Let's Talk Chris Streveler

Edition #206

Good morning!

Later this week the Jets will take on the Giants in their last pre-season game, first they’ll hold some joint practices.

Saleh has already confirmed that the starters will play in the game against the Giants and only time will tell if that’s a smart decision or not.

Today we’re going to continue to look at some key statistics from Monday’s win against the Atlanta Falcons, and then we’re going to talk a little about a backup QB, because who doesn’t love talking about backup QBs?

• We all knew it was a tough game for Bryce, but the numbers paint an awful picture. According to PFF, Bryce Hall was targeted 4 times and he allowed 4 completions for 90 yards and a touchdown, that's based on just 17 coverage snaps. That's 22.5 yards per reception and a 158.3 passer rating allowed. Really tough night for Bryce.

• Jamien Sherwood was credited with the best coverage grade for the Jets at 77.1, he did allow 2 receptions on 2 targets, but he had the big pass break-up that prevented a big gain. I’m happy to see a linebacker play some coverage, but it probably doesn’t speak volumes about your secondary. The second highest was Will Parks at 73, followed by Wildgoose at 70.7.

• Bradlee Anae led the Jets with two pressures, but it was a quiet night for the pass-rush overall. Eight other players were credited with one pressure including Jermaine Johnson, Micheal Clemons, and Jabari Zuniga but only Jonathan Marshall got to the QB alongside Anae.

• The Jets offensive line only allowed 5 pressures over the entire game with one each being attributed to Grant Hermanns, Chuma Edoga, Max Mitchell, Nate Herbig, and Ross Pierschbacher. Ty Johnson did allow 2 pressures from the RB position and his pass protection continues to be an issue, that’s something we’ve seen over the years. Dan Feeney didn’t allow a single pressure over 20 pass-blocking snaps.

• Chuma Edoga and Grant Hermanns had a fine night in terms of run-blocking. Edoga led the way with a grade of 88.9, closely followed by Hermanns at 88.1. Right guard Chris Glaser posted a 79.1 grade to round off a good night for the line in difficult conditions. Although it seemed to me that backs were getting hit at or behind the line constantly.

• Lawrence Cager continues to impress and I’m getting to a point where I feel the Jets have to create a spot for him. He ran 9 routes last night, was targeted three times, and caught 3 passes, including the 34-yard touchdown one.

• I’ve been a bit critical of Braden Mann over the last year, but he put in a good performance. He had 5 punts which averaged 48.6 yards a punt with a long of 61, and he also downed two inside the twenty. I was surprised we didn’t bring in competition for Mann this off-season but he’s been quietly putting together a nice camp.

The Jets (along with every other NFL team) were forced to cut their roster from 85 players to 80 players yesterday. Here are the unlucky players who were asked to hand their playbooks back.

Eddy Pineiro - Kicker

The kicking competition is a competition no more. The Jets have decided to keep Greg Zuerlein who has been the more consistent kicker throughout camp. We had Greg ahead the whole way and cutting the 2nd kicker is one of the easier moves on cutdown days.

Pineiro did a fine job for the Jets last season hitting all 8 field goals he attempted while missing one extra point (10 attempts). Back in 2019, he hit 23/28 field goals for the Bears and 27/29 extra points.

Elijah Riley - Safety

Riley only signed with the Jets in November 2021, with Joe Douglas plucking him off the Eagles practice squad. However, he did play significant reps down the stretch (386) earning the trust of the coaching staff with his ability against the run.

Riley went undrafted out of Army in 2020.

Isaiah Williams - Offensive Guard

Like Riley, Williams joined the Jets in 2021. An undrafted guard out of Akron, Williams has bounced around the league with the Jets being the 11th team he’s appeared for (AFL & XFL included). He appeared in just 7 snaps for the Jets last season and was an expected cut.

Caleb Benenoch - Offensive Guard

Caleb signed on with the Jets this off-season and will leave the franchise having never appeared for the team in a regular season. Caleb was a 5th round pick for Tampa Bay out of UCLA and has bounced around the team signing with 7 teams since 2019.

Kai Nacua - Safety/Linebacker

Nacua was signed by the Jets off the 49’ers practice squad last season and recently converted to a linebacker from his more natural position of safety. The move unfortunately wasn’t enough to save his roster spot. Having played sparingly for the Jets last season (11 defensive snaps), it was always likely that Kai would be looking for another team.

There are two things I want to see in the pre-season, the first is no injuries, and the second is a player coming from nowhere to become a fan favorite. Think Brett Ratliff or Chansi Stuckey…the 2022 version is quarterback Chris Streveler.

So far through two preseason games, Streveler has 181 passing yards, 64 rushing yards, and three touchdowns as opposed to the one interception. Beyond the stats, he’s managed to move the Jets' offense, something Mike White has struggled to do.

It’s important to not overreact to pre-season performances, but can Streveler make the Jets roster?

The main question remains the same. Will the Jets carry two or three quarterbacks this season? With Zach potentially being inactive for the first week or so, chances are the Jets will break camp with three. The question then becomes, who should the Jets keep? Mike White or Chris Streveler?

Streveler originally committed to Minnesota but after being converted to a wide receiver and struggling to break through he decided to transfer to South Dakota State. In 2016 he threw for 1,947 yards and 22 touchdowns against 9 interceptions while also rushing 161 times for a team-high 823 yards and 9 touchdowns.

In 2017 he was voted as a team captain and led the nation’s second-ranked offense which set an MVFC (Missouri Valley Football Conference) record by averaging 523.6 yards per game. Streveler accounted for 43 touchdowns – 32 passing and 11 rushing, he also set an MVFC record with 4,134 passing yards. Despite all of this he went undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Many viewed him as a gadget player who didn’t have a home, with his throwing motion being criticized during the pre-draft process. Despite not being drafted, Streveler did receive minicamp invites to attend NFL Camps straight out of college, but turned them down in favor of a contract offer from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.

Having spent two years with Winnipeg, Streveler completed 64.7% of his passes for 2,698 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, but it was his ability on the ground that grabbed attention, he rushed 204 times for 1,167 yards and 22 touchdowns. Athletically his game matched his pre-draft testing numbers.

The West Semi-Final victory over the Calgary Stampeders saw Streveler set a CFL playoff record when he took 23 snaps at quarterback without attempting a single pass. In the 107th Grey Cup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Streveler threw a touchdown, rushed for 30 yards, and caught a pass as the Blue Bombers won their first cup in 29 years.

Following the 2019 season, Streveler worked out for Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Miami Dolphins before deciding to sign with Arizona. He played sparingly behind Kyler Murray before being waived in November 2021. He then spent time with Baltimore and Miami before landing with the Jets in July 2022…and here we are today.

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing QB you’re probably not going to love Streveler, he does have a quick hitch throwing motion and his release point is high enough, but he just doesn’t look that comfortable with minimal footwork. He has an NFL arm but I wouldn’t say he has a rocket by any means. As a dual-threat QB, he looks similar to Taysom Hill, and as a spot starter, he could bring some real excitement to the game.

Mike White did a fine job for the Jets last year when asked to take over, but he’s a very limited passer. Streveler has certain limitations as well, it’s why he was in camp as a 4th string QB, but his ability on the ground does add a little wrinkle to any potential game plan. I’m still undecided on who I’d personally carry if we could only carry one of them, but I’m enjoying the ride as long as it lasts.

Chances are if the Jets choose to, they can keep Mike White around and stash Streveler on the practice squad, and while I highly doubt he’ll ever be a starting QB in the NFL, I think he’s earned the right to keep his job with the franchise, even if that is on the practice squad.

• Bengals free safety Jessie Bates finally arrived at camp and signed his franchise tag. Bates has been staying away so far in protest of him not receiving a contract offer that he deemed acceptable. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the off-season.

• The Washington Commanders placed star defensive end Chase Young, on the reserve/physically unable to perform list Tuesday, ruling him out for the first four games of the season. Young is working his way back from tearing his right ACL and MCL in 2021.

• The Detroit Lions also moved rookie receiver Jamison Williams to the reserve list ruling him out of the first four games of the season. Williams is still recovering from an ACL tear and any player who is placed on the reserve list does not count towards the roster.

• The Miami Dolphins placed cornerback Mackensie Alexander on IR Tuesday, ending his season one week after he signed with the team.

• Chargers cornerback and former Patriot JC Jackson underwent ankle surgery yesterday. Jackson is estimated to return to play in around 2-4 weeks.