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The Jets rehab field next to the main practice field, where players work with on physical therapy, was loaded with safties today, with Chuck Clark, Tony Adams and Ashtyn Davis all working there.
None of them are going to play on Sunday.
Clark is on IR with a high ankle sprain and Adams (hamstring) and Davis (concussions) got hurt last week.
The Jets will go with veterans Jalen Mills and Isaiah Oliver, who both have a ton of NFL experience. Mills, who actually spent the last three years in New England, has 86 career starts between the Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, the team he came into the league with in 2016. Oliver has 44 career starts since entering the league in 2018 with Atlanta, where he spent his first five years, including a couple of seasons with Jeff Ulbrich, who was an assistant there.
The Jets should be fine with these two handling the safety spots . . .
The Jets will be without defensive tackle Leki Fotu, who was on the rehab field today after injury his right knee in Pittsburgh.
While he hasn’t played much after missing the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, this certainly is an absence that could hurt the Jets struggling run defense, because he’s one of their bigger bodies. The Jets got dominated on the ground again last week, with Pittsburgh rushing for 149 yards.
I was going to write how the run defense should improve this week with New England offensive line issues, however, the Steelers were banged up also, and had to play three backups, and still dominated the Jets on the ground. So it remains to be seen if the Jets can take advantage of New England’s patchwork offensive line . . .
Speaking of New England’s patchwork offensive line, they have had a revolving door at left tackle, not ideal, especially with a rookie right-handed QB. It’s unclear who will start at left tackle for them this week, though it should be Vedarian Lowe, though he is questionable. He’s a journeyman, so even with very little practice time with the Jets, Haason Reddick could have an immediate impact for the Jets. Lowe against Reddick is a mismatch.
The one concern about Reddick is a run defender at 6-1, 245 pounds, but not to be sarcastic, considering the Jets gave up 149 yards in each of the last two games without him, it’s hard to imagine they are going to be any worse with him in there.
Jets coach Jeff Ulbrich said that Reddick played the run well in practice this week, but I’m not sure what to take from that since there is no tackling in practice. But obviously when Ulbrich was asked about Reddick’s run defense today, he was not going to say anything negative about his new player.
But honestly, Jets fans should not be too concerned with this. If he can rush the passer like he did in the past, you deal with some deficiencies against the run. The end playing now opposite McDonald is the pass rusher #7 is, and has been inconsistent against the run himself, even though, based on his size and strength, you would expect him to be a force against the run. If you would build a run defender in the lab he would look like this guy, but it doesn’t always work out that way. The 34-yard run by Steelers tailback Najee Harris in the fourth quarter was right at him . . .
With both Alijah Vera-Tucker and Xavier Newman out this week, it looks like Jake Hanson will start at right guard.
He played a couple of years in Green Bay, so he has a good feel for blocking for Aaron Rodgers. He was a sixth-round pick out of Oregon in 2020. He was a four-star recruit out of California for the Ducks. He has a nice thick lower body to get push in the run game.
October 25, 2024
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