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The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Sunday, with the game-winning touchdown being caught by wide receiver Mecole Hardman.
After the Jets traded Elijah Moore to Cleveland last spring, they signed Hardman to a one-year deal.
Former New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers tweeted after the game: “Jets Nation: Mecole Hardman was good enough to catch winning TD in SB but couldn’t get on field for Jets pathetic offense.”
Hardman had one reception in six games with the Jets before they traded him to Kansas City.
Why so little production in green?
Simple.
After Aaron Rogers got hurt in the opener, the Jets mostly went with a one-read QB, and Hardman was rarely the first read, so he was an afterthought in the passing game.
Just like Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb.
It’s really a case of simple math.
If you have a one-read QB, and the first read is usually Garrett Wilson, whether he’s open or not, how was Hardman going to have much involvement?
Why they didn’t dial up some bubble screens and jet screens for Hardman, who has world-class speed, I have no idea.
It just seemed like after Rodgers got hurt, the Jets offense not only went went South on the field in many games, but also strategically.
Being there in the spring and in training camp, I can assure you that when Rodgers was under center, Hardman was very involved, just like Lazard and Hardman.
Look, Garrett Wilson is a hell of a player, but the way they forced the ball to him, even when he wasn’t open, was a by-product of two things:
First off, trying to keeping him happy and feed him the ball, which I’m not sure was necessary, because he seems like a team-first guy, and played at Ohio State, with the most stacked receiver room almost every year recently, and that is why it’s called “WRU.”
So Garrett Wilson would have no problem with his targets going down a little, as long as the team is winning, which they did a lot of at Ohio State.
And the other problem, which I mentioned thoughout this article, was the main QB after Rodgers fixated on his first read. Yes, Garrett Wilson often should be the first read. He’s a transcendent talent.
However, if the QB is a guy like Rodgers, he’s going to look at the first read, and if he’s not open, then go through the reads, one, two, three, checkdown.
There you have it, that is why Hardman didn’t do much with the Jets before the trade. He was like the third or fourth option on many plays, and the QB wasn’t getting to that point in the progression on the play sheet.
Also, the Jets might have gotten over their skis on wanting to get undrafted rookie free agent Xavier Gipson on the field early in the season ahead of Hardman. I like Gipson, but what was the rush?
So when Jets go out in free agency for a backup QB behind Rodgers, they better get a guy who is good at going through his progressions and getting everybody involved.
If they go with another backup who is a one-read guy, their secondary receivers in 2024 will have the same issue Hardman and others had with a lack of production.
February 12, 2024
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