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People are quick to . . .
. . . attack the Jets’ offensive line. And look, I’m not naive, I know it’s not the best group in the league, but let’s be fair about what was going in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars have the best defense in the league.
You fall behind them, with a rookie quarterback, and their awesome front seven if going to go into full attack mode, pin their ears back, and go after the quarterback, and that was basically going on for the last 2.5 quarters.
Once again, I’m not saying it’s a top-shelf line, but to you really keep things in context – the Jets played right into their hands . . .
I refuse to rip Sam Darnold for how he’s played the last three games.
The Lions’ game was a perfect storm. The last three games he’s played like a rookie quarterback, and what is wrong with that, he’s a rookie quarterback after all.
So I refuse to criticize him. His struggles aren’t his fault.
I’ve always been of the opinion that when a boss puts a worker in a spot they aren’t ready for, and they struggle, that is on the boss more than the worker.
I think Darnold is a heck of prospect, but I don’t think he was ready to start from the get-go.
I asked Todd Bowles today why Darnold is starting over Josh McCown, who gives the Jets a better chance to win right now. If you don’t believe me, give the Jets players a shot of truth serum, and ask them that question.
Ask Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson, who had fine seasons in 2017, and now have gone into the Witness Protection Program. Once again, not a shot at Darnold, just talking about the reality of the situation. These two cats have disappeared, and I don’t think they have lost any of their talent.
So I asked Bowles why Darnold over McCown.
“Because he earned the position,” Bowles said.
I asked a follow-up – “He earned it over McCown?”
“Yes he did,” Bowles said.
How can you earn a job over another player, when the other player got limited reps throughout the spring and summer practices and preseason?
Let’s be honest, this wasn’t a competition, it was a coronation.
Once again, I’m not ripping Darnold. He had nothing to do with the coronation.
But to me, the concept that Darnold beat out McCown, is a flawed concept.
You can’t have a legit competition with such unbalanced reps in practices and games.
I saw Anderson and Kearse huddled in front of their lockers talking at the game. I would have loved to be a fly inside one of their lockers. Those two cats have to be frustrated beyond belief . . .
I blogged about this before. Christopher Johnson and Ira Akselrad are the only people who can help salvage this Jets season.
These are the two most powerful men in the Jets’ organization – Johnson the owner, and Akselrad, his right hand man. Akselrad runs “The Johnson Company.”
They need to DEMAND that Todd Bowles make changes. Lineup changes and perhaps tweaking coaching staff responsibilities, like telling Bowles to take over the defense. The blown assignments in pass coverage the last three weeks have been overwhelming. After that disastrous second-half in Cleveland, the Jets had 10 days to fix the problems and prepare for Jacksonville, and the blown coverages got worse.
Bowles is very, very stubborn. He sticks with people too long, and this contributes to losses.
Since Mike Maccagnan can’t tell Bowles what to do since they are equals (unless something secretly changed), Johnson and Akselrad have to make it clear to Bowles – YOU NEED TO MAKE LINEUP AND OTHER CHANGES!
Because if they don’t, Chris and Ira, your team will lose some fans.
Three awful games in a row with the same mistakes happening over and over.
Chris and/or Ira, need to go to One Jets Drive, and demand that an unbending coach make changes or else.
Enough already.
September 30, 2018
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