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Some improvements are needed from the last game from players aside from Zach Wilson.
On defense, the usually steady Foley Fatukasi didn’t have one of his best games against New England.
Fatukasi was locked up by guard Shaq Mason on a Damien Harris gain of nine in the first quarter.
Fatukasi had a couple of rough plays in a row late first quarter. First center David Andrews locked him up on a gain of seven up the middle by RB James White. The on the next play, the center locked up Fatukasi again on a seven-yard TD run up the middle.
In the third quarter, on Harris 26-yard TD run, Foley got locked up by Mason again. Quinnen Williams was pancaked by guard Mike Onwenu.
In fairness he arrived only a couple of weeks ago, but linebacker Quincy Williams was a little inconsistent in his first start, like on tight end Hunter Henry’s 32-yard reception behind him in the third quarter. Also, on Harris 26-yard TD run in the third, Williams missed a tackle in the middle of the run. So Quincy has some work to do.
George Fant needs to cut down on penalties.
Shaq Lawson took a lot of heat for his roughing the passer penalty in the first quarter, but upon further review, he probably should be cut some slack on that play. Patriots left tackle Isaiah Wynn, who Lawson beat on the play, pushed Lawson in the back as he was approaching Mac Jones to take him down, further propelling Lawson into Jones a little harder. Something that should not have been ignored.
Lawson didn’t have a bad game. One play of note was when he stopped Harris for a loss of five on third down to force New England to kick a field goal. Lawson led the Jets with three TFLs (tackle for losses) . . .
Something to keep in mind about Jets-Broncos game. While Denver is a huge favorite, it can’t be ignored that they are without four key starters they began the season with – OLB Bradley Chubb (ankle), CB Ronald Darby, LB Josey Jewell and WR Jerry Jeudy. They were all put on IR.
Another cornerback, Michael Ojemudia, is also on IR with a leg injury. He was a third-round pick of the team in 2020.
Teams can say “next man up” all they want, but those four guys are all good players. Not going to make as big a deal about Ojemudia who had a rough rookie season, but being down all these other players is something to consider when evaluating this game . . .
While Zach Wilson is coming off a rough game last week in the Jets’ loss to New England, you could also see his enormous potential in this four-pick game, with two amazing throws late in the game.
The first was on third-and-10, with 10:34 left, with Patriots defensive end Matt Judon about to hit him, he threw a deep out to wide receiver Braxton Berrios for a 27-yard gain. It was a perfectly placed throw, dropped into a very small window on the left sideline.
“That was a hell of a throw by Wilson,” said Patriots radio analyst Scott Zolak after the play.
Then, with 1:06 left in the game, on fourth-and-15, he hit wide receiver Jeff Smith for a 35-yard gain, on the left sideline, also into a small window.
To Zolak, this throw to Smith, was a case-in-point as to why this quarterback went so high in the draft.
“I don’t know how a kid that little, small hands, makes that type of throw,” said Zolak on 98.7 The Sports Hub right after this throw. “He is off his back foot, going backwards. This is why they liked him at two, why the had to take him. It’s a throw like that where you saw there is something there with this kid.”
September 23 2021
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