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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – A look at what’s going on around the New York Jets:
1. Holiday shopping: Sunday is National Close Games Day on the NFL calendar. Yes, that’s a bit of a thing. As usual, the Jets have no reason to celebrate.
Continuing one of the more Jetsiest traditions, the front office failed in the offseason to provide the offense with a reliable and catching tight end. The lack of a threat in midfield is hurting quarterback Zach Wilson, but there might be a way to rectify the problem.
A handful of tight ends could become available as the November 2 trading deadline approaches – including Evan Engram (New York Giants), OJ Howard (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Hayden Hurst (Atlanta Falcons) and Drew Sample (Cincinnati Bengals).
Engram, Howard and Hurst are intriguing as they are former first-round picks, all under the age of 29. The downside: they’re in contract year, so you’re talking about a two-month rental. Sample, a 2019 second-round pick, is signed until 2022.
At 1-4, the Jets appear to be sellers, not buyers, on the deadline, but they shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss a potential addition on the tight end. If the price is right, they could pair one with Wilson to see if there is any chemistry. If they click, they can always explore a contract extension before the free agency. Call it a test drive.
If not now, he must be on general manager Joe Douglas’ to-do list in the offseason.
For a decade, the tight game has been a joke. Their last legitimate receiving threat was Dustin Keller (2011). From 2012 to now, their tight ends have produced the league-lowest 4,747 yards – nearly 1,000 yards less than the next worst team (Arizona Cardinals, 5,714). It’s almost like the Jets are playing with 10 men every week.
They took a band-aid approach last offseason. After showing interest in free agent Jonnu Smith, who ended up signing a four-year, $ 50 million contract with the New England Patriots, the Jets added injury-prone Tyler Kroft, cheaply (one year, $ 2 million).
Guess what? Kroft is injured. Returning starter Chris Herndon was so bad at training camp he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. It’s no wonder the Jets’ tight ends have just 95 yards, the second-to-last in the league.
The Jets have 10 draft picks in 2022. It’s not Douglas’ style to trade a future asset for a quick fix, but it could work if he trades a player on an expiring contract, perhaps security. Marcus Maye or wide receiver Jamison Crowder. It is worth exploring.
2. Corey’s story: Corey Davis considers himself a No.1 receiver. At $ 12.5 million a year, it is certainly paid off as such. To truly validate this status, he needs to catch the ball in a more consistent manner.
He already has five dropped assists, more than any wide receiver in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Davis isn’t known as a bad guy – five draws a career high – so you have to believe it’s just a crisis. He’s probably urgent, trying too hard to increase the sluggish offense.
“Obviously I don’t want to give up the passes, but it does happen,” said Davis, adding he was doing extra work in training.
Davis is not alone. The Jets have a total of 12 drops, tied for second. It’s not a good way to help your rookie quarterback.
3. Respond to the man: Problem solving is a big part of every coach’s job. Robert Saleh’s problem-solving skills will be in the spotlight on Sunday against the Patriots.
The biggest problem, of course, is the late violation. The Jets have zero points and just 79 total yards in the first quarter of games. In defense, they must find a way to compensate for the game plan presented by the Falcons in the last game – lots of quick throws to neutralize their pass rush. Saleh described it as a complete departure from the Falcons. Other teams will go to school on this.
Saleh, who studied the issues over the week off, is confident he and the staff have found solutions. We will find out soon enough. Unfortunately for him, he faces a trainer, Bill Belichick, who will create new problems for him.
4. Belichick who? Former Jets coaches Todd Bowles and Eric Mangini beat Bill Belichick on their second try. Rex Ryan and Herm Edwards did this on their first attempt. Adam Gase never beat him, but he didn’t beat too many coaches, period. Now Saleh is getting his second Hoodie crack.
Saleh took a noticeably different tone in preparation for Sunday’s rematch, compared to the previous meeting. In week 2, he gushed over Belichick, claiming it was “an honor to share the same estate with him.” This time Saleh was more pragmatic.
“I don’t disrespect Bill, who is one of the greatest of all time, but it’s external motivation that doesn’t matter,†Saleh said, explaining that his motivation comes from inside.
It’s a far cry from Ryan’s famous bravado, but it sends a stronger message than Week 2’s gush-fest.
5. Empty the pick-pocket: The Jets will intercept a pass one of these days, right?
They are the sixth team since 2000 to start a season with at least five consecutive games without intercepting a pass. The Houston Texans did it last year, the Arizona Cardinals in 2019. The Las Vegas Raiders’ 10-game streak (2017) is the longest in NFL history to start a season, and it also happens to be tied with the 1976-1977 San. Francisco 49ers for the longest streak, period.
Because they failed to register a pick in the last two games of last season, the Jets’ active streak is actually seven. Another four games without an interception and they will make the wrong kind of story.
What comes first, an interception or a score in the first quarter?
6. Did you know? Defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd leads the team with five penalties, an absurd amount considering his position and lack of playing time – just 127 defensive snaps. Do the math: it’s a penalty every 25 snaps, a ratio that shouts: “Bench me! Players with marginal talent shouldn’t be allowed to hurt the team so many times.
7. The backward flight: The Denzel Mims saga has eclipsed another former draft pick who can’t enter the field – running back La’Mical Perine, a 2020 fourth-round pick. He’s been a strong scratch in the first five games. Drafted for a different system, he got lost in the transition. Maybe he’ll see the pitch on Sunday because Tevin Coleman is questionable after sustaining a hamstring injury in practice on Friday.
8. Less than Moore: When the Jets drafted wide receiver Elijah Moore in the second round, they described him as a “gadget guy” who could fill a role like Deebo Samuel – an explosive wide receiver who could be used in the running game. . It did not materialize.
Noting the height difference between Moore (5-10, 178 pounds) and the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver (6-foot, 215lbs), offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said using Moore “in the backfield and getting him to play. between tackles. is not necessarily the best thing in the world. “
He’s right, but he should be able to whip up some creative ways to give Moore the ball. Offense needs the spark.
9. One of these days: The Jets haven’t defeated the Patriots in 2,129 days – not since December 27, 2015. The crisis is fundamentally old enough to have served a full term in the US Senate.
10. The last word: “I looked at myself carefully to figure out how we can get this offense started.… During the week off I gave it to my wife and said, ‘You pick the opening script, and we let’s go from there. ‘”- LaFleur, joking about the 24-game script he uses for each game.
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