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Florham Park – A few different things to get into today in our Website Whispers from Jets practice in New Jersey . . .
ESPN Headline today – “Anatomy of a collapse: How Jets turned into the NFL’s worst team.”
How do you determine the NFL’s worst team before a game is played? Does anyone know how that works?
I certainly don’t.
If somebody does, please let us know . . .
The Jets’ very young wide receiving corps getting the benefit of being taught by two top-shelf position coaches – Karl Dorrell and John Morton. Yes, Morton is the team’s offensive coordinator, but he’s a long-time wide receiver coach/receiver and he’s very hands-on with that position in Jets practice.
He is constantly calling guys over after plays to give them tutorials on what they just did wrong.
Today, he was working with Chad Hanson after a play on how to gain separation on a fade route in the end zone without being called for pushing off . . .
Morris Claiborne is hurt again, this time with a shoulder injury.
He is probably not going to play against the Giants.
The Jets released the off-injured Marquess Wilson early this week after he suffered yet another injury, this time a hip.
If Claiborne wasn’t being paid $5 million this year and slated to start for the Jets, and he was just in camp on a flyer, he might be on thin ice, after getting hurt a couple of times in camp.
The Jets took chances on players coming off injuries like Wilson,receiver Quinton Patton and tight end Brian Parker, they all get nicked again, and were sent packing.
Considering Claiborne has missed 35 games in five seasons, if he was here for a look-see, instead of on a $5 million deal, he might be in the same boat as Wilson, Patton and Parker.
But that isn’t how this works.
Look, I’m not criticizing Claiborne for getting hurt. He doesn’t want to get hurt. But it keeps happening.
And I’ve said this before, if he can’t stay healthy this year, this Jets might be in trouble, because their #2 and #3 corners were very inconsistent this summer . . .
One of the reasons the Jets probably need to start Josh McCown at quarterback is not just because he’s the best candidate, but to help all the young players on the field for the Jets in games.
The Jets are installing a new complex offense, and there are players still not 100 percent comfortable with the playbook. Today, Ardarius Stewart lined up wrong on a play and got reprimanded by Morton.
Newly-signed wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, lined up on one side, and was supposed to line up on the other. He’s a smart guy, but he just got here, and is playing catch-up with the Jets’ offensive playbook.
I’ve seen other players line up wrong, and have to be told what to do by a coach in practice.
The Bowles’ quote from the spring is making more and more sense.
“Even when you go to kindergarten, somebody’s got to be the teacher,” Bowles said.
That is exactly right. The Jets need McCown on the field early in the season to be not just their quarterback, but
a teacher to help some guys line up correctly at the line of scrimmage and in the huddle. He’s more equipped to be an early season on-field traffic cop than the two youngsters . . .
Based on how they were lining up this week, it looks like Brandon Shell is going to be the Jets’ starting right tackle. Brent Qvale had a good camp, and will likely be used a lot as an extra blocker in running situations . . .
August 24, 2017
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