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Dallas – The Dallas Cowboys have an issue in one particular area that should help the Jets a great in Saturday night’s game. The Jets could also get some help on another front . . .
Last week, the Jets faced a team thin at cornerback, so they spread out the Titans, and were able to secure some great match-ups. When you are starting B.W. Webb at cornerback, you are thin. He’s the quintessential journeyman who keeps getting jobs because of the dearth of cornerback talent out there. The Jets really went after him with a lot of success.
This week the Jets face another team thin at cornerback.
Dallas will be without starting cornerback Morris Claiborne. Another important corner for them, Orlando Scandrick, is on IR with a knee injury. He’s a very good slot corner.
So essentially, they are without two of their top three corners entering the season.
They also released CB Tyler Patmon, another slot corner, early this week. They intended on moving him to the practice squad, but he signed with Miami’s practice squad.
I’m not saying Patmon is great, but his release this week was odd considering Claiborne was hurt.
So now the Cowboys are on their third slot corner, with practice squad cornerback Terrance Mitchell the likely man for the job this week. He ran a pedestrian 4.63 forty at the combine.
So what you are likely going to see on Saturday is Mitchell against Eric Decker in the slot. When you look at Decker vs. the raw Mitchell, this match-up favors the Jets in a significant way. Expect a monster game for Decker.
Dallas is likely going to have huge coverage issues in this game. Huge. They are painfully thin at cornerback.
And the Jets getting Kenbrell Thompkins in the mix gives them another veteran option when they spread out the Cowboys.
I don’t want to be disrespectful to Devin Smith who just hurt his knee. I don’t like to kick a man when he’s down. I’m just saying from a pure football standpoint, right now, Thompkins is the better player. Smith probably has more of an upside, but right now, Thompkins is better. He runs better routes and knows how to get open with more effeciency. Smith is a major work-in-progress . . .
While the Jets need to take care of their own business first and foremost, this is the week for them to get some help in the AFC Wildcard Race.
Their two chief competitors for the AFC Wildcard spots are obviously Kansas City and Pittsburgh, and both teams face challenges this week, bigger challenges than the weeks that follow.
Pittsburgh hosts Denver, and the NFL’s #1 defense. Historically, good defenses travel well. One reason. aside from talent, is no crowd noise issues on defense. Clearly the home crowd tries to keep the noise down so they don’t distract their team on offense. So that also helps the traveling defense, which can communicate easily. Actually, some defenses sometimes have a hard time communicating at home, because the crowd is making deafening noise to mess up the visiting offense. Also, Pittsburgh has the NFL’s #31 pass defense. They aren’t great on the back end, so Demaryius Thomas and company could do some damage.
So this game is likely a toss-up.
I also view the Kansas City at Baltimore game as a toss-up. I know this might shock some, but the Chiefs are far from a juggernaut. They barely got by the injury-ravaged San Diego Chargers last week. And the Ravens are getting Matt Schaub back at quarterback. He’s not great, but he’s serviceable, and they are better with him than Jimmy Clausen. Also the Chiefs will be without their top pass rusher, Justin Houston. And the Ravens are at home.
I think there is a good chance the Jets get help in one or two of these games.
December 18, 2015
Premium will return by Midnight from Dallas on Saturday.