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A few different Jets items to get into today . . .
With Quincy Enunwa out a few weeks with a high ankle sprain, where do the Jets turn for receiver help?
Well first of all, their first three spots should be fine with Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse and Terrelle Pryor (though I didn’t see Pryor on the field during the first half-hour of practice that the media can watch).
After that is where there’s a question mark.
Well, Charone Peake returned to practice today. He had been out the last couple of weeks with a hamstring issue, but today I saw him out there with his helmet and running some routes.
Also, while his main job is kick and punt returner, Andre Roberts is also a good receiver who once had a 64-catch season in Arizona.
He seemed to be in the mix today at receiver.
So the Jets should be okay, unless there is something wrong with Pryor that would keep him out this week.
I’m not saying that is the case, just pointing out that I didn’t see him out there . . .
Sam Darnold had perhaps his best game as a Jet in the team’s win over Indianapolis.
He played well and deserves a lot of credit.
However, the challenge this week is a lot bigger.
The Vikings have a lot more talent than the Indianapolis Colts.
And they have a much better defense.
Last week against the Colts, so many of Sam Darnold’s first reads were open, so it was QB utopia for Darnold. Who doesn’t love when their first read’s open?
Only one time did he got caught staring down his first read was on Malik Hooker’s pick on a pass down the left sideline to Robby Anderson.
“He stares down exactly where he was going to throw,” CBS analyst Trent Green said after the play.
The Vikings have two terrific starting first-round cornerbacks (Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes) and a Pro Bowl ball-hawk safety (Harrison Smith).
Darnold better be extra careful with telegraphing his first reads this week. This trio will make him pay.
I hate to belabor the point, but why is Trenton Cannon still fielding punts in Jets practice, especially now with Eli McGuire set to return shortly.
Cannon bobbled a punt today.
Once again, let me make this clear – I like Cannon as a player, but as a kick returner, third-down back and special team’s cover guy.
He didn’t return punts in college, so why would he even be a consideration as a punt returner an NFL rookie. Even as a backup. We saw what happened against Denver, when Andre Roberts had to leave the game temporarily with an injury, Cannon went in and fumbled a punt (the Jets recovered).
These days in the NFL, with such limits on practice, every rep is extremely valuable. And there are only a limited number of punt catches available during the practice.
Don’t use any of them on a guy who can’t do the job this year, even in the case of an emergency.
This is an off-season project.
Now, it’s just reps being taken away from Andre Roberts and now McGuire . . .
The shotgun snaps of Jets center Spencer Long were a little erratic last week. He has a finger injury on his right hand. Todd Bowles has downplayed the connection because he clearly doesn’t want to make excuses, but there is probably a connection.
Long was flexing his right hand in the locker room after the Jets win over Denver, and the ring finger on his right hand was taped up today.
How could this not impact snapping?
October 17, 2018
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