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This is more even . . .
Last week, Sam Darnold was at a disadvantage in the head-to-head QB match-up last Sunday against veteran Kirk Cousins.
I know quarterbacks don’t theoretically face-off against each other, but since the NFL is a QB-driven league, they really do. If your QB’s production is far behind the other QB’s production on Sunday, that can impact the outcome of the game. Cousins was a lot more productive than Darnold last Sunday.
Trubisky is on the same level as Darnold. Perhaps he’s a tad ahead of Darnold since he started seven games as a rookie, but that was in a totally different offense, so he had to learn a new playbook this year.
Darnold and Trubisky are two young signal-callers who love their first read.
I consider this an even match-up. Last week wasn’t . . .
Some assumed with the season-ending arm injury to Doug Middleton, the Jets would just bring back J.J. Wilcox, who they signed on June 6, and he was with them in training camp and the first four weeks, before being released to make room for Rashard Robinson.
He knows their system, so he could come in ready to roll.
But it didn’t happen. They signed Ibraheim Campbell instead. Campbell was a fourth-round pick of Cleveland in 2015, who was released by the Browns with an injury settlement in the middle of this second year. He spent 2017 on the Houston Texans’ practice squad and regular roster. He was released by the Texans on the final cut-down this summer, but the Cowboys “recruited over him” as they say in college, and grabbed Darian Thompson off the Arizona practice squad in early October. Thompson is a former third-round pick of the New York Giants. Thompson is a better coverage safety than Campbell. He had a Boise State record 19-picks in college.
Wilcox got a $1 million dollars for a month of games with the Jets, and probably wasn’t thrilled with the organization for whacking him after a month. Remember, he was about to sign with the 49ers, was in their office, but the Jets wooed him on the phone, and got him to sign with them. And after all that, he only lasted a month. He probably figures, I got my $1 million, you guys can pound sand. I will wait for another opportunity to sign elsewhere.
I think Campbell is a little more instinctive than Wilcox. Wilcox is a tough as boot leather, but he’s often a tick late reacting in coverage. Jets have enough guys like that. And while Thompson is probably better than Campbell in coverage, Campbell, a Northwestern-product, is probably better than Wilcox in coverage . . .
Jets are in a tough spot at running back. Bilal Powell was put on injured reserve today with a neck injury, and Eli McGuire (foot) isn’t eligible to come off injured reserve until next week. So they only have two running backs on their active roster now, and considering how injury-laden the running back spot can be, going to Chicago with just two backs could be awfully risky.
They have a running back on their practice squad – De’Angelo Henderson, but they would have to cut somebody to make room for him, and it might just be for one week, with McGuire coming back next week.
This will be a tough call . . .
October 24, 2018
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