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Foxboro – A lot to unpack here . . .
The Jets’ offensive line has major issues, and part of that was a self-inflicted move by their personnel department.
Adding Ryan Kalil in early August was a frivolous move.
Kalil was obviously a very good center for a long-time with the Carolina Panthers, but to bring him in early August, after the line worked with Jon Harrison the entire off-season, was unnecessary.
Harrison isn’t Nick Mangold, but he’s fine.
The Jets’ offensive line now has has very little chemistry and continuity. Kalil didn’t play in the preseason, and the two guards, Brian Winters and Keleche Osemele, missed a lot of time late in the summer with injuries. And you can tell these guys have very little connectivity, especially on stunts and blitzes. This line often looks like they’ve never played together . . .
The receiving corps lacks a big, physical receiver who can win on 50-50 balls. Today their three main receivers were a pair of 5-8 slot receivers (Braxton Berrios and Jamison Crowder) and 175-pound Robby Anderson. The Patriots were playing tight man coverage today, and Falk had nobody to throw to who could go up and win on 50-50 balls.
Joe Douglas needs to get reinforcements at receiver. Acquiring Damaryius Thomas, who came in as damaged good, and got hurt again quickly, clearly wasn’t the best idea.
The Jets have a big, physical receiver named Josh Morgan on their practice squad. Maybe it’s time to elevate him.
Also in the passing game, using Ryan Griffin as your receiving tight end is a bad idea. He is a blocker and doesn’t get much separation.
Something I tweeted in the second half. – “Jets had Ryan Griffin as part of their “trips left” on that play. He’s a blocking tight end. Why not use Daniel Brown a faster, more mobile tight end? How does lining up a blocking tight end in “trips left” give you any advantage?”
Look, I understand Chris Herndon is suspended, but they knew that for months, and you can’t go with a blocking tight end as your #1 receiving target at that position. It doesn’t work . . .
And the play-calling hasn’t been very good.
Adam Gase came in with a great reputation. What happened?
I want to apologize to my readers. I kept writing that the Jets X’s and O’s would be terrific on offense with Gase, and so far, I have egg on my face. I oversold this and I apologize. He just got here, so there’s still time for him to prove that he is a top-shelf play-caller, but so far not very good.
I know he hasn’t been dealt the best hand with the QB injuries but look at Carolina, Indy and New Orleans today – all lighting it up with backup quarterbacks.
I am shocked so far about how underwhelming Gase has been an offensive play-caller.
And Gregg Williams has some work to do also. He has the Jets’ defense playing hard, but often not smart.
How on earth do you allow that 41-yard completion to blocking TE Ryan Izzo on third-and-one (the Patriots’ first possession). How do you not think about the possibility that the blocking tight end will sneak out for a pass on third-and-short? Teams do that all the time. Perhaps Williams taught it and somebody didn’t listen. This is schoolyard stuff.
And stop playing Henry Anderson as a 4-3 end. That is ridiculous. He’s not built to beat tackles – he’s not quick enough. Aside from not getting any pressure on the QB when they line him up like that, on the Patriots’ first TD, right tackle Marcus Cannon locked up Anderson, and Sony Michel ran behind him for a five-yard TD.
September 22, 2019
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