Content available exclusively for subscribers
After Mike Williams and Aaron Rodgers had a couple of bad disconnections last night, and then when Rodgers threw Williams under the bus after the game for running the wrong route on an interception, you kind of got the sense that a Davante Adams trade was going to happen sooner rather than later.
On Tuesday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced the Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for Adams.
People will be quick to say that this is another example of Rodgers making Jets personnel decisions, but that misses the point.
Whether it’s signing Allen Lazard, or now trading for Adams, of course Rodgers likes those moves, but they are also really good for the Jets, because these are players who know their system, and have off-the-charts chemistry with Rodgers. Rodgers-Lazard and Rodgers-Adams are tandems that think as one when they are on the field after the 10,000 hours together in Green Bay.
This is huge. While Rodgers probably shouldn’t have thrown Williams under the bus after the game, he is so machiavellian, he was probably trying to make it clear to management, while Mike is very talented, he and the QB are clearly not on the same page right now, and when he said it, my first reaction is, “This Adams deal is fait accompli.”
So this isn’t about Rodgers’ appeasement, it’s about commonsense, and a sense of urgency.
Are they going to wait until Week 9, and perhaps dig a bigger hole, to wait for Rodgers and Williams to get on the same page? . . .
Jeff Ulbrich talked about the Jets not living up to their run-defense standard last night.
And I jumped in with a question, trying to be as respectful as possible, but essentially saying, in not so many words – “What standard?”
The run defense was bad last year, and in early season games against San Francisco, Tennessee, Denver and Buffalo.
And to his credit, he didn’t duck the question and tell me how good the opponent’s running game is, like some people in the past would do, but showed alpha dog leadership in his answer, emphatically saying they are going to fix it, whatever it takes.
“I will take a hard look at our scheme, I will take a hard look at how we call it, and take a hard look at the people we have in there,” Ulbrich said. “Combination of all those things. We can fix it and we will.”
What more could you ask for from a coach in an answer about a major problem?
No excuses, no explanations.
All those things are a problem right now – the scheme, how it’s called and the personnel. All three need to be tweaked.
As we mentioned on Monday, an example of something that needs to change is having 6-4, 236 pound Will McDonald on the goalline package. He’s a very talented pass rusher, but why would a team play a slender end on their goalline package where you should go jumbo? Makes no sense.
Also, another question I have, and I will not criticize the player until we get an explanation, is why does Michael Clemons keep making inside moves on offensive tackles, and letting runners take the edge on that side by overcommitting inside? I refuse to criticize the player until this is explained. It doesn’t look right at first glance, but perhaps there is a concrete explanation. It’s happened repeatedly this season, including in the preseason on the TD run by Washington QB Jayden Daniels.
Look, Ulbrich knows how to play run defense. He was a really good inside linebacker during his playing days – an instinctive tackling machine.
To his credit, he did make one change, playing undersized defensive tackle Solomon Thomas more at end now. Thomas is tough as hell and has a great motor, but due to his size, he sometimes has issues with massive interior linemen engulfing him.
But there are major changes needed, and Ulbrich seems committed to rolling up his sleeves and doing it, not just saying, we need to play our technique better.
October 15, 2024
Premium will return by 9:30 pm (or sooner) on Wednesday.
