Content available exclusively for subscribers
The Jets got to get this fixed . . .
When the Jets play New Orleans on Sunday, you will see an example of the type of player the Jets need.
I’m talking about Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
They need a bonafide shutdown, lockdown cornerback like Lattimore.
Think about what happened in Denver on Sunday.
What do you want to do when you face a young, inexperienced, inconsistent quarterback like Trevor Siemian – you want to take away the run and make him beat you.
Jets did just that. Their run defense wasn’t good, it was great. So they forced Siemian to beat them, and he beat them.
While I think Mo Claiborne is pretty good – he had a terrible game in Denver. That’s well documented.
Buster Skrine has been a little better recently, but he plays too out of control for my liking – meaning often falls behind a receiver and then runs like a chicken with his head cut off to catchup, and so often his play on the ball is a borderline penalty. But to his credit, he’s tough as boot leather, and a force in run support.
But overall, I think the best way to describe this group is it’s like Russian Roulette.
Play-to-play you just don’t know what you are going to get. Play-in, play-out, you are rolling the dice. There is no consistency.
Remember when Darrelle Revis was in his prime with the Jets. You basically knew what you were going to get on his side – consistent excellence. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t get beat, but it was rare, and if he did, the receiver usually made a good play.
Lattimore has been that way in New Orleans this year.
“How good is this young man,” said ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit about Lattimore last week. “Rookie year looking like a perennial Pro Bowler!! So skilled—so well prepared—such a competitor!! Just getting started too!”
Mike Maccagnan needs to go out and get a guy like this. And maybe do what he did in the last draft – draft two high in the draft.
Maybe Maccagnan can go to where the Saints got Lattimore, Ohio State, and grab Denzel Ward, who could emerge as the draft’s best corner.
Florida State’s Tarvarus McFadden is very intriguing.
Maybe Levi Wallace of Alabama or Louisville’s Jaire Jackson.
Whoever it might be, or you can make it plural, the Jets need to get this fixed.
This rollercoaster ride needs to end.
When you stop the run and force a run-of-the-mill QB to beat you, and he does, you have a problem.
And obviously another issue related to this is getting a game-wrecking edge-rusher, but I don’t want to bore you with that topic today.
I’ve written so many times about this in the last ten years, I’m in repeats at this point.
But obviously getting a dynamic edge pass rusher (like you saw from Von Miller and Shane Ray) would help the Jets’ corners.
A good pass rush is a cover guy’s best friend.
December 11, 2017
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Wednesday.