Rick Mirer News
Updated Regularly during the NFL Season!
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Introduction
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To give you a better idea of the confusion surrounding Jets quarterback Rick Mirer as he prepares for his first start in place of the injured Vinny Testaverde, look at it this way: Suppose you're a regional manager for IBM, but your boss is laid up with, oh, say an Achilles injury, and he's got this huge presentation of a new software product that you're now responsible for giving. Next week. In Barcelona. In Spanish.
You race to the nearest bookstore, pick up a stack of Berlitz tapes and study as diligently and as quickly as possible. Then it's off you go, briefcase in one hand, dictionary in the other. Good luck, Rick.
"I've looked at a lot of film and you can study that stuff inside-out," Mirer said. "In theory, all the plays are good but I want to be comfortable before we run them on Sunday." But being comfortable won't be easy, because Mirer has had to learn an entirely new offensive terminology since being traded to the Jets from Green Bay on Aug. 20. So it's no wonder the quarterback isn't concerned as much with the outside pressure of making his Jets debut against the Buffalo Bills in front of a national television audience but with trying to get even the most basic plays straight in his own head. Como esta usted? "Right now, it's not important to me what everybody else thinks," Mirer said. "Right now, I need to get comfortable in my own head about the X's and O's of it, not really about how everybody thinks the new guy's going to do, or what I'm going to do to slow us down." To better equip Mirer for his daunting task, he'll carry the Jets' equivalent of a pocket dictionary on the field: a wrist band that has an index card listing all the team's plays. Testaverde used the same reference sheet when he first joined the Jets last year and it helped simplify his life by not having to memorize every play and every formation.
Donde esta el bano? But just because Mirer will be able to recite the plays in the huddle doesn't mean he'll be able to pull them off with anywhere near the efficiency of Testaverde. In fact, the Jets will likely have to eliminate a portion of their playbook because Mirer's style is diametrically opposed to Testaverde. Where Testaverde is the classic dropback passer with prototype size (6-5, 238 pounds) and superior arm strength, both of which lend themselves to a potent downfield passing attack, Mirer is more suited to the West Coast offense, which relies on a shorter passing game, because he's nearly three inches shorter than Testaverde, has a weaker arm but better speed to enhance his mobility. That combination will thus reduce Mirer's ability to offer the diversity of throws that Testaverde provided. Testaverde could keep defenses honest because he had the ability to complete the long pass, which forced the safeties to be cautious and stay back to make sure they didn't get beat deep.
But because opposing defenses know that Mirer doesn't have the arm strength or accuracy on longer passes, the safeties and cornerbacks can thus press the coverage in closer and not allow the kind of open spaces that are created when an offense can stretch the field with the combination of speedy receivers and a strong-armed quarterback. For instance, the Testaverde-to-Keyshawn Johnson combination was so effective because Testaverde could connect with his big-play receiver anywhere on the field, whether it was on a deep post down the middle of the field or a quick slant over the middle.
Due to Mirer's unfamiliarity with the offense, however, as well as the limitations he has shown in past years in Green Bay, Chicago and Seattle, defenses know that Johnson will have to limit his patterns to fit Mirer's capabilities. Muchas gracias, senor.
The Jets' receivers have the additional burden of making adjustments because of Mirer's penchant for scrambling. The Jets' passing offense is predicated mostly on timing patterns, when the receiver runs a specific pattern and the quarterback throws to the spot where the receiver is supposed to be. But if Mirer doesn't feel comfortable making such a throw-whether it's because he's being blitzed or because he can't find his receiver -he has shown a tendency to scramble and then throw on the run. "You have to be alert at all times," receiver Dedric Ward said. "With Vinny standing back in the pocket, you know the ball's going to be delivered and it's going to be certain timing. With Rick, who is obviously more mobile, even if you're not the first read, then the second, third and fourth receiver can very easily become primary target." The Jets likely will take advantage of Mirer's mobility by designing some rollout plays, where he can have an extra second or two to find an open receiver. That makes it a bit more difficult for the defensive backs, who may have an advantage over Mirer in that they know he's not as adept at throwing downfield like Testaverde but who will be forced to cover their receivers for longer periods of time because of Mirer's elusiveness.
It's also incumbent upon the Jets' running backs, primarily tailback Curtis Martin, to take the burden off Mirer by establishing the run early. If that happens, then Mirer can use the play-action pass, which freezes the linebackers and defensive linemen for a split second to give Mirer more time to throw and more time for his receivers to get open. But it won't be easy for the Jets' runners, because the Bills can be expected to blitz early. That tactic not only will pressure Mirer on pass plays but the blitz is also an effective tool on running plays, since there are more defensive players in the immediate vicinity of Martin and the other running backs. "It's not in our best interests to have every go out and make it a hot-throwing exhibition," Mirer said. "You just try to be safe with the ball and get first downs and not really throw to make touchdowns. You have to take what they're giving you instead of forcing it down the field." Easier said than done.
Habla Espanol?
New York Post (New York) MIRER FILLS THE BILL By Dave Blezlow
BILL Parcells won a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback. The Jets were 2-3 last season when the backup, Vinny Testaverde, became the starter, and they finished 12-4. Of course none of this is to say Rick Mirer is in the same league as Jeff Hostetler circa 1990 and Testaverde. However, it's just as misguided to declare the Jets dead and buried without giving Mirer a chance in this system. In this talent-laden offense directed expertly by Charlie Weis, the Jets have moved the ball and scored with Testaverde, Glenn Foley, Neil O'Donnell and Tom Tupa. You have to like Mirer's size, arm strength and mobility, which means he's not the total zero he's portrayed to be. It'll be a tough Sunday night on the road against the Bills and a close win for a Jet team that's 12-2 vs. the spread as underdogs under Parcells. The pick: Jets +4
He was rookie of the year in Seattle in 1993 and set most rookie records under Tom Flores as head coach. In 1994, Dennis Erickson was brought in and changed the system entirely to one of the most difficult systems in the NFL, and looking at the talent in Seattle and the results (no playoffs), you can see how complicated it was. Mirer and Erickson never really worked well together as coach and qb. In 1995, Erickson finally benched Mirer in favor of John Friez who did just as poorly in the lineup. In 1996, Rick was traded to Chicago for a first. Dave Wannstatdt, the Coach of the Bad News Bears took away the starting job from Mirer who had a decent camp to start Kramer on MNF against the Packers. That year the Bears had no receivers because Conway broke his collarbone in the last game of the preseason and the only deep threat was Rickey Proehl. Add the fact that the bears had no running game and they had the worst season ever. In 1997, Rick refused to take a pay cut because of how the Bears treated him and was released and signed by the Packers to backup Favre. He was Holmgrems "Pet Project" for the 98 season. This year Parcells picked him up for almost nothing. If you saw the Minnesota pre-season game, that is the potential that Mirer has. Yesterday was an example of the reason he was the emergancy QB because he is about a month away from actually knowing the entire system. His strenghs are a strong work ethic and his flaws are lack of confidence which is suspect. If he gains confidence, he can have a season like Vinny, but NY teams have zero patience, so you will see how it plays out. If the team can rally around Mirer, the Jets should fly into the playoffs.
Parcells said in the press conference after the game (He was upset at the Jets poor play and made a comment about how in 1988, his team (the Giants) thought they were better than they were and he cleaned it out and started over), Rick reports to NY on Saturday and will work out Sunday. He said that he made the decision 2 weeks ago to go after Mirer because he felt highly on him before the draft and he was 1993 rookie of the year, started 3 years in Seattle, the Chicago situation was a mess, etc. It looks like Scott Zolak will be released next week as he played the entire second half and the Jets aren't too happy with him. Vinny is the starter but many experts feel last season was a fluke. The Jets offensive system is pretty simple (see Glenn Foley).
Some articles I found of interest:
...It is clear Pederson won't be coming back to Green Bay, where Rick Mirer will take over as the backup for Brett Favre.