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You have to give the Jets credit for their impressive win over Denver for the second win of the season, but you could make a strong argument the Jets should be 3-2 now, not 2-3.
On September 24, the Jets lost at home to New England by the score of 15-10, the same Patriots who lost 34-0 at home to New Orleans on Sunday, after getting blown out 38-3 to Dallas the week before. So New England has been outscored by an astounding 72-3 over their last two games.
In retrospect, it’s shocking the Jets could not move the ball better on a Patriots defense that was an embarrassment in the two games that followed. In the Pats’ win over the Jets, they held Gang Green to just 60 yards in the first three quarters.
Can you believe the Jets lost to this Patriots team at home?
How did that even happen?
The Jets can only hope that that game doesn’t come back to bite them at the end of the season for perhaps a Wildcard playoff spot . . .
Second week in a row Nate Hackett was brilliant with myriad successful first-read throws for his young QB.
A perfect example was in the fourth quarter, on a 32-yard pass from Zach Wilson to Garrett Wilson. It was a bootleg right that Wilson threw left to Wilson downfield after a lot of defenders shifted right. Garrett Wilson was wide open.
There were a lot of first-read throws dialed up that worked, and that is ideal for Wilson who still needs work going through his progressions. It’s kind of like college, where so often the coordinators set up young QBs with great first reads. It’s a little harder to do this as often in the NFL because the pass coverage is better.
While Hackett did a great job overall, there were a couple of plays where the first read wasn’t open, but the QB forced it there anyway, because ideally, if he has his druthers, that is where he wants to go.
Second quarter, Zach Wilson, third and goal, forced it to Garrett Wilson on the left side of the end zone. He wasn’t open – didn’t look anywhere else. CB Patrick Surtain had airtight coverage. They had to settle for a field goal.
Late in the game, and third-and-five, from the Denver 27, Zach Wilson forced a pass to Garrett Wilson down the right sideline that was picked off by Surtain. Garrett Wilson was not open.
Denver got the ball back and could have tied the game with a field goal and gone ahead with a touchdown.
Why force passes to Garrett Wilson against one of the NFL’s top corners? You have better options.
So these two plays were examples of first reads gone awry.
However, overall, Hackett did a good job being another set of eyes for Zach Wilson, giving him quite a few easy first-read throws . . .
The Jets lost Alijah Vera-Tucker to a season-ending Achilles tear in Denver.
While this is a tough blow for the player and the team, the Jets are better equipped to deal with a Vera-Tucker injury this year compared to last, for a couple of reasons.
First of all, the arrival of Joe Tippmann, who is opening up massive holes in the run game, and looks like a potential Pro Bowler, and Max Mitchell is much further along at right tackle than he was last year, and played very well in Denver. They also have Billy Turner in reserve at right tackle, which is perhaps his best position.
But when Vera-Tucker comes back next year, he and his camp should say – please leave AVT at guard. AVT is a great kid and a people pleaser and will do whatever the team wants, but this guy can be an All-World guard. Leave him there.
October 9, 2023
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