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Not looking to stir things up
and kick over an ant hill again, but I don’t think the Jets got enough from Elijah Moore in Minnesota.
He finished with two catches for seven yards. He was targeted six times, so it’s not like he wasn’t targeted, but with Vikings issues in their secondary, missing corners Cam Dantzler and Andrew Booth, and getting lit up by Mac Jones and Dak Prescott (having a good, not great year), there should have been more opportunities for Moore.
And breaking down the film of the game, there were.
Obviously, the Jets got a lot of production from Garrett Wilson (pictured above) and Corey Davis in this game, so it’s not like it was a bad passing game, but they left some opportunities for Moore on the table.
A couple of examples:
In the second quarter, on the fourth-and-2 incompletion to tight end Tyler Conklin, Moore would have been the better option being covered by linebacker Eric Kendricks on a crossing route. That is a major mismatch.
On the Jets’ last throw of the game, on four-and-10, from the Vikings 19, Mike White forced a pass to Corey Davis on the goalline and it was intercepted by CB Cam Bynum. The better option would have been Moore, underneath, once again being covered by Kendrick. This might not have gotten into the end zone, but it would have been a first down. Moore was past the sticks, and there still would have been about 10 seconds left. Now it’s perhaps a little unfair to criticize White for this because he was under a lot of pressure and was hit by DE D.J. Wonnum as he threw.
But I’m sure when Mike LaFleur and White went over the film, they saw some meat left on the bone with Moore in the passing game.
This isn’t about appeasing a player who complained about not getting the rock, but this is more about using a significant weapon more, especially with all the attention Wilson and Davis were getting . . .
Sauce Gardner is a heck of a talent, but it’s important to realize that he’s still only 22-years-old, and did leave school after his junior year, so he’s still moving up the learning curve.
While he’s done a lot of great things this year, with two picks and 15 PDs, there are still some things for him to work on with Jets cornerback coach Tony Oden.
There was a series at the end of the first quarter, that carried over to the second quarter, and culminated with a 4-yard TD run by Dalvin Cook, which had several teachable moments for Oden with the potential star.
One a third-and-two, there was confusion on who had wide receiver Justin Jefferson lined up right. Gardner was too far off and Jefferson, who gained four yards for an easy first down in front of the corner. On the same drive, on fourth-and-two, Gardner was too far off K.J. Osborne, and Osborne ran a square in for an easy seven-yard gain. Garnder was also called for holding on this drive.
Why was Gardner so far off Jefferson and Osborn, and didn’t play the sticks on those third and fourth down plays?
It’s not that he had a bad game, he just had a bad series. It happens to the best of them.
Late in the third quarter, he had a terrific PD on WR Adam Thielen on a pass on the short right side.
Look, he’s a fabulous prospect, but he’s still got some work to do, he knows it, and the Jets coaches know it, but his upside is clearly huge . . .
The Jets put Max Mitchell on the NFI List today, ending his season, but didn’t say what the Non-Football Injury is.
While this is unfortunate for the player, this isn’t a transaction that will hurt the Jets at this time. George Fant is the better option at right tackle than Mitchell right now, and Mike Remmers, now the backup swing tackle, is a player with a ton of NFL starting experience. And Cedric Ogbuehi, who hurt his groin against Chicago, should be able to return by Week 17, so the Jets are in good shape at right tackle.
December 7, 2022
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