It was pretty clear the Jets game out on offense against the Las Vegas Raiders in full appeasement mode.
After a media narrative all week that they needed to get WR Garrett Wilson the ball more, clearly some Jets decision-makers bought into that talking point.
Yes, the first offensive play was successful: a 31-yard strike to Wilson down the left side.
But then, later in the series, on a 2nd-and-3, from the Las Vegas three, QB Geno Smith forced a pass to Wilson on the right side of the end zone that was broken up by cornerback Eric Stokes.
Here is the issue with this call.
The Raiders’ other starting corner, Darien Porter, was injured on the Jets’ first offensive play: that long strike to Wilson.
So a backup cornerback was in for Porter, so why are you forcing a pass on the side of the field with the Raiders’ only starting cornerback? Why not go after the backup on the other side, considering the Jets have a cornucopia of good receivers like AD Mitchell, Omar Cooper, and Isaiah Williams?
This drive ended up with a Jets field goal. As did the second drive. On a 3rd-and-2 from the Raiders’ two, Smith threw an incomplete pass on the right side, once again at Stokes, instead of taking advantage of the backup on the other side.
After these two appeasement drives, the Jets offense went back to the way you are supposed to play – just throw to the open guy- and they exploded, scoring touchdowns on their next two drives, with an 18-yard TD to Williams and a 12-yard strike to Mitchell.
So the next time the media and fantasy football experts are attacking you for not getting a receiver more involved, ignore them.
Forcing the ball to a receiver to make a statement, or to appease, is not a winning formula.
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