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Some thoughts from the New York Jets first 2018 preseason game, a 17-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
On the Jets’ second series, they went for it on fourth-and-two and Teddy Bridgewater hit WR Jermain Kearse who made a diving catch for first down – terrific catch.
Kearse is having a great summer. I haven’t seen him drop a pass. He seems poised for a very big year . . .
Linebacker Neville Hewitt was very active for the Jets’ tonight, leading them in three categories – tackles (8), defensed passes (2) and interceptions (1). He should be in consideration for one of the starting inside linebackerjobs . . .
Kind of strange decision to have Dakota Dozier playing left tackle for part of the third and fourth quarters. He hasn’t played left tackle since his days at Furman University. To have an NFL guard as Sam Darnold’s blindside protector on a few series seemed kind of risky. On the last series he appeared a left tackle, he pushed a block to the inside toward Darnold instead of pushing the defender to the outside so Darnold could step up on the pocket. The defender got in Darnold’s face.
Antonio Garcia came in for Dozier at left tackle late and had some penalty issues . . .
Darnold had some kind of left hand injury from getting stepped on. He wore a glove on the injured hand in the second half. Looking at the hand in the locker room – it didn’t have any visible scratches or bruises, but I can’t tell you how it feels internally. A witness said it was either his pinky or ring finger that was banged up.
He was holding a Gatorade bottle with that hand after the game, so it doesn’t seem that bad . . .
Sam Darnold had one very good series – a 10-play, 64-yard drive, aided by a 15-yard penalty on safety Demantae Kazee for a helmet-to-helmet hit. He did a nice job moving the Jets down the field against the backup defense . . .
On fourth-and-two, CB Derrick Jones had excellent coverage on a fade early fourth in the end zone ending an Atlanta drive – he’s really good on fades at 6-2 with a 41-inch vertical . . .
In the fourth quarter, Dylan Donahue flashed against a rookie free agent right tackle out of Wesley College in Delaware. That’s fine, but that guy probably isn’t going to be in the league this year, so Donahue must start doing this stuff against first or second string tackles . . .
Rookie Trenton Cannon looked solid as a running back, but why he was used on punt returns is baffling. He had a couple of muffs.
He wasn’t a punt returner in college.
He’s not good at catching punts in practice. He’s a good kick returner, not punt returner. There is a difference.
He is not going to be the Jets punt returner. In fact, he’s not even going to be the Jets’ backup punt returner this year.
Having him back there tonight made no sense.
Why would you have a guy back there who has zero chance at the job. Why not let Lucky Whitehead get the reps?
August 10, 2018
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