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Let’s cut to the chase here . . .
You can criticize Adam Gase quite a bit for this loss, and rightfully so, but there’s another big issue, and that’s the quarterback.
He is still having significant issues seeing the field. Today, it often looked like Buffalo’s zone coverage had him baffled, and he wasn’t trusting his eyes.
And he also had accuracy issues today. On the first possession, a three-and-out, he had Jamison Crowder open on an out-route on the right sideline and was way off target. No excuse to miss a throw like this on the NFL level – easy throw and catch.
The Jets’ third possession, another three-and-out, all passes, all three throws were subpar – off target on a cross to Crowder, then he missed Breshard Perriman on a cross, and then a force to Perriman on third-and-10 fell incomplete.
It’s really hard to sustain drives in the NFL when the QB struggles processing defensive configurations, and also has inconsistent accuracy. How are you going to put together a lot of long drives with those two factors at play?
People are going to write about his weapons being substandard today, but those who think Denzel Mims, who hardly knows the system, and needs work on this route-tree, was going to make that much a big difference, are probably barking up the wrong tree.
Gase needs to get his act together, but the same applies to Darnold. There’s equal culpability here.
Also, this organization needs to make better player personnel decisions related to who’s playing on defense.
And this isn’t necessarily a criticism of Joe Douglas. He picks the roster, but doesn’t decide who plays on game day.
One of the Jets’ best players on the field today was LB Harvey Langi. The only reason he played a lot was because Blake Cashman got hurt. Langi should have had a bigger role, regardless of Cashman’s injury. He should have played more last year. Langi is athletic, instinctive linebacker with good size, good range and plays with tremendous intensity. He flashed all summer.
Setting the edge on defense continues to be a big problem. It was a problem last year, and was a problem in Buffalo. In New England, if you don’t set the edge, you aren’t playing for Bill Belichick – he is obsessed with it. Henry Anderson’s inability to set the edge isn’t his fault. His 5.0 forty speed is what he was given. Watch Josh Allen’s first quarter TD run to the left. The Jets had Anderson at end on that play, and Allen easily took the corner, and ran into the end zone. Another example of Anderson struggling with the edge was in the second quarter, with the Bills up 21-0, and facing a third-and-seven. Allen took off running to the right side, outflanked Anderson, and gained eight for the first down.
There needs to be an intervention here. Somebody in the organization, needs to demand the defensive coaches stop using Anderson as a defensive end to set the edge. Stop it already! And this isn’t Anderson’s fault, it’s somebody not understanding his skill set. He should only play on the interior. The problem is that Gase has turned over autonomy of the defense, and that is no way to run a football team. You are the head coach of whole team, not just one side of the ball.
Another personnel oversight is Frankie Luvu not starting. He’s the Jets’ best defensive player. It was clear all summer. No more limited role for him. He needs to be out there full time.
When you play Anderson and Jordan Jenkins at end, not only isn’t the pass rush great, but teams take the edge on them on running plays too often. Speed issues. Super-athletic Tarrell Bashem needs to start and play full time. That is pretty obvious.
Another personnel head-scratcher: They benched Pierre Desir, who refused to play the sticks on third down against Stephon Diggs, but they replaced him with Hairston, who’s a see-and-go-reactor. How would that improve things? It didn’t. This was move was Kabuki Theatre.
I just don’t get some of the personnel decisions on defense.
And I don’t get the people who blame Gase (who deserves blame) for the Jets’ offensive issues, but not Darnold. You could make a strong argument this is a 50-50 problem.
September 13, 2020
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