The perfect bye weekend
Edition #504
Good morning
I can’t actively root for the Patriots, so instead of watching football yesterday I tuned out and checked the scores this morning. As far as the Jets and the AFC East is concerned, we needed the Patriots to beat the Bills and the Eagles to beat Miami. I can’t say I was holding out much hope for New England.
Patriots 29-25 Bills
Eagles 31-17 Dolphins.
The AFC East is bunching together. The Patriots are still awful, but Bill knows how to win some divisional games, especially at home. Miami got completely outclassed by the Eagles and the Jets have the longest winning streak in the division.
We still have work to do but next week we face the Giants who scraped by the woeful Commanders 14-7.
We haven’t opened as favourites many times this season, well according to the oddsmakers, the Jets are 3-point favourites heading into their crosstown game with the Giants.
Mecole Hardman only had one catch for 6 yards in the Chief’s win yesterday, but Travis Kelce questioned how he got out of NY in the post-game: “You can feel the energy from that guy being in the room uhm I don’t know how he got out of New York but I’m so glad that he’s with us and obviously uhm he came up absolutely huge for us there in the fourth quarter. Not only just the punt return but a huge first down catch. I’m just proud of him, happy for the guy that he’s back with us and I’m glad we got him for the rest of the year.”
Hadman was all class when talking about the move, explaining that he liked what the Jets were doing which is why he signed and ended with: "I got a lot of respect for those coaches and the coaching staff. I don't think I did anything wrong, but things just didn't work out. They were supposed to work out, but now I'm here [back in Kansas City],"
Chris Long was talking about the Jets on ‘Inside the NFL’ and he had positive words: “You would have thought 3-3, coming out of this stretch with Aaron Rodgers, would be like, ‘All right. This season’s not over… It’s a gauntlet,'” said Long. “You’re 3-3. Zach Wilson is your quarterback, and on the backs of this defence, you can go a long way.”
Chad Johnson was also on the show and had some real praise for Zach: “He’s building more and more confidence as the season goes on. We don’t need him to be perfect. We don’t need you to be Patrick Mahomes. We don’t need you to be Superman,” said Johnson. But what you are giving us is you’re giving us an opportunity to win because the defence is playing well. Just do us a favour. Don’t turn the ball over. Facilitate. Don’t mess it up, and we will be fine. And that’s exactly what he’s done.”
The Giants were without star left tackle Andrew Thomas again yesterday, but he is expected to be back for the Jets game next week. He’s been out since week one, and hopefully, the Jets really test out that dodgy hamstring, with our defensive line he’s certainly going to get tested on his return.
NFL Insider Dianna Russini had an article on what she’s hearing ahead of the trade deadline, and she confirmed the Jets are ready to move on from both Carl Lawson and Dalvin Cook - “The New York Jets have made it known that pass rusher Carl Lawson is available. It’s been a slow start for him in New York, and his contract makes him an attractive trade option. Running back Dalvin Cook is also available, as his usage on this team has been decreasing.”
Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat was fined $16,391 for a low hit against quarterback Zach Wilson during last Sunday's 20-14 loss to the New York Jets…obviously, it was on a play that didn’t get flagged by the officials.
Lazard also got fined $16,391 for his blindside block, that one did get flagged, obviously.
Former NFL GM Randy Mueller thinks the Jets should call Corey Davis to fill that WR void on the roster: “That would be my first call. Has he asked for his retirement papers? If he has it probably eliminates him as an option [for the Jets], but if he hasn’t if I’m another team I might go through the Jets to find a way to get him to come play for me. If he’s interested in playing at all, we’ll find out in the next couple of weeks because someone will make a move for him.” It’s worth a phone conversation, he could certainly help.
One thing I’ll say for Joe Douglas, if he’s made a mistake he moves on pretty quickly. Elijah Moore and Mecole Hardman are good examples, the fact he’s shopping Dalvin Cook and Carl Lawson are two more. Not every move you make as a GM is going to work, you can have all the analytics in the world and all the experience, but when humans are involved there is a level of unpredictability.
You guys will know that I was against bringing Aaron Rodgers in when the rumour first surfaced. I thought it was risky to attach your mast to someone coming off a down year and about to turn 40, but Rodgers galvanised this franchise as no other available QB could. Sure that risk bit us in the derriere with that ‘season-ending’ injury in week one, but Rodgers seems more determined than ever and I certainly wouldn’t bet against him making a surprise return this year.
The other two options we discussed in relation to the Jets QB position have been flops with their new teams, and while there is never a guarantee that the outcome would have been similar in New York, just look at what’s happening in Vegas and New Orleans.
The Raiders just went 3-4 with an embarrassing loss to the 1-5 (now 2-5) Chicago Bears, quarterbacked by Tyson Bagent, a UDFA Division II rookie whose last victory came against Indiana-University of Pennsylvania. The Raiders were quarterbacked by Bryan Hoyer because surprise surprise Jimmy G is injured again.
Jimmy missed Las Vegas’s 24-17 defeat to the Chargers in week four, left their victory against the Patriots at HT in week six and missed this week's game. Even when he has played, the results have been pretty ugly. His 5.4% interception percentage is the highest of his career by a considerable margin and his touchdown rate of 4.8% is under his career average, meaning it’s a recipe for disaster.
Derek Carr who was my preferred option is also struggling, and there are calls for him to be benched just 7 weeks into his New Orleans reign, they’re also sitting at 3-4 on the season. He’s certainly been the better QB than Jimmy G, but I think Gayle Benson and Mickey Loomis expected more when they splashed out a four-year, $150 million contract to Carr.
His touchdown percentage of 2.4% is shocking and while his 1.6% interception rate is good, he’s now winning New Orleans as many games as they hoped he would, at least not right now anyway. Carr actually has a very good record in terms of fourth-quarter comebacks (28 over his career) and game-winning drives (33 over his career) but we’ve seen none of that in New Orleans. Something just isn’t clicking there right now, although it’s still early days.
Sometimes the moves you don’t make are as valuable as the ones you do make. Only time will tell if the Jets made the right decision, but 7 weeks into the season, despite their chosen QB having played 4 snaps…It certainly appears they have.
Welcome back David, hope you and your family are feeling well.
Not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but this upcoming game with the Gmen historically is the type of game the Jets normally lose.
I think that when Douglas and Saleh were both hired, they knew that to be successful, that had to exorcise a few demons that have followed the Jets over the years.
How many times have we seen the Jets play well a whole game, lead most of the game and blow it on the opposing teams last drive as the clock was winding down. Hopefully the Denver and the Eagles endings has changed that mind set. I think that fans think right now, it’s our time, we will stop them.
This current defense, especially in the second half, plays as if they can will a win by their heart and determination while historically the Jets have performed like lambs during crunch time, mutton anyone, especially with mint jelly.
If the Jets can get off of the snide of losing when they should have won, there is no reason to believe that they can’t beat the Chargers at home and the Raiders on the road.
The Chargers with all their talent just can’t seem to put it all together.
Hopefully it stays that way when they visit.
Here’s a little nugget from todays Peter King Monday morning column
Here’s what I bet was most bothersome for Brandon Staley watching the tape of the game on the plane home from Kansas City last night: Next Gen Stats showed that of the five sacks on Herbert in KC, four came without a blitz. And though Herbert was in the middle of a maelstrom of rushers throughout the second half, he was not blitzed a single time by Kansas City in the final two quarters—and the Chargers scored zero points in five second-half possessions. Yikes.
THAT SORTS OF PLAY INTO HOW THE JETS PLAY DEFENSE
AS FAR AS OAKLAND GOES, I DON’T REALLY THINK JOSH MCDANIELS IS A GOOD HC. Without BRADY, he is like a knight without his armor.
I wonder how Garoppolo will feel that day knowing Huff, JJ, JFM and company will be bearing down on him for four quarters. Is it possible his back injury starts up again.
the Dolphins right now are in 1st. But they're beatable - how did Buffalo beat them? How did Philadelphia beat them? Looks like I'm downloading both those games and watching them this week.
Patriots. I'm sick of them, even though they did what we needed, hang another L on Buffalo. But man, this dink'n'dunk that Mac Jones does - reminds me so much of what McCarthy & Dak did to our D in week 2. If the DC doesn't adjust, sending only 4 rushers and keeping back Seven in soft mode, that (the dink'n'dink 3-5 yards downfield in front of pass defenders) is the Achilles Heel of our Defense.
Simple Math; our front four, yes, do apply some pressure up to the 2.5 - 3 second time stamp of the pass rush, but will be beat by a quick release like Dak did, like Mac Jones did yesterday. Answer: Send 5 (Quincy, you're up to bat!), press cover for the first 2 seconds, knocking all those timing routes off, forcing Mac to go beyond the 3 second mark making his reads; and watching him go Deer-in-Headlights when the Huff-JJ-Quincy-Quinnen crash down upon his punk ass.
And an FYI, I hold Mac Jones in contempt ever since when as a rookie - a fuckin' Rookie!!! - he was jollying it up on the sideline in a game where the Patriots were beating the Jets. No Fuckin' Respect, and he plain and simple HADN'T YET EARNED ENOUGH STRIPES TO BE MOCKING VET PLAYERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE! Everytime we play the Pats, I want to see the Jets plant his punk ass into the ground, get him to give his whiney, crybaby terror-face in post game conferences like he has in bad losses since his rookie year. Pro Bowl my Ass! He's a BUM.
(... go ahead, CGV, don't hold back; tell us how you really feel ...)
Giants up next. Yep, makins of a trap game. I don't see that happening; these guys are keeping each other in check. Big Psychological advantage, of course - the QB Whisperer. Hopefully he'll be on the sideline again for this one. Another advantage - voices of humility rising from the next men up: Bryce Hall, riding a resurgence, stating how honored he is to celebrate with this team. That carries weight, guys - everyone expects a CJ Mosely, a Breece Hall to ante up like that, but when you hear it from a guy coming off the bench, playing like he hasn't bee riding the pine for a year, and give credit to the team? oooh, man - chills of inspiration up the arm on that one.
Sidenotes:
> The Chargers did not look like much; their defense seems slow. And what's with Keenan Allen trying his best impression of Garrett Wilson after the catch? That man is more a cross between Lazard & Conklin.
> The Bills defense did not look ANYTHING like what we saw in week one. Injuries: No TreDavious White (#1CB), no Matt Milano (he's the guy who helmet speared Mike White in the ribs last year and no call fm the refs); no DaQuan Jones, no Ed Oliver at least vs NE - Oliver should be back, but those first two injuries = a softer Bills Defense that can be run and passed on.
K, time to get ready to play the little gints and their big mouth leader, shithahd ward.
Can't Wait.
CGVet58