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Morris County – Time for another edition of One Jets Drive from Jets Country. A few different items to get into today, so let’s get started.
Interesting observations by a long-time Jets reporter who has a good feel for the building.
“Todd wants to win games,” said one long-time Jets observer and reporter. “If he goes 3-13 he could lose his job. If he thought Petty could help him win, he would play him.”
One thing to keep in mind about young quarterbacks like Petty (who has a lot of potential) is they generally “don’t throw receivers open.”
“Veterans quarterbacks throw guys open, young quarterbacks need guys open to throw,” said one long-time NFL coach.
Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick do some of their best work when Marshall isn’t clearly open with back shoulder throws, fades and so forth.
Remember when Petty was QB against the Los Angeles Rams and Marshall had one of his worst games of the season?
Marshall has average speed, and he’s also not blessed with the greatest short area quickness to pull away from guys quickly out of his breaks, but he’s superb in traffic, on 50-50 balls. Fitz will feed him the ball in tight windows. Petty (and Geno Smith) are less apt to do that.
With Fitz back last week against New England, Marshall exploded in the first quarter, with the kind of routes and throws you didn’t see in the Rams’ game. Similar deal with some of those impressive completions to Quincy Enunwa.
In the NFL, the passing windows are often small, so there are times you need to “throw guys open.”
Young quarterbacks don’t like doing that – they don’t want to throw picks and have unrefined eyes reading coverages.
Petty should improve, but he’s not ready now. Todd Bowles knows that. And mired in a three-game losing streak, with an unpredictable owner (ask Eric Mangini), the coach needs to win a couple of these games coming up.
That is more likely to happen with Fitzpatrick . . .
Ryan Fitzpatrick has a very good feel for the defense of Chuck Pagano, having started games against Indy in each of the last four seasons . . .
I hate to even get into this because it’s one thing after the other with this paper, but Daily News reporter Manish Mehta had a quote in a story today that has made national NFL news.
“He’s done,” a Revis confidant told the Daily News. “If he had his way, he’d be done right now. He doesn’t want to play anymore. He’s made a lot of money.”
The writer probably made a mistake using the term “confidant” to describe the source.
If you are a “confidant” of somebody, why would you leak something so damning to the media?
With “confidants” like that, who needs “confidants.”
Most people assume the source was one of the former agents Revis fired and is now suing.
So if that’s the case, how are they “confidants?” He’s not speaking to them.
One of the Daily News chief rivals thinks another suspect could be Antonio Cromartie, who the Daily News has used in the past. But that’s a long shot.
But once again, why would a “confidant” do this to Revis?
Bad word. He should have used a different word. That word has discredited the story in the eyes of many, including Boomer Esiason, who ripped up the Daily News on the air this morning.
However, while I think the reporting might have been a little sloppy, the premise might not be far off.
The way Revis is avoiding tackling, he certainly looks like a guy who doesn’t want to play anymore. There is a reason they call this “tackle football.” You need to tackle people. He doesn’t seem in love with the concept right now.
As Chuck Noll used to say to players clearly at the end, “it’s time to get on with your life’s work.”
This applies to Revis.
But Revis clearly isn’t going to quit. If he quits, he won’t get the $6 million he’s owed next year. If he gets cut, he gets it.
December 1, 2016
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