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Cleveland – The Jets have a lengthy injury report. Could this be a problem for them? We take a look at this and a few other matters in Friday Night Whispers.
Lorenzo Mauldin spent extra time working with outside linebacker coach Mark Collins at practice.
He is really fired up now to prove the doubters wrong (obviously including some of the Jets’ coaches who switched to a four-man line for much of the season putting him on the sideline). Playing extensively last week for the first time this year, he had five QB pressures.
But you know what, this four-man line deal might not be over. Once Mo Wilkerson is healthy, they could go back to it.
I think it’s a bad idea, but Todd Bowles seems to like it.
I’m not claiming to know more than Bowles, but in my opinion this team is better in a 3-4, and looked pretty darn in the front last week, with Wilkerson out . . .
On paper, it looks like the Jets are a very beat-up team.
Status Report
OUT LB Bruce Carter (quadricep), LB Darron Lee (ankle)
DOUBTFUL C Nick Mangold (ankle), T Brent Qvale (neck), TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (ankle), CB Buster Skrine (knee)
QUESTIONABLE T Ryan Clady (shoulder), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (ankle)
This looks pretty ominous, but I actually don’t think it’s as bad as it looks.
Lee was rushed into action. He entered the league as a 21-year-old after his red-shirt sophomore season. For some reason, the Jets felt they needed to get him out there ASAP, and he was wildly inconsistent. Now he’s sidelined.
It’s not a huge loss now because he wasn’t ready. I think he’s going to be dynamite, but his head was spinning out there due to the rush job.
Bruce Carter hardly played. I think he’s a pretty good coverage linebacker, but his coverage work in his limited action was pedestrian.
The man taking over for both of them, Julian Stanford, might be an upgrade over both right now. Once again, I use the caveat “right now” because I think Lee is going to be very good in time. I’m not into rushing young player, but maybe that’s just me.
In the past, I’d say Nick Mangold being out is a beat deal, but not now. First of all, he’s having durability issues right now. Secondly, Wesley Johnson has really come into his own as an NFL center. He really didn’t play the position much at Vanderbilt. Now, after three years of working at it on the NFL level, he’s become a very good NFL center. He’s smart, tough and mobile.
Obviously they can overcome the Qvale injury because he platoons with Ben Ijalana at right tackle, so now they just go with Ijalana. And plus Breno Giacomini is about to come off the PUP list, and Qvale might end up on IR.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins has hardly played, so it’s hard to say you miss something you basically have had for one game.
Buster Skrine did play better last week, but he’s not having a great season overall. He’s a replaceable player. The Jets will move Marcus Williams into the slot, and will get Darryl Roberts and Juston Burris involved on the outside.
As for Wilkerson and Clady, they both might play.
But if Wilkerson can’t play, while he’s a terrific talent, the Jets went to the 3-4 last week in his absence, with Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams at end, and looked darn good.
So to me, this is an injury list the Jets can overcome.
The Browns have a bigger problem. They have three corners questionable, all there limited in practice, and two are starters. They might be very thin at cornerback.
October 28, 2016
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