Regression
Edition #953: It was always going to be a difficult season, but it's been made more difficult by the clear regression of some players.
Good morning ☕
The Jets have a lot of problems right now, you don’t sit winless heading into week 8 unless there’s been a collective failure.
We’ve been pointing a lot of fingers over the first few weeks and there is plenty of blame to go around. From personnel decisions in the off-season, to coaching and player performance, everywhere you look there is blame to be had.
I was always told that progress isn’t linear and we’re certainly seeing that with the Jets this season, most of the players have taken a step back and we’re going to look at one in particular.
NEWS & NOTES
The Jets have signed Fatorma Mulbah (DT, West Virginia) to their practice squad. Mulbah was with the Jets this pre-season and with Jay Tufele suffering an injury on Sunday, the Jets need a little depth on the inside.
We heard from Woody Johnson yesterday and it’s very clear that the Jets owner is still 100% supportive of Aaron Glenn, despite the 0-7 start - “I do believe in Aaron,” Johnson said. “I’ve known Aaron since 1996 [when] I was a fan. I’ve always been a fan of him. I see the way he handles the room. If I were a player, I’d respond to him because he’s the real deal. No B.S. No second agendas. What you’re hearing is the truth, and a lot of times players don’t get the truth. They get a lot of gobbledygook.”
Woody did also have this zinger “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.”…which probably helps absolutely nobody, but at least he’s being honest. “The offense is just not clicking, and you can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball,” Johnson said. “That’s football 101.”
CBS Sports put out a mock draft yesterday and unsurprisingly they have the Jets taking a QB in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. “Mendoza hasn’t been perfect, but he protects the football and has an NFL-ready skill set. He’s logged only three turnover-worthy plays this season, per PFF, while maintaining a 9.2-yard average depth of target. That ability to push the ball downfield without recklessness is exactly what teams covet. Most notably, he’s taken just six sacks all year and owns a low 10% pressure-to-sack conversion rate -- something Jets fans will appreciate.”
In terms of other QB’s here is how the first round fell for CBS
Las Vegas take Dante Moore at #5
LA Rams take Ty Simpson at #15
What happened to John Simpson?
When John Simpson signed a deal with the Jets back in March 2024, I wasn’t overly enthused.
Here was a guy coming off a season where he allowed 31 pressures and was ranked as the 47th best guard in football (minimum of 500 snaps), the 45th ranked run run blocking guard and the 38th ranked pass-blocking guard. According to the stats we were getting a slightly better run blocker and a slightly worse pass protector than free agent disaster Laken Tomlinson.
Then the 2024 season happened. Simpson hit a career high in basically every single category. He was awarded a 77.3 PFF grade, at no point in the previous four years had he exceeded 60.0. He was given a 79.2 run block grade and a 72.3 pass block grade, both career highs and he allowed just 20 pressures on nearly 700 pass-block snaps.
This off-season he was highlighted as one of the main positives for the Jets heading into the new season and his signing was a notch for Joe Douglas. But thankfully, Darren Mougey didn’t act to overpay someone based on one season of positive performance, and at the end of the day that’s what it was.
Simpson this season has reverted to his career norms. He’s allowed 16 pressures on just 282 pass-blocking snaps, which is a monumental fall from last season. His run-block grade of 54.8 has dropped right back to where he’s been the majority of his career and he’s already tied a career high with 3 sacks allowed with 10 games to go.
Unfortunately for Simpson he’s on course to have the worst season of his pro career and it’s coming in a contract year.
Above is a rep from Sunday that has done the rounds on social media. This is (I believe) a perfect example of what Aaron Glenn and Tanner Engstrand mean about the little mistakes and missing on the details.
This is a really good play design and a really good concept. Watch Simpson get to the next level and be slow to diagnose that the man he needed to block was the man coming down from the second level. If Simpson gets something on that player there’s nothing between Breece and the end-zone expect lush (shitty) turf.
I picked out the one above as well. This is a good play from the defender, but Simpson is easily swatted away and this happened consistently on Sunday. I’m not going to say there is an effort issue, but there is certainly an execution issue.
But then again, this is Simpson’s 6th year in the league and he’s only had one where he was above average.
In the end, Darren Mougey’s inaction when it comes to Simpson could be a good decision, but if the Jets do move on from Simpson as I’d expect them to at this point, it does leave two gaping holes at offensive guard because if the world makes any logical sense, Joe Tippmann is moved back to his more natural position of centre next season.
There are a few guards available on the free agent market which is good news for the Jets.
There are many times when teams lose and/or players don’t perform causing loses that fans get carried away.
Their language on social media or at the stadium is totally unacceptable. But unfortunately is accepted with silence.
Players are human. I’m sure they want to excel and win. For many it is living a childhood dream. Excelling means raises and probably national recognition.
If a team throws millions at a certain player, why shouldn’t he take it.
Subsequently then that player must perform the task that he is paid for or face the music.
Presently Justin Fields is enemy #1 in Jet land and the object of many negative stories from many NFL sources.
One wouldn’t be wrong in saying that the negatives in Fields pre draft evaluation are still major issues. It’s possible that these negatives can never be fixed
Fields, a free agent was offered a two year $40 million contract with $30 million of it guaranteed by present Jet franchise savior Aaron Glenn.
Why shouldn’t Fields accept the offer. He would be a fool if he didn’t.
As soon as Glenn was hired. Fields was his only quarterback choice. If Glenn had mentioned any other quarterback it was behind closed doors.
It’s seven games into Glenn’s tenure as HC, also 7 games into Fields Jet career as the starting quarterback.
To say it’s been an offensive disaster so far would be charitable. It appears totally unfixable.
Undoubtedly when you put together three first timers namely the HC, OC and offensive line coach with a flawed quarterback things can backfire.
Mistake number one happened when Glenn announced that Fields was the starter in March, no ands, ifs or buts about it. No competition.
Subsequent miscalculations include a one man wide receiver room, bewildering in game decisions by the HC, offensive game plans never before seen in the NFL plus never before seen arrogance from Glenn.
As soon as three certain words started circulating in all forms of media, Glenn pushed back.
He bristled, these were not the “ SAME OLD JETS”.
Surprisingly, he was 100% correct in his defense.
Much to Glenn’s chagrin, They became the “ SAME OLD JETS” yesterday when some reporter put a microphone in front of the worst owner in all of the 4 major North American sports, Woody Johnson.
Woody being Woody didn’t disappoint. You just knew one of his asinine interfering thoughts would instantly become public knowledge. You just knew the Jester of Florham Park would deliver
While heaping praise on Glenn, defending him to the hilt, and preaching patience, he cut Glenn’s legs from under him.
The most football knowledgeable owner since George Halas delivered “ it would be better if we could complete some passes”
As David points out it’s the truth but let’s look at the aftermath.
Fields career is finished here, why would he want to play for an owner that blames him for the 0-7 mess
Can Glenn really start Fields this week based on Woody’s ignorance.
How will the locker room respond after having the owner go after one of them.
Will free agents think twice about coming here, knowing the owner could embarrass them. Money might be ultimate motivation but Woody’s reputation sure doesn’t help in negotiations.
Yes, Jet fans near and far, it never ends.
It truly is the “ SAME OLD JETS”
The Colts definitely tanked for Luck.
Maybe JD and Gase should have tank for Lawrence, even though he hasn’t been a generational quarterback, he is definitely better than anything the Jets have had taking snaps since he left college.
If Manning was their object of their desire, it’s not happening, he is also regressing at your favorite college. He’s not leaving.
I was originally thinking about the bye week, maybe we have one day where we can have our wives and/ or better halves trade recipes with each other. Form like a Torch and Pitchfork Brigade Women’s Auxiliary.
I’m sure your lovely wife, Katie has some fantastic English or Scottish recipes she could share. My wife is a fantastic baker.
I just love scones but let’s leave Haggis out of the conversation.
But if we are going to talk about tanking for a quarterback, then we could talk one day if this current Jet coaching staff is up to the task of developing a quarterback. Or do they fall into the conversation that the Jets can’t develop a quarterback.
Is this current staff up to the task.
Is the owner of our beloved Norwich City Canaries also an interfering jerk.