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Florham Park – A few different things to get into today . . .
Kelvin Beachum’s return last game helped the Jets’ offensive line, by bringing more stability to Sam Darnold’s blindside. However, while he’s back, he’s clearly not 100 percent.
On Le’Veon Bell’s TD run in the early fourth quarter, Beachum came up limping on the ankle.
Today I saw him watching an offensive line drill on one knee.
He’s sucking it up to play, but that ankle clearly isn’t healed . . .
One thing that helps the Jets chances on Sunday at Washington is rookie Dwayne Haskins starting at QB for the Redskins. He was a one-year college starter who isn’t ready to start in the NFL. Former coach Jay Gruden refused to start him before he got fired (and didn’t want the team to pick him). Interim coach Bill Callahan clearly didn’t want to start him either, going with Case Keenum until he got concussed. It’s unclear if Keenum is ready to return from that concussion now, but it doesn’t matter, because the team announced that Haskins will start the rest of the season.
I think Callahan’s hand was forced by owner Daniel Snyder, who was the force behind the team’s decision to pick Haskins.
It’s hard to win when your owner is picking quarterbacks in the draft.
I hear that that Terry Pegula pushed for the Buffalo Bills to pick Josh Allen, who is struggling.
Bad M.O. for owners to do this.
Snyder and Pegula are good businessmen, billionaires, but that doesn’t make them qualified to pick quarterbacks.
And I will say one thing in defense of Christopher Johnson who is getting destroyed today by many fans for saying he’s not going to fire Adam Gase. Unlike his brother Woody Johnson, Christopher doesn’t like to meddle in player personnel decisions. Woody was involved with drafting Mark Sanchez, trading for Tim Tebow and Brett Favre, and re-signing Darrelle Revis the second time when he was past his prime.
Christopher really tries to stay out of it, and that isn’t just window-dressing. Yesterday, Christopher was asked if Jamal Adams will be back in 2020 (or be traded).
“That is up to Jamal and that is up to Joe,” Christopher Johnson said. “When I hired Joe, I told him he had control of the 53 and I told him I would have a very light touch when it comes to influencing and I intend on following through on that.”
This is very important for the Jets moving forward. You don’t want businessmen picking players, especially first-round quarterbacks.
To me, the Jets ace in the hole at One Jets Drive is Joe Douglas, who earned Super Bowl rings as a personnel man in both Baltimore and Philadelphia.
As for Gase, questions abound about whether he’s the right coach for the Jets. While he wasn’t given the best roster, he also hasn’t done the best job coaching this team. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
The Jets have made some dubious choices for general managers and coaches over the years that were head-scratchers.
Douglas isn’t one of those in my opinion.
And while many Jets fans aren’t thrilled with Christopher’s vote of confidence for Gase on Wednesday, they should at least take solace in the fact that they have a skillful talent evaluator at GM, and and the owner is going to leave him alone to do his job.
When you watch Haskins on Sunday, keep in mind a businessman picked him.
When you see Allen later in the season, keep the same thing in mind.
And remember that that current owner of the Jets won’t do that kind of thing, something his brother was wont to do . . .
While Haskins is a major work-in-progress, that doesn’t mean he can’t get a lot done against the Jets, who gave up four touchdown passes, at home, to rookie QB Daniel Jones, who was missing top targets Evan Engram and Sterling Shepherd and three offensive linemen for most of the game (two were out entering the game).
And keep in mind the Redskins are coming off a bye-week, with extra time to game plan, so expect a lot of bells and whistles and surprises that go away from the tendencies they show on film.
November 14, 2019
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