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Let’s be candid about this
and I’m not being hater.
Dealing with reality isn’t being a hater.
It’s very hard to win with the Jets’ current formula.
Now the current formula could lead to future success with a lot of young players getting experience that will benefit them, and the Jets, down the road.
But it’s going to very hard for them to win much this year doing what their doing.
And I’m not using rebuilding as an excuse for losing.
You can rebuild and also win along the way. No necessarily a championship, but win your fair share of games.
Clearly that was what the Jets were looking to do.
Remember, the charged out of the gate in the first few weeks of free agency and signed 11 free agents, six on defense, five on offense, spending $89.6 million.
You don’t spend that kind of money in a full blown rebuild, you don’t spend that kind of money to tank, if you will.
In other words, their plan was to retool, and win at the same time. Once again, not talking about winning a Super Bowl, but winning games, and if not winning, playing a lot more competitively than what you have seen the last few weeks.
But what is going on now, makes it really hard for them to win.
Let me get into the weeds a little.
As I mentioned the other day, their defensive line, with guys like Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins and John Franklin-Myers, is pretty good, but with what is going on in back of them, it’s hard to win games. The Jets back seven is problematic.
Starting a rookie 5th-round college safety, at linebacker, is a dubious personnel decision. You can’t start Jamien Sherwood out of the gate, at linebacker, under any circumstance, even injuries. You can’t do it. It’s a bad idea.
First of all, he’s not comfortable with the spacing and instincts of his new position yet. Secondly, he’s getting exploited against the run because he’s too small, and is struggling shedding blocks. You can’t turn your back on blockers, as he’s shown a tendency to do.
Hamsah Nasrildeen isn’t playing as much on defense, but mainly on special teams, which is how you handle rookie safeties converting to linebacker. Special teams and perhaps a little work on defense here and there.
And when Sherwood got hurt in Week One, and missed the second game, they put Quincy Williams into the starting lineup, another misstep. He arrived a few weeks earlier, wasn’t comfortable in the playbook, and has made a lot of mistakes.
What was the rush putting him the lineup? And don’t bring up injuries again. Start Del’Shawn Phillips or Noah Dawkins, who both the system, and have been around the team for months. Don’t put a guy out there, who clearly isn’t on the same page with his new teammates yet, right into the starting lineup
Along with not making Sheldrick Redwine the third safety in the opener after he just arrived. So after LaMarcus Joyner got hurt in the opener, Redwine was forced into action, and contributed to the loss, by letting Robbie Anderson get behind him on a deep ball.
And a lot of teams wouldn’t play young running backs if they are bad blockers and poor at blitz pickup. The Jets are doing that. Why is big back Josh Adams in the witness protection program? Even last week with Tevin Coleman and La’mical Perrine out, Adams didn’t play, and two young backs struggled with their blocking, and it impacted the performance of Zach Wilson.
So the point here is simple. No question it’s kind of rebuilding year and they aren’t going to the playoffs, but even within the framework of a retooling year, if must handle game-day personnel decisions better, which is different than roster decisions.
Example – I have no issue with drafting Sherwood and making him a linebacker, but for him to be playing this much right out of the gate, at a new position, in the toughest league around, is a self-inflicted wound.
September 29, 2021
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