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While people continue to talk
about how great the Jets’ defense has been playing, and they are much improved over last season, but their run defense hasn’t been elite over the last month, there is no way around it.
11/20 – New England – 26 carries for 99 yards.
11/27 – Chicago – 29 carries for 127 yards.
12/4 – Minnesota – 29 carries for 128 yards.
12/11 – Buffalo – 24 carries for 102 yards.
The Jets better figure out how to improve this area with Detroit’s dynamic duo of running backs Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift coming to town.
“If you can’t ask the run in this league, you’re asking for it,” said 49ers radio analyst Tim Ryan about the Seattle Seahawks.
So true.
The Jets need their defensive tackles to be more consistent against the run, and this includes Quinnen Williams. They make some big plays against the runs when they jump into gaps quickly, but too often they get handled by interior linemen leading to big holes up the middle . . .
What goes into the decision on who starts at QB week-to-week?
“Always team first. The guys who put us in the best position to win will be on the field. I think we’ve been pretty consistent with that.” – Robert Saleh
So why did Zach Wilson start over Mike White in seven games this year, including the two New England losses? . . .
Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley went to the podium in the locker room today to address the media, as he does once a week, as per the request of the PR department, but the beat writers walked away and weren’t interested in coming back. So the press conference never happened. No questions. It’s not like they were going to talk to somebody else. They just weren’t interested in talking to Mosley, the Jets’ defensive leader, and getting his thoughts on facing the high-power Detroit offense. Just when you thought you saw it all . . .
Robert Saleh was asked about QB Jared Goff and his recent success in Detroit:
“Jared Goff, he was the number one pick in the Draft,” Saleh said. “He’s led a team to a Super Bowl, and when he’s back there and he’s comfortable, he’s as good as anybody in this game, and he’s playing at a very high level. He’s taking care of the football, I think he’s got seven interceptions on the year. He delivers, I mean he’s very accurate, very accurate with the football, quick decision maker, and he is very comfortable back there and he’s playing very, very well.”
Saleh made a couple of references to “comfortable” and that is worth exploring.
The Lions have a great offensive line, and Goff is getting plenty of time to throw, and he’s taking advantage of it, getting the ball to Detriot’s myriad explosive weapons.
But Goff’s reputation around the NFL is that if you get some hits on him, and he’s not comfortable in the pocket, he isn’t nearly as effective.
So that was a quote from Saleh that was very respectful to Goff and his work this year, but it clearly was making a point, that they need to make him uncomfortable.
Let’s put it this way, he’s not Mike White. If he takes some hits like White did last week, his eye level is going to lower, and he’s not going to be nearly as effective.
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay isn’t stupid. There are reasons they traded Goff to the Lions. While Goff has played well recently, this is a far-from-perfect QB. McVay had seen enough, and traded him, even after giving him a monster second contract . . .
No idea whether Quinnen Williams is going to play this week with the calf injury, but all I can say he was in the locker room after practice today, with no wrap or brace on his calf, and was in very good spirits joking with teammates. Look, all this could mean nothing, but trying to get you some information, for what it’s worth . . .
December 15, 2022
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