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Kirk Cousins is a bad matchup for the Jets, and let me explain why.
The Jets’ pass coverage isn’t always the tightest, as evidenced by their zero interceptions this season.
One of the issues is bad zone drops, often by linebackers, and too much see and go reacting, so these leads to some large passing windows.
When you face a veteran QB who sees the field well, he’s not going to miss these big windows as much as young developing QBs, like Denver’s Bo Nix, Carolina’s Bryce Young, and Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel, all of whom did little against the Jets’ pass defense.
But when they faced QBs like Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, Dallas’ Dak Prescott, and Cincinnati’s Joe Flacco, they saw more of these big windows than Nix, Young, and Gabriel.
I’m not predicting a Jets loss, just saying if they don’t tighten up their pass defense, a veteran like Cousins, who sees the field well, will likely make them pay more than the Nix’s, Young’s, and Gabriel’s of the world . . .
Going back over the Jets’ loss to Baltimore again, I’m buying John Metchie even more than the other day.
What a trade!
In the second quarter of the Jets’ loss to the Ravens, they embarked on their only TD drive of the game, a 12-play, 79-yard journey punctuated by a 13-yard TD catch by Metchie.
The Tyrod Taylor-Metchie combo spearheaded this drive.
Metchie hauled in a pair of 13-yard receptions, along with a 19-yarder. On all three plays, he ran great routes, creating separation and easy throws for the QB.
On the second-and-12, he beat CB Chidobe Awuzie for a 19-yard gain, then he beat CB Marlon Humphries for a 13-yard gain, and then safety Gilman for the TD.
Metchie’s superb route-running ability, combined with his top-shelf short area quickness to cut away from defenders, gives QBs quick windows to throw into.
“He’s very quarterback-friendly,” Taylor said. “He has a lot of football savvy. It feels like he’s been around the game for a long time, but as you can tell, it’s natural for him. Aside from putting the time in himself, he’s been around football-savvy people who have taught him a lot. It’s helped our chemistry, and it’s going to help us continue to grow.”
Metchie and a sixth-round pick for nickel, Michael Carter, and a seventh-round pick.
Are you kidding me? . . .
The Jets’ up-and-down run defense will face quite a challenge this week against the Falcons’ talented tailback tandem of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
And they are going to need linebacker Quincy Williams to play better run defense than he did in the Jets’ loss to Baltimore.
In the third quarter, on an 11-yard jet sweep to WR Zay Flowers, Williams took a bad angle in pursuit. On the same series, on a second-and-seven, RB Keaton Mitchell went for nine yards to the left side, where there was a big hole because Williams and Michael Clemons couldn’t get off blocks.
Late in the game, with the Ravens starting a drive on their own three, they get some much-needed breathing room with a 17-yard run on first down – Williams missed a tackle attempt around the line of scrimmage.
On a two-yard TD run by Henry, the play we wrote about the other day where Jermaine Johnson took umbrage with critics who felt that FB Pat Ricard pancaked him, the bigger issue was Clemons being pushed back on skates by RT Roger Rosengarten, and Williams’ gap guessing and picking the wrong gap.
Williams is tough as hell and a big-time hitter, and a heck of a nice guy, but he needs to play more disciplined run defense consistently.
November 27, 2025
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