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Jets Whispers from Florham Park . . .
This could be a problem for the Jets.
Jets linebacker and defensive play-caller C.J. Mosley has a pulled hamstring. It happened at the end of the Jets’ loss to Atlanta in London.
He is the player with the special helmet that receives the transmission of the defensive calls from the sideline.
But he doesn’t just relay the play, he’s also very good at making adjustments based on how the offense is lined up.
If Mosley can’t play, rookie linebacker Jamien Sherwood, who was a college safety, will wear the special helmet and call the defensive signals.
And next to him will be Quincy Williams, who is tough as boot leather, and makes a lot of plays, but is sometimes out of position due to his over-aggressive playing style.
The Jets often just play with two linebackers, so Mosley can’t go, it will be Sherwood and Williams quite a bit.
And this will be against Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, who is great at game-planning and targeting weaknesses.
If it’s Sherwood and Williams at linebacker, looks for McDaniels to go after them early and often, especially throwing to his two talented tight ends – Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, who are starting to emerge.
I’m not looking to pick on Sherwood and Williams, who both have a lot of potential, but their inexperience, against a very sophisticated offense, could spell trouble for the Jets.
Why not have a three-year veteran like Blake Cashman wear the helmet and call the signals if Mosley can’t go? Why a college safety still learning linebacker?
Look, I think Sherwood has a lot of potential, but in my worldview, his transition from college safety to linebacker has been rushed a tad. This isn’t easy. Remember, he started right out to the gate after the Jarrad Davis injury . . .
Practice reps are so valuable since there is limited practice time, and Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer was livid today about two wasted reps when the team was practicing kickoff return. First, Tevin Coleman and Elijah Moore let a kickoff land between the two of them, not sure who was supposed to field it, and nobody returned it. Like a fly ball in the outfield dropping between two outfielders. Then, on the next kickoff, Coleman let it go over his head for a touchback. The only problem with this was, that in practice, even if you call for a touchback, the coaches want you to still have a ball handy and return it, to give the coverage team some work. Two wasted reps in a row and Boyer wasn’t happy . . .
Look, we all know football is an injury-laden sport, so you expect a lot of injuries, but some might argue that the Jets signed some free agents who were injury-prone in the past like Carl Lawson, Jarrad Davis and Tyler Kroft, and the injury bug has hit all three while with the Jets. Some might say this is nitpicking. You decide where you stand on this . . .
Can you have your cake and eat it too? I personally think what the Jets are trying to accomplish this year – winning games, and also have a bunch of young players learning on the job, is a very challenging mission.
I asked Jets coach Robert Saleh the following questions today:
Dan Leberfeld, Jets Confidential: Coach, how do you balance working in young players and them taking their lumps on the job while they learn and try to win?
It’s the same. We believe that this group can win. It’s an exciting group that we’ve got. They’re not being thrust out there because there’s nobody else, these are really good football players and they’re going to figure it out. You’re always trying to win football games and you understand with this youth that you can cost yourself sometimes. There’s a lot of fear, I’m probably rambling, but there’s always fear with playing young guys, that young guys probably lose you more games than you win. But at the same time, when they figure it out and they learn how not to lose football games, you’ll see the swing and you’ll actually be able to feel it, even from the outside looking in.
October 20, 2021
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