The D-Line Gamble

Edition #727

Good morning ☕

Here’s what I love about sport stateside. There’s always something else.

In the midst of the early-season struggles of our New York Jets, my spirits were buoyed by those New York Mets and they’re improbably run to the NLCS.

That ended in disappointment, but that was a team you could be proud of.

Now I have those Championship hopeful New York Rangers and New York Knicks.

Who knows how their seasons will play-out but I doubt either will falter so dramatically as the 2024 New York Jets.

Not to mention that I have Norwich City’s promotion chase to look forward to.

For all those who are Jets fans and Jets fans alone with no rooting interest in any other sport. I feel for you.

Let’s get going with another edition of TJW 🗞️

Who’s ready to start the morning with some cold-hard truths delivered by the media?

ESPN - 24th but Sherwood is a young riser “The Jets don't have many options as an older team, but Sherwood has played well enough to supplant C.J. Mosley at a linebacker spot. Publicly, Sherwood hasn't been anointed, but he has started the past five games even though Mosley is now healthy. Sherwood is a former college safety who brings speed and skill to the position, which helps in pass coverage. The 24-year-old also leads the team with 58 tackles. He's in the final year of his contract and could be in line for a nice pay day if he keeps it up.”

CBS - 21st “At 2-5, their chances of winning the division are done. But the schedule gets softer so they can go on a run, but the injuries are mounting.”

Yahoo Sports - 20th “Aaron Rodgers says the Jets need to “stop listening to” the media. Because that’s the reason they couldn’t stop Russell Wilson or a pass was bouncing off Garrett Wilson’s chest and being intercepted or they can’t make a field goal or they continue to pile up penalties. Just stop listening to the media, and all will be fixed.”

The Athletic - 25th “Maybe Davante Adams’ addition will help in the long run, but it wasn’t a miracle cure. Aaron Rodgers targeted his old friend nine times Sunday but completed only three of those passes for 30 yards. The Jets have now lost four straight and are two games behind the pace they were on last year through Week 7 under quarterback Zach Wilson. The Jets are 24th in scoring (18.29 ppg) and 25th in drive success rate (30.26 percent). Rodgers is completing 61.7 percent of his passes and is 25th in EPA per dropback (minus-.03).”

• Breece Hall passed Freeman McNeil's Jets record for most plays from scrimmage of over 50 yards by a RB with his 57 yard catch-and-run play on Sunday. McNeil’s 6 plays of 50+ yards came over eight seasons, Hall has done it in 31 games.

• With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans both going down last night and Tampa Bay still in it at 4-3, I can see a world where Mike Williams gets traded there. Now I’m off to check if they have any good run stuffing DTs they may be willing to part with.

• Ben Solak of ESPN believes Mosley may struggle to get his starting place back - “Mosley is 32 years old, was never the most fleet of foot and should be limited to a subpackage role wherever he'd go. But for those teams whose linebackers are currently struggling to step downhill and plug up the run (49ers, Seahawks, Cowboys), Mosley could carve out a valuable role. And while the Jets are probably still all-in (for some reason), Mosley's reduced responsibility means they shouldn't feel too badly about sending an asset away for future draft capital. It'd be a new thing for New York!”

• The 33rd Team are already into mock 2025 simulations. Here’s who they had the Jets taking: “Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State: There haven't been many better players across the nation than Abdul Carter in the last three games.

  An elite athlete at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, Carter has three sacks and 16 total QB pressures in that span. He's comfortably the second-best edge rusher in the class as of today.”

• Aaron Rodgers was on Pat McAfee and he had this to say about the game on Sunday - "I'm disappointed in that interception before half because that really changed the momentum of the game.. That was a bad decision & I should've just dumped it off.”

• On turning the season around - "The power of belief is a snowball that can start an avalanche.. That's what we need and it starts with me" He certainly talks a good game, but I just have a funny feeling it’s going to take a little more than pure belief.

Right now the Jets defensive line is struggling. Teams seem to be able to run on them at will and the team are struggling to generate any pressure outside of Will McDonald.

Will McDonald has 8 sacks, and then you have everyone else.