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New Jersey – A couple of important items to get into today regarding the Jets, so let’s get this underway . . .
Watching practice today, I can see why the Jets released Jeremy Ross from their standpoint. He was only signed to fill-in for Jalin Marshall (shoulder), not replace him as either the team’s kick or punt returner, regardless of ball security issues.
Ross was released earlier this week, and today in practice Marshall was the main kick and punt returner. He is the Jets’ guy clearly for both jobs.
His shoulder is feeling much better. He had a great kick return today in practice, and Brant Boyer shouted out effusive praise.
The Jets feel Marshall can produce touchdowns on special teams for them with his explosive open-field running ability.
So they are willing to roll the dice on his occasional ball-security issues.
He looked very explosive on his returns in today’s practice.
Marshall is one of these players who is constantly improving because he’s very bright and takes coaching well.
I can honestly say, watching him in practice since he arrived in the spring, he’s improved a great deal tracking punts . . .
There was a near fight today in practice.
In the special team’s part of practice – practice squad linebacker Julian Stanford blocked Darron Lee very aggressively, and Lee took umbrage and they blocked each other for a few extra seconds, until Lee violently threw Stanford’s arms off.
If I were Stanford I would resent Lee a little. Stanford had a better camp, but he had no chance of beating out Lee for the #3 ILB job, which has turned into a lot more than that.
Jets need to put away the anointing oil.
Let’s be honest. Lee has been very average so far, and has been implicated in some big pass plays. He was brought in to improve the Jets’ pass defense at linebacker, and hasn’t done it thus far.
Let me make this clear – I like him as prospect. What I don’t like is rushing players to somehow justify picking them in the first round. What are you proving by rushing them? You can love a first round pick, but you don’t have to justify your love by rushing the player into action. Do you think the Patriots do that?
That Jessie James touchdown against the Steelers was one of the worst defensive plays I’ve seen in some time.
The Jets coaches aren’t going to tell us whose fault it was, but it was either Lee or Erin Henderson. They both ran to cover Le’Veon Bell in the right flat, leaving James open in the middle of the end zone.
I will just say this – Henderson had been covering Bell most of the game. And Henderson has been in the league nine years and there isn’t much he hasn’t seen. Now I’m not going to flat-out say that the play was Lee’s fault. Only the coaches know that. I will eventually get to the bottom of this.
But it was an awful play – the kind of play a last place team makes . . .
One huge problem for the Jets’ pass defense is obviously the team’s pass rush. They have four sacks in the last four games.
A play that is illustrative of how bad the rush has been was Antonio Brown’s second-half touchdown in the front- middle of the end zone.
Ben Roethlisberger had so much time to throw, he re-cocked his arm three times on that play.
I think the Jets defense is messed up because all off-season and much of the summer, they were practicing the 3-4 and then they switched to the 4-3 before the season.
I think not only has it messed up some of their defensive linemen, but also some of the pass drops of their linebackers. Playing 3-4 linebacker is different than playing 4-3 linebacker. The spacing is different.
Mo Wilkerson isn’t a 4-3 end and Sheldon Richardson isn’t a 4-3 end or OLB, whatever you call what they are doing with him.
These guys played in Rex Ryan’s 3-4 and then Todd Bowles 3-4 last year. Can they make plays at times in a 4-3, of course, but they are both not being used to the best of their abilities right now.
In the off-season for sure, the Jets should trade Sheldon Richardson, get a dynamic 3-4 OLB in the draft or free agency, and go with a 3-4 line with Wilkerson and Leonard Williams at defensive end and Steve McClendon or Dion Simon at nose tackle . . .
Picture above – Todd Bowles having a long talk with Ryan Fitzpatrick before practice.
October 13, 2016
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