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New Jersey – It’s time for another edition of “News to me,” as I look into a few items I consider newsy. Let’s start with a team nickname . . .
Prediction – next week, some writers, perhaps led by the Star-Ledger, are going to make an issue of the Redskins nickname. Probably ask players and coaches about it. You can write that one down.
Last week, the Eagles, led by owner Jeff Lurie, had that organization just refer to the Redskins as “Washington” in printed references, like in the weekly press release.
Will the Jets follow suit and politicize the Redskins’ nickname?
I looked into this today, and according to a league source, the Jets will call them the “Washington Redskins.” . . .
I’m not saying Joe Philbin deserved to keep this job. Clearly there are issues there, but that team clearly isn’t as talented as their upper management thinks they are.
I mentioned all last week that missing their starting left tackle was going to be a problem against the Jets, and it was. I’m not patting myself on the back over that. It’s not rocket science. When you have a high-paid franchise tackle, one of those freakish athletes for a big guy, there is generally a huge drop-off to the backup. You aren’t going to have two left tackles with the feet of a dancing bear on one roster.
But there was another problem I noticed in the Jets’ game, aside from the backup left tackle Jason Fox. The Dolphins are starting a rookie right guard, Jamil Douglas, and the Jets were taking advantage of him.
On the Dolphins’ second possession he was beat on consecutive plays. First Damon Harrison beat him for a QB pressure, and then Leonard Williams shed Douglas to blow-up a running play in the back field.
Hey, like I said, Philbin probably needed to be replaced. The vibe was terrible. But I don’t think this team is as talented as the Mike Tannenbaum and Matt Higgins-types think it is. How’d they look at cornerback to you?
As for Ndamukong Suh, I’m not saying he’s the second coming of Albert Haynesworth, but his motor was clearly inconsistent against the Jets. He didn’t seem that into dealing with double teams. I understand double teams are a pain in the butt for defensive linemen, but when you make $60 million guaranteed, how about a little more effort fighting through them?
On Chris Ivory’s first quarter touchdown run, Suh was totally dominated, and pushed into the end zone, by the double-team of Nick Mangold and Brian Winters, and he didn’t seem to fight it very hard.
Hey, we all know Suh is a flake. His behavior in Detroit is well-documented. Why Tannenbaum thought it was a good idea to make him the highest paid player in football is beyond me . . .
Smart move by Rex Ryan signing Walter Powell to his practice squad today. Good football player. He not only performed well as a returner this summer, but was terrific as a receiver in camp – running good routes and quick in-and-out of his cuts.
He wasn’t Mr. Coffee’s cup of tea, but he can play . . .
October 6, 2015
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