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People wonder if the Jets will go 0-16.
There are certainly some winnable games coming up, and if Joe Flacco continues to start, and plays like he did against New England (he played well sans that late pick), they have chance to win a game or two. I know some Jets fans don’t want to hear that because they are praying for 0-16 and a shot at Trevor Lawrence.
But to me, even with Flacco at QB, 0-16 is still a strong possibility, and it has to do with the Jets’ pass defense.
Their secondary play is very, very poor, week-in, and week-out. It’s not just guys getting beat man-to-man, but really poorly executed zone defense.
In doing my research for the radio show I do every Saturday on SiriusXM NFL Radio – Channel 88 (11-2 eastern), I read this blurb on ESPN:
“Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers had career highs in receiving yards (169), receptions (12), targets (14) and receiving first downs (8) in the Patriots’ win over the Jets on Monday.”
What’s up with that?
Look man, I like Meyers. He’s a great kid. We interviewed him on the show. Even joked about the lawyer firm – Jacoby and Meyers, and laughed about it. And he’s a solid receiver, but for goodness sake, in the Jets’ game he was made to look like Jerry Rice.
You can’t let this happen.
And on top of the Jets making Meyers look like a superstar, let’s not forget that Cam Newton is clearly is a diminished passer after two shoulder surgeries. We could all see that in the Jets’ game. So with Newton struggling making certain throws, how do you allow Meyers 12 catches? It’s almost like Newton is pushing the ball the ball now, instead of throwing it. I give him credit for pushing through his limitations. He’s a warrior.
So my point is, don’t rule out 0-16, even if Flacco is the QB, because, if you play pass defense, the way the Jets are playing pass defense, how can you win in this league?
True, the Jets play a rookie QB in their next game, a contest against the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert, but the Oregon-product has 17 TD’s to 5 picks, and the Chargers 2-6 record really isn’t his fault, but more their defense. How are the Jets going to stop wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams along with speedy tight end Hunter Henry?
The Jets’ pass coverage is fundamentally flawed right now, and probably can’t be fixed until the off-season. It’s a combination of not enough talent, and strategically flawed coverage concepts, that lead to wide open targets with regularity.
So 0-16 is still a possibility
Now I will not write that it should be a goal. I’m not into the whole tanking concept. As Herm Edwards said, “You play to win the game.”
And the whole issue with tanking, if it does indeed exist with NFL teams, is that coaches and players aren’t wired that way, and you saw that in recent Buffalo-Jets and New England-Jets games. The Jets fought to the end.
You not going to tell guys like Neville Hewitt, Greg Van Roten, and many others, that they shouldn’t bust their butts trying to win games.
So it’s not a tanking thing that will lead the Jets to 0-16, but to me, their pass coverage.
November 13, 2020
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