Why are Bowles/Macc doing this?

To me, this is a head-scratcher? I’m not sure what they are thinking here . . .

To me, you play the best players, regardless of where they were drafted or how much they make.

But I’m weird that way.

The Jacksonville Jaguars ran for 175 yards on the Jets.

Jets inside linebacker Darron Lee had some issues, being taken out of a few chunk plays by linemen pulling to the second level.

Early in the fourth quarter Lee got hurt, and he missed a series. Julian Stanford came in for Lee, and had a really good series, essentially, he was in on all three plays.

On second down, he did something Lee struggles with – stacking and shedding an offensive lineman. The powerfully built Stanford (he looks like the kind of guy you would see at Muscle Beach) shed the block of a 320-pound left guard Patrick Omameh, and combined with Leonard Williams to stop Leonard Fournette for a loss of one. On the next play, he stopped running back Corey Grant for a loss of five on pass to the left side.

But as soon as Lee was healthy, he was put back in the game for Stanford. It was on the very next series.

Why the rush to get him back in? Lee wasn’t playing that well. Stanford had a great series. Think outside the box a little. Don’t worry about the GM’s draft record.

Lee had a rough game. Here is some anecdotal evidence:

*Blake Bortles only TD pass was a bootleg to the right side where he connected with Fournette for a 10-yard TD. Lee was late coming over to cover Fournette.

*On the Jaguars second series, Lee gave up a 10-yard pass to Marquis Lee on first down, and then on second down, was taken out by center Brandon Linder on a nine-yard run to the right side.

*In the second quarter, on a 28-yard catch and run by Fournette, Linder took care of Lee on the second-level.

*Late in the fourth quarter, Bortles dumped to the ball to Fournette on the short right side and he ran it in for a 23-yard TD. Lee was taken out of this play, opening up a big hole. The play came back due to a hold on a receiver (not on Lee), but if that play had stood, the Jets likely would have lost the game. On the next play, Linder took out Lee on the second level on a Chris Ivory gain of 10 on the right side, taking the ball from the 16 to the 10.

Lee had a nice play in overtime stopping Fournette for a loss of one, so that will overshadow what happened during regulation.

This is huge problem, but the Jets brass refuses to acknowledge it or fix it. Rose-colored glasses seem to be at play here.

Let me reiterate, Stanford came in for one series, and was in on all three plays on a three-and-out series.

He’s the better player.

I’m not saying Lee shouldn’t play, but he should either platoon with Stanford, or just play on passing down/special teams.

But perhaps being right in the draft is what matters most.

October 2, 2017

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