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When Adam Gase announced on Friday morning
that Ashtyn Davis, Greg Van Roten, Denzel Mims, Bennett Jackson and Jordan Jenkins are all out for Sunday, first thing that went though my mind is which ones will impact this game.
Mims, and it’s not even close for second.
They can function without the other players. Davis, has potential, but as a safety who ran under 4.4. he’s had almost no impact on their pass defense. He was rushed into action. He wasn’t instant coffee, and I’m writing him off by any stretch, but he clearly wasn’t ready to start yet, needing a lot more grooming. So starting veteran Mathias Farley this week, after the Notre Dame graduate got all the reps this week, should be an upgrade. Jordan Jenkins gives you everything he’s got, but his athletic limitations, which aren’t his fault, would likely prevent him from starting for any other team, so this injury should not impact the game. His replacement could be Bryce Huff, who has more speed, athleticism and range. Greg Van Roten has been okay, but it should not be a downgrade to Josh Andrews. And Bennett Jackson is a special team’s player.
So the only player who should impact the result on Sunday is Mims, who’s been a revelation . . .
Much is being made about Jamal Adams facing his former team. And putting the soap opera stuff regarding his relationships with Gase and former teammates on the side, from a football standpoint, he should have a monster game on Sunday and impact the outcome.
Why?
Because Sam Darnold struggles against the blitz, especially when all his blockers are accounted for, and an extra player is sent, which is the quarterbacks responsibility, and he has to got to a hot read.
This game is right in Adams wheelhouse as one of the NFL’s finest blitzing safeties . . .
I know a lot of Jets fans are nervous that the Johnson Brothers will decide to not fire Adam Gase after the season, due to some dubious head coaching decisions in the past. I’m not saying there is any credence to this concern, but interacting with Jets fans, I know a lot of them are very nervous.
But according to legendary broadcaster Brent Musberger, the voice of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets last opponent, Jets fans have nothing to worry about.
“Everyone on that staff is going to be fired and that includes Adam Gase,” Musberger said on VSIN early this week.
If the Jets make a coaching change, it’s essential that they allow people like Joe Douglas and Phil Savage to pick the next coach, and leave the business people out of the process. Of course the Johnson’s have to approve the choice at the end, but they should totally follow the lead of Douglas and Savage, and ignore business people and lawyers, who often don’t focus on the right things, or ask the right questions, in the interview process.
Let’s not forget, a big reason Gase was hired was because some people, involved in making the decision, felt that he could take Sam Darnold to the next level. That is one of the issues when business people are involved. Their focus isn’t always in the right place.
This time around, they need to hire an alpha dog leader who will coach the entire team. You aren’t hiring a head coach to coach the first-round QB, you are hiring him to coach/lead the entire team.
And let Joe and Phil find that guy . . .
The Jets will likely get Bless Austin back this week, and he will probably start opposite Bryce Hall. While Austin is still a work-in-progress, he’s less of a work-in-progress than Lamar Jackson.
And while it’s probably Pollyanna to think either one of them can contain D.K. Metcalf, they are both tall (each 6-1), physical corners, so Metcalf won’t have a huge height advantage on either one. Not saying they are going to stop Metcalf, just saying that each can climb the ladder with him.
December 11, 2020
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