Jets

Jets win again, officially lose first pick

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The New York Jets, after starting the season 0-13, have now logged surprising back-to-back wins. While every team wants to win and fans (usually) want to see their favorite team win, the latter is certainly not the case recently. Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback for Clemson and the stand-alone number one pick in the upcoming draft, was the reason for that. Now, that’s over.

While winless, the Jets were in line to have that coveted number one pick and the rights to draft Lawrence. Head coach Adam Gase was taking a lot of heat for “ruining” the team but was also being somewhat applauded by fans for the chance at Lawrence. However, a surprising 23-20 win last week against the Los Angeles Rams and a 23-16 win today against the Cleveland Browns have locked the Jets in at pick two and lost out on the QB.

Now that the Jacksonville Jaguars will likely have Trevor Lawrence next season, the question looms: What are the New York Jets going to do at quarterback?

What’s next?

After what has occurred on the field the past two weeks, the Jets have a number of options for how to proceed at the quarterback position next season. There seems to be a consensus, however, that the team will do one of the following three things:

 

Justin Fields has been the only other quarterback that has been mentioned in the same breath as Trevor Lawrence all season. Through two seasons with Ohio State, he has totaled 4,794 passing yards, 56 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, all with a completion percentage of 69.9%. Being a true dual-threat quarterback, he has also accumulated 758 rushing yards with 15 more touchdowns.

Although Fields has been very good at the collegiate level, it doesn’t appear to be enough for the Jets to take him at two, at least at the moment. Instead, as of recently, they have been spoken about with BYU quarterback Zach Wilson.

Wilson has jumped onto the scene this season, ranking in the top-three in college in both passing yards and touchdowns. Overall, he has totaled 3,692 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and just 3 interceptions, along with a completion percentage of 73.5%. Also, while he may not be as dynamic on the ground as Justin Fields, he can still make things happen. On the ground, he has 254 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

If Wilson or Fields is the choice and starts for Gang Green next season, it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Sam Darnold. He would probably be dealt somewhere else if that’s the case. If not, he will be the starting quarterback for a fourth season.

Based on the last two games, how the season appears to be ending and the fact that they will not have Trevor Lawrence, I believe the Jets will stick with Darnold. He is still very young at 23 and still has tremendous potential. The Jets could potentially package the number two pick for more, as well. With more picks and some young players on offense, the team could continue to build around Darnold.

Whatever happens in the near future, the New York Jets will not be welcoming Trevor Lawrence to the team. While some fans are angry at that fact, they should remember that all hope is not lost…yet.

New York Jets: Four WR’s sidelined for contact tracing for Week 16 opponent

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The Cleveland Browns, the New York Jets opponent for Week 16, have placed four wide-receivers and a linebacker on the Reserve/COVID-19. Included are Jarvis Landry and Donovan Peoples-Jones, two of the Browns top wideouts. Additionally, wide-receivers Rashard Higgins and KhaDarel Hodge, as well as linebacker Jacob Phillips will not travel with the team.

As of now, Sunday’s 1pm contest in East Rutherford, New Jersey remains on as planned. The Browns were expected to leave Cleveland for New Jersey at 7pm ET on Saturday.

With a win, the Browns can clinch a playoff spot with either a Colts, Dolphins, or Ravens loss. A Jets win would take New York out of the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

 

New York Jets: Is this the end of the road for Jordan Jenkins in green and white?

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New York Jets, Jordan Jenkins

Jordan Jenkins has been regarded as the New York Jets‘ best pass rusher for the past few years. Jenkins was rumored to be leaving the team last season, but Jenkins came back for another year under Gregg Williams on a prove-it deal. Jenkins was projected to be the lead disruptor for the team this season. Instead, amongst all the bad on the team this year, his underwhelming performance has flown under the radar.

His Poor Performance

Last season, Jenkins hit career highs in sacks, TFLs, deflections and tied his career high in forced fumbles. He ended the season with 32 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 9 TFLs, 2 FFs and 3 deflections. The years before that, in 3 seasons, he showed consistent production increases in his pass-rushing stats. In his rookie year, he put up 2.5 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB Hits. Then, he had a sophomore jump slightly to 3.0 sacks, 5 TFLs, and 9 QB Hits. Then, prior to his big year last year, he had 7.0 sacks, 6 TFLs, and 15 QB Hits. Jenkins was evidently growing and at 26, was projected to be the potential lead pass rusher for the Jets.

Then, this season he has taken a big production hit. In 12 games, Jenkins has 31 tackles, 2.0 sacks, a FF, 2 TFLs, and 6 QB Hits. Jenkins still has 4 games left to take a statistical jump, but he has not been able to replicate any disruption that he shown in previous seasons. Jordan has failed to bring any sense of true disruption in the backfield this season and it is rather concerning. So why did Jenkins take a big dip this season?

Why the dip in production?

Coming into the season on a prove-it deal, Jenkins needed a big year. The thing is, the Jets significantly depleted the resources around him. The Jets most prolific disruptor the past few seasons was Jamal Adams. When Adams was shipped to Seattle, the Jets pass rush took a hit. As one of the leading pass rushers for the team in the past few years, there is a deep background to why he is called, “Blitz Boy” now. In all honesty though, where Adams excelled and still does excel in Seattle is in the pass rush. Teams knew this and worked to prevent him from breaking through. This opened up a huge opportunity for a guy like Jenkins to step up and capitalize off the attention Adams garnered.

Without Adams, Jenkins has drawn a lot more attention from opposing teams this season facing more double teams then he did in past years. Not only that, but the Jets have had some low level secondaries during his time in New York, but this season they have one of their worst yet. Simply put, Jenkins has a lot less time to rush the passer than before and a lot more work to do to get there.

This is in no means an excuse for his dip though, this was purely the reasoning. With that said, the Jets have relied on Jenkins to be a key piece in this defense for the past few years. He has been a leader and a vocal one at that. The thing is, the Jets don’t need a complimentary pass rusher, they need a dominant one. Jenkins deserves to go to a competitive football team and get a chance to succeed. He is a talented piece, he needs help around him to succeed though in terms of an outside pass rush and the Jets don’t have that. The Jets will look to get that kind of player this offseason to capitalize off the massive jump Quinnen Williams has taken with his interior pass rush. However, the Jets don’t need to throw money at a complimentary pass rusher that is not as imperative to success as some other positions. Jenkins deserves to get to play that compliment role elsewhere and the Jets deserve a chance to allocate resources elsewhere.

New York Jets: Denzel Mims out Sunday against Seahawks

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The New York Jets will be traveling to Seattle Sunday to play the Seahawks. However, they will be without rookie wideout Denzel Mims.

Mims is currently dealing with a “family emergency” that has kept him out of practice the past few days, after flying home to Texas. He won’t be eligible to play due to COVID-19 protocol, but the situation has nothing to do with the virus, as Adam Gase spoke about it yesterday.

Mims has been a consistent target during his first six games, totaling at least 40 receiving yards in each one:

  • 4 receptions, 42 yards
  • 2 receptions, 42 yards
  • 4 receptions, 62 yards
  • 3 receptions, 71 yards
  • 4 receptions, 67 yards
  • 2 receptions, 40 yards

Expect Braxton Berrios to be next in line for more targets from Sam Darnold when they face Jamal Adams and the Seahawks.

Could a Hall of Famer be the New York Jets’ next head coach?

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bill cowher, New York Jets

The New York Jets are certain to be in the market for a new head coach. With a competent and respected general manager in Joe Douglas, the projected second-most cap space, a plethora of draft picks, and the likely 1st pick, the Jets head coaching opening is surely going to be attractive. Apparently, that thought is shared by Hall of Fame head coach and current CBS Analyst Bill Cowher.

Lost in the news of the Jets firing Gregg Williams was the report from Boomer Esiason alluding to Bill Cowher having potential interest in the Jets Head Coaching job. Per Boomer himself on his show, “Boomer and Gio,” “He was saying to me yesterday, he’s the one that told me the Jets job is going to be really attractive, and they could hire whomever they want, and he told me he loves Joe Douglas.” This report doesn’t necessarily mean Cowher himself is interested in the job, but Boomer also said this, “All I know is that yesterday, he was showing me and Nate film of him coaching on the sideline where he was mic’ed up, and we looked at each other like, ‘Hmm, what does that mean?’.” Esiason continued, “Is he sending a message? I’ve worked with him for 14 years, and I’ve never seen that.”

So, what does this mean? Well, there have been rumors linking Cowher to the Jets long before he retired in 2006. Not only that, but rumors have swirled in the past about Cowher’s potential return. What is eye-opening to me, though, is that Boomer has a close bond with Bill, and for him to say all of this on the air openly, there must be some weight to these statements.

Cowher, at 63 years old, is still regarded as a bright football mind, but he is a bright mind in general. This move could mean two things, Cowher could be indirectly working with the Jets to add more hype around the presumed opening, or there really could be interest on Cowher’s end, and he is trying to float the idea in order to get a sense of the reception.

Could Cowher Fit In NY?

Bill Cowher is a highly respected coach, having went 149-90-1 from 1992 to 2006 with the Steelers and going to two Super Bowls, with a win in Super Bowl XL. Cowher is a proven leader. The issue surrounding Cowher, though, is that he has not coached in 14 years. The game has changed a lot in that time period, and some could say it has developed beyond the kind of coaching style he has. What I would say, though, is that a leader is a leader. Cowher is the kind of coach that has a reputation to rely on. Going from a coach who reportedly has no respect in the locker room to a Super Bowl champion is something that can rebuild a culture. The Jets on the field performance is putrid, but off the field, a potential 0-16 team is going to need not just a cultural rebuild but an entire overhaul.

By bringing in Cowher, the Jets are committing to experience and leadership. Pairing him with Joe Douglas would form one of the most formidable personnel tandems in franchise history. The likelier outcome is that the Jets go to the college ranks or to a coordinator for their next coach, but they are likely to cast a wide search for their next coach. This is an unlikely move, but the premise of a franchise-changing hire like this is enticing.

Jets’ Mekhi Becton continues to impress, leads AFC tackles in Pro Bowl votes

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New York Jets, Mekhi Becton

Amid all of the negatives surrounding the New York Jets this season, offensive tackle Mekhi Becton has been a positive. The rookie leads all AFC offensive tackles in Pro Bowl votes with 65,930 so far. That amount of votes is more than impressive, especially for a rookie, but how he got to this point is impressive as well.

Through the team’s 11 games, Becton has played in nine, starting eight. Additionally, he has been on the field for just 60% of the team’s offensive snaps. So, with playing just over half of the team’s snaps, leading the conference in Pro Bowl votes is astounding.

Offensive linemen are assessed, and voted for, based on a few statistical categories. These include penalties, sacks allowed, pass blocking and run blocking. Becton has been solid in reference to these, and every facet of his game, to say the least.

Penalties and sacks allowed

Becton has been extremely impressive when it comes to penalties, or lack thereof. With 407 snaps played, he has been called for just four penalties. That means he has been called for a penalty less than one percent of the time, 0.98% to be exact.

Those four penalties don’t rank him in the top-tier of offensive tackles in this category, but it’s impressive for a rookie.

He’ll have to continue to improve, as fellow rookie tackle Andrew Thomas has more snaps played, but fewer penalties, for the Giants. So, comparatively, penalties haven’t been his most impressive area. However, the small-enough amount of them is a welcomed sight.

As a team, the New York Jets have allowed 30 sacks thus far. Mekhi Becton has allowed 3 himself. That number isn’t fantastic, but it isn’t bad either.

Pass and run blocking

Penalties and sacks allowed are advanced stats that analysts look at, but in terms of on-the-field play, Becton’s blocking has been great. In fact, over the last two games specifically, against the Chargers and Dolphins, he has been outstanding. This is what he’s done over those games:

  • 72 pass-block snaps
  • 1 QB pressure allowed
  • 0 sacks

One word can summarize those numbers: great. Those are the numbers that aren’t necessarily realized while watching games but help show how dominant he can actually be.

When it comes to run blocking, Becton is perhaps even better. During games, the announcers seem to always be saying the Jets should “run behind big number 77.” When they do, they tend to get a positive gain of some kind. Becton’s ability to get the primary block, release, and get to the second level shows, and is a welcomed sight.

Here are some of his best block of the season thus far:

Overall, Mekhi Becton has been a very good player for the Jets this season. The rookie may very well be the best player on the team and is on his way to representing the Jets on the Pro Bowl roster, even if the game is only happening virtually in Madden 21.

New York Jets Head Coaching Candidates: Joe Brady

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New York Jets, Joe Brady

With the New York Jets now sitting at an 0-11 record with only five games to go, it is apparent the team needs a change of pace. That is likely to come in the form of a. Full-scale rebuild, starting with the coaching staff. As the team will likely move quickly with their coaching search, I decided to take an individual deep dive into some of the guys who could lead the New York Jets into the next era. This begins with Carolina Panthers Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady.

Who is Joe Brady?

Joe Brady was born in 1989 in Miami Lakes, Florida. Brady played wide receiver in high school and earned an opportunity to play College Football at Willam & Mary. After a college playing career there, Brady begins his coaching career as a Linebackers coach before becoming a grad assistant at Penn State. Then, Brady got an opportunity of a lifetime to serve under Sean Payton as an Offensive Assistant. Payton saw a lot of potential with Brady, but when he took a gamble on heading to the college level under coach Ed Orgeron at LSU, Payton thought he was making a mistake.

Looking back, that chance Coach O took on Brady, and he took on a young and hungry LSU paid off immensely. When Coach O handed Brady the keys to the LSU offense, he revamped it and took it from the 38th ranked offense in the country to the 1st ranked offense in the country in just one season.

The offense was so explosive that they were able to roll over competition on the way to their National Championship. Along with that, he was crucial in the development of now Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow. In Burrow’s Heisman campaign, he had a 76.3 completion percentage that produced a line of 5,671 yds, 60 TDs, and 6 INTs. Not only was the passing attack spectacular, the rushing attack was spectacular. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 1,414 yards and 16 scores, which only led him to be a first-rounder.

While on the topic of talent, I would be remiss without mentioning all the NFL Draft picks that came from last year’s offense and have excelled at the next level. Arguably the top rookie QB, RB, and WR are all LSU products. Now, this begged the question of how would Brady translate to the NFL, and he has answered that with emphatic success.

Joe Brady in the NFL

When Matt Rhule, a guy the Jets were heavily interested in before Adam Gase jumped from the college ranks to Carolina, he brought rising star Joe Brady with him. Brady has not disappointed. Brady inherited an offense ranked 27th in all of football in 2019 and has brought them to the 7th best offense in the NFL in only 10 games. With 6 games to go along with the impending return of Christian McCaffery, that ranking can only improve.

With McCaffery out, though, the offense has still hummed along perfectly fine. Guys like Curtis Samuel and Mike Davis have stood out in a big way, along with an impressive season from former Jets receiver Robby Anderson. The offense is innovative and unique, and the success he received at LSU has absolutely translated seamlessly to the next level. With a talent group that isn’t even on par with what it could be, Brady has built a resume capable of being a head coach, and at 31 years old, he would be a fresh, innovative hire, but why the Jets?

Why would he be a good fit?

The Jets have tried everything in the past few years. Todd Bowles was a discipline heavy defensive coordinator who was supposed to carry over the hard work culture built under Rex Ryan. Bowles failed to get on the same page with the management and could not gain control over the locker room after a strong first season. Then the Jets hired Adam Gase. This was a hire that was not received well, but fans set out to give him the benefit of the doubt. He has been absolutely awful, and the coach who was supposed to bring a head coaching background has only brought incompetence.

Joe Brady would be the anti-Bowles/Gase hire. He is a fresh, innovative mind along the lines of Sean McVay and Kyle Shannahan and would immediately revitalize the franchise. Not only that, but with 98 million dollars in cap space, a renowned general manager in Joe Douglas, and a plethora of draft capital, the resources are there to build a competitive team that would work around Brady’s strengths. Not only that but pairing Trevor Lawerence and Joe Brady is the kind of tandem that excites everyone repping the Green and White.

Brady would be the best offensive-minded coach the Jets could grab, but is he a leader? Brady is 31 years old and inexperienced. If Brady can step up and show he is capable of being a leader in the interviews, he could be the easy favorite to be the coach. However, if he does not seem like a guy who could instill a winning culture in New York and mentor Trevor Lawerence, then maybe he is not the right hire. With that said, I firmly believe Brady deserves and should be the next head coach of the New York Jets.

New York Jets: Sam Darnold, receivers will finally be together

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New York Jets, Sam Darnold

 

Sam Darnold hasn’t played in a single game this season with all of the Jets’ top targets. Before the season, in free agency and the draft, the team made considerable strides to add to their receiving corps with the additions of Breshad Perriman and Denzel Mims. These two players, along with Jamison Crowder, have all shown playmaking ability on the field. Now, they’ll finally get to pair their skills, on the field, with Darnold.

The New York Jets will be playing the Miami Dolphins tomorrow, still looking for their first win of the season. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco predicts that they will get their first, beating Miami 26-23. That would be a huge feat, on a few levels. Firstly, it would be the first win of their season, as already stated and known. Second, Darnold needs to show that he can still be a winning quarterback in the NFL, either with the Jets or another franchise. Lastly, if Darnold stays, building continuity with the receivers, who have been playing pretty well despite the losses without him, is key.

Sam Darnold last played against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, missing the last two games (Jets had a bye in Week 10). Over those two games, all three top receivers have played together. In those games, their overall production has been a nice sight and has caused some excitement. The three top receivers, which have been Perriman, Mims and Jamison Crowder respectively, should be excited to have Darnold back, as well.

The wideouts

Breshad Perriman was brought in to be the main deep-threat guy, pretty much replacing Robby Anderson. Over the last two games, he has totaled 7 receptions for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns. The 22.1 yards per reception average has led the team, along with the touchdowns during that span, including two against the division-rival Patriots.

Second-round rookie Denzel Mims has shown his capability of being a very good well-rounded wideout, as well. Over the last two games, he has totaled 7 receptions for 133 yards. The thing that sticks out, especially to possibly delusional Jets fans like myself, is that he has the ability to win tough catches. With great size at 6’3″, 207 pounds, he can be that go-to big target for Darnold, or whoever is playing quarterback next season. He showed that catching ability on one exciting play against the Chargers last week:

I am, perhaps, most excited for the Darnold-Mims duo tomorrow. They have been able to play zero snaps, let alone games, together this season. Videos and clips of them together from the preseason was cause for excitement, but it, unfortunately, hasn’t had the chance to translate yet.

The final piece of the top-three Jets wideouts is Jamison Crowder. To begin the season, he missed two of the first five games. Although, in the three he played, two with Darnold, he totaled 22 receptions for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns. The last two games, however, haven’t been as dominant. Over the last two, he’s totaled just 3 receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers should be expected to increase.

Crowder has been the go-to guy for Darnold over the last two seasons and has helped build a confident connection between the two.

With Perriman being the deep-threat, Mims being an intermediate-to-deep playmaker and Crowder being a short-to-intermediate option primarily, Sam Darnold will finally be surrounded by the best the Jets have to offer.

4 players the New York Jets should be thankful for

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New York Jets, Mekhi Becton

Happy Thanksgiving, Jets fans! Unfortunately (maybe fortunately for our appetites) the Jets do not play today. At 0-10, the Jets are in the midst of one of their worst starts in franchise history.

Here are four New York Jets players to be thankful for:

Mekhi Becton LT

Mekhi Becton has been the biggest bright spot for the Jets this season. The eleventh overall pick has broken out immediately and asserted himself as one of the top tackles in the league.

Becton is already leading the Pro Bowl votes for offensive tackles. Becton has been an absolute force this season with a PFF grade of 73.9 and easy handling of premier pass rushers like Joey and Nick Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Frank Clark, among others. Becton has emerged as a franchise left tackle throughout this season, and he provides a huge (literally) building block for the future. The Jets struck gold on Mt. Becton.

Braden Mann P

Braden Mann being selected was viewed by some as a curious pick in the 6th round when the Jets had such a need at receiver. However, the former college star has been a breakout piece. Now, purely off stats, Mann has a 44.8 average in terms of a yard per punt, which only ranks 19th in the league, but his sample size is the largest in the league at 50, which is an excessive amount for punters. With a floundering offense, Mann gets a lot of work, and the fact that as a rookie, he already is in the pro bowl consideration and being a consistent punter is very impressive. Special teams do matter, and the future for the Jets groups is all the brighter with Braden in it.

Denzel Mims WR

Denzel Mims was out for the first 6 games this season, despite that, he has broken out in a big way. Mims currently sits at 13 receptions for 217 yards, with an average of 16.7 yards per reception. He has averaged around 54.3 yards per game and been a consistent producer for the Jets with their QB issues. Mims has made some really spectacular catches, though, that have really opened eyes. His beautiful sideline catch against the Chargers Sunday was just another example of his phenomenal hands. What the Jets offense needs to do is maximize his catch radius and start throwing him more targets in the red zone. Despite missing time, Mims figures to still put up above-average numbers this season, and he figures to be a great piece for the future.

Quinnen Williams DT

Arguably the biggest breakout star of the Jets season is the former third overall pick, Quinnen Williams. Last season Williams had 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 TFLs, 6 QB Hits, and a FR. This season, in only 10 games, Williams has 34 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 7 QB Hits, and a FF. Williams has already exceeded his rookie campaign in only nine games that he has played in this season. Williams still has six games to continue to build onto his breakout season. Williams has displayed a real visible growth in his play as well. Last season he seemed a lot weaker and less developed. He still has a long way to go, but he has looked much quicker and more refined this season, and that is a huge thing to be thankful for in the trenches in the future.

New York Jets: Should the Jets re-sign Breshad Perriman?

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New York Jets, Breshad Perriman

This season has been very tough for the New York Jets. With the Jets already out of playoff contention for this season, they need to start working for next season. Should the Jets lockdown Breshad Perriman to a long-term deal and keep him with Sam Darnold?

Perriman has been battling injuries this season, missing four games this season. Before Week 9, Perriman only averaged 2.75 catches a game, with only 29.5 yards per game in the other four games he started in. With his poor performance at the beginning of the season, why should the Jets re-sign him?

Why should the New York Jets re-sign Perriman?

Pros

Perriman signed a one-year deal with the Jets this past offseason for $6.5 million. Perriman in the past two weeks has been the deep threat the Jets have needed. Perriman has caught seven out of his 11 targets for 155 yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks. Perriman has easily been the bright spot of this poor Jets offense.

Think about this trio of receivers, if they all can be healthy. Perriman, rookie Denzal Mims, and Jamison Crowder. That is a solid trio that can stay with Darnold for years. With all three receivers all playing at once, the Jets’ offense average 27.5 points in all three of their games. Gang Green needs to keep these three together.

Cons

Perriman has only been successful in two games this season. He has been terribly inconsistent. If you want a multi-year extension, you have to play consistently week in and week out. Perriman has only tallied at least four receptions or 60 yards only twice this season. Perriman consistency is going to have to change for the last six games for the Jets if he wants that contract.

Not only Perriman has not been the best player on the field earlier in the season, but he has also missed a bunch of games. Perriman missed four games this season due to ankle, knee, shoulder, and concussion injuries. Perriman needs to stay healthy for the next six games if he wants that multi-year deal.

The New York Jets have a lot to think about this offseason. Perriman is a player that needs to be thought about for the Jets and personally a player that the Jets need to bring back. To have that trio of Perriman, Mims, and Crowder could be solid for Darnold in years to come.