saying things like "expecting big things", "playing great", "really improved"....etc..

Here are a few lines that stuck out to me.

In my opinion, this doesn't exactly inspire alot of confidence in Greene. If you read between the lines, the statements come off more like "it's his time to shine, we are hoping he takes the next step, but who knows."

Based on what we have seen from Greene the past three years, my hopes are not very high. He is an average at best running back, does not excel in any single phase of the game, and leaves a ton of yards on the field.

This year will decide Greene's future with the Jets. I would not be the least bit surprised if Powell emerges as the team's mid-term option and Greene is sent packing after the final year of his rookie contract.

Jeff Otah.

You see line as improved this year?

im saying:

1335 yards
11 TDs

Fixed

For a running back in the NFL, that is the prime of a career in most cases. He will be 27 years old at the start of the season.

I really do think Greene will have a break out year. Final year of his contract hes going to want to prove he can make it in the nfl.If he doesn't end up having a break out year I see him ending up as a backup some where else.