Content available exclusively for subscribers
Jets nickel back Michael Carter (hamstring) says he’s feeling much better this week than last week.
“Feeling good,” Carter said.
Barring a setback, he could return this week.
The Jets missed him in the last two games.
They seemed to have more holes in their zone coverage the last two weeks . . .
Jets rookie OT Carter Warren has been a pleasant surprise in his first two games.
This isn’t too big for him.
The 24-year-old is a very mature rookie. He was a six-year player at Pitt with COVID and a redshirt year. He’s wise beyond his years. You talk to him, it doesn’t feel like you are talking to a rookie.
But here is the question this week, who is the right tackle, who is the left tackle?
“I feel good about Mekhi (Becton) getting back this week,” said Jets coach Robert Saleh. I really like what Carter Warren has been doing, so I’m trying to make sure that we get a chance to see him too. Duane (Brown), again, we’ll see how this week goes with regards to practice and everything.”
The issue here is they are all most comfortable at left tackle. Yes, there was a lot of talk about Warren being a right tackle with the Jets, but let’s keep in mind, he only played left tackle at Pitt. Not saying Warren can’t play right tackle, but that isn’t his natural position right now. Brown cannot play right tackle. So we are probably talking about Becton or Warren at left tackle this week. Remember, Brown was rushed into action in the season-opener coming off shoulder surgery, and not participating in the preseason or most of camp, and he was rusty in the opener, so the Jets, and the player, don’t want to make that mistake again. They are going to give him extra time this time around.
So who is the right tackle with Max Mitchell struggling a little bit. Could still be Mitchell, could be Billy Turner, though he’s a little light. It would be surprising if they made Becton move back over there. How many times you are going to move him between left and right tackle. That can mess up a player., Just ask George Fant . . .
One of the reasons for the Jets’ poor run defense against Miami was they didn’t set the edge well on a few big runs.
But one pleasant surprise on the setting the edge front, was a play by rookie defensive end Will McDonald early in the second quarter against Miami.
2-6-MIA 44 (13:39) R.Mostert left end to MIA 45 for 1 yard (W.McDonald, C.Mosley).
McDonald didn’t let Mostert get outside of him on the play, and the runner had to cut back inside, and the led to a stop by McDonald and C.J. Mosley.
The reason it’s so important to set a hard edge against the run is so you can force the runner inside to where you have more help, and that is what McDonald did on this play . . .
Two weeks in a row, Sauce Gardner seemed to give up long completions – first against Buffalo and then this past game, he seemed to get beat deep by Jayler Waddle down the right side for a gain of 32.
Hey, it’s going to happen to the best of them, and when you get no help for your offense, these plays look a lot worse, because the margin of error for the defense is almost nil.
But these plays show, that while Gardner is a terrific player, he is still a young player, has some things to work on, and sometimes hype makes people get a little ahead of themselves in regards to how they view a player. He’s not a finished product yet . . .
With Aaron Rodgers returning to practice less than three months after Achilles surgery, some people wonder if he suffered a ruptured Achilles and not a full tear. A full Achilles tear usually takes 6-8 months to heal.
November 29, 2023
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Thursday.
