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Florham Park – Jets got back to work today, and Dan Leberfeld has plenty of Website Whispers from One Jets Drive in bucolic Florham Park . . .
The Jets worked on blitz pickup today
Smart move.
They are going to need all the work on blitz pickup they can fit in this week, because the Bills are coming after Geno Smith, there is no doubt about it.
Ask Cam Newton.
He took an awful beating the Bills win over Carolina.
They came after him early and often, and like Smith, he has a tendency to hold the ball too long.
Blitzing and holding the ball too long are a toxic blend for a quarterback . . .
Stephen Hill didn’t practice today.
He was with the trainers on the practice field, but went in the building early during the practice.
I think Hill is plenty tough, but he’s not built for durability, with a lithe 6-4 frame with skinny legs.
Clyde Gates is also a receiver on the skinny side, and he’s been banged up a lot, including some kind of issue now with the right leg. He had a full medical sleeve on that leg today.
Jeremy Kerley is coming off a concussion. He’s a small guy, also. Very, very tough, but undersized.
I mentioned this before, and I think it’s a problem. I think Jets receivers are getting hit just a little bit harder this year because the quarterback is delivering the ball late.
It’s also not allowing a lot of yards after the catch. You throw the ball late, you are giving the defender an advantage, there is no doubt about it . . .
Quinton Coples (leg) was working with a trainer today on his explosion off the ball. The trainer would snap a ball, and Coples would charge up field.
Reading the tea leaves, I think he’s a week away, with his likely return being for the Tennessee Titan game . . .
A player rolled up on Mo Wilkerson’s ankle on Thursday in New England, and he needed help off the field.
So will he be able to go against Buffalo?
“He’s alright – he will play on Sunday,” said a source close to Wilkerson . . .
The Jets got rid of punter Robert Malone because he was too inconsistent.
Ryan Quigley looked very good this summer, and it was a close competition.
So the fact that the Jets brought in Quigley should not be a surprise.
It was a dead-heat in training camp.
Quigley was killing the ball this summer . . .
Rex Ryan’s approach with Geno Smith is very smart – taking it week-to-week with him, and never committing beyond the next game.
First of all, he hasn’t earned a long-term commitment. He is way too inconsistent.
Secondly, it’s good to keep dangling the carrot in front of him.
Let’s not forget, he’s only 22. He’s very, very young. It’s best to keep him highly-motivated and focused each week, and not fostering a sense of entitlement.
And while some snobs in the media are quick to dismiss Brady Quinn as a non-factor, that is ridiculous. The guy is 28, has 20 career starts, and while he’s not a star, he’s very capable for taking over for Smith, if he struggles, and doing a respectable job.
Quinn isn’t great, but as we sit here right now, he’s better than Smith. That is just common sense based on experience and maturity. I’m not saying he should replace Smith right now, but if Smith lays an egg against Buffalo, Quinn needs to be in the conversation.
I do think the Jets with Smith can beat Buffalo. Remember, it’s an even playing field against the Bills – Smith vs. a fellow rookie. I watched the entire Bills-Carolina game. I would rank Smith and Manuel as even right now.
To be blunt, I don’t think Manuel has a chance against Rex’s defense. I watched his first two games in their entirety, and I think Rex’s defense will dominate him . . .
Tampa Bay safety Dashon Goldson (pictured above) was fined $30,000 last week for this helmet-to-helmet hit on Jeff Cumberland. And then in Week Two, he had another one of these hits on New Orleans RB Darren Sproles and he was suspended for one game today by the NFL.
September 16, 2013
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