Premium – Jets rolling the dice

Florham Park – Rolling the dice, injuries, Stephen Hill and so much more in the latest edition of Dan’s Website Whispers . . .

The Jets are so thin at linebacker, with the release of Ricky Sapp and injury to Garrett McIntyre, assistant offensive line coach Ron Heller was playing linebacker Arthur Moats on the scout team.

The scout team simulates the schemes and looks of the opponent for the starting units on offense and defense in practice . . .

McIntyre was on the stationary bike during practice, and has been ruled out.

He’s rehabbing a knee injury suffered against the New Orleans Saints. It was a non-contact injury. He was cutting and it gave out.

With McIntyre out, the Jets will have three outside linebackers available for the Jets-Bills game. They are Calvin Pace, Quinton Coples and Troy Davis.

That is pretty thin in a 3-4 defense, where outside linebacker plays is so key.

The Jets should be fine if they stay healthy with a three-man rotation, but if there is an injury, John Idzik’s decision to go with three outside linebackers, could be a questionable one. We will see.

But clearly, if the Jets do suffer an injury at outside linebacker in Buffalo, expect them to play more 4-3 defense, which obviously means four defensive linemen and three linebackers.

The Jets love their defensive line group, and would go with Mo Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson at end, with Damon Harrison and Kenrick Ellis at the tackle spots, with Leger Douzable, who can play both positions, rotating in.

Another option, if the Jets chose to stay in the 3-4, is to move DeMario Davis to outside linebacker, and plug in Nick Bellore at inside linebacker next to David Harris.

The Jets swing Davis to outside linebacker at times, and he seem to like it there – rushing off the edge. Remember, he was an outside linebacker in college.

But clearly the Jets need to go into this game with a plan on what to do in case of an OLB injury, because of how thin they are at that position . . .

Stephen Hill, dealing with knee and foot issues, was clearly hobbling, watching him run on the practice field today.

I know some are obsessed with his limited production in the passing game, because he’s only had five catches in the last three games, including zero against New Orleans, but honestly, the Jets only had eight completions against the Saints, so nobody is going to put up big numbers individually, with completion numbers like that.

But also, to Hill’s credit, he hasn’t allowed his limited involvement in the passing game to impact his attitude, and is really getting after it as a run blocker. Some receivers might dog-it as a blocker when they aren’t involved in the passing game, but with Hill, it’s just the opposite.

In the first quarter of the Jets-Saints game, Chris Ivory had a gain of 27 off right tackle on a read-option. Hill had had a nice block on CB Keenan Lewis down field on this play.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, on a ten-yard gain by Ivory, Hill had a terrific block on CB Jabari Greer on the second level which was a key on this play.

The bottom line for the Jets is winning, and not individual stats, and while some in the media will make a big deal about Hill’s low catch numbers, but does it really matter?

And also keep in mind, Hill also has helped open up big plays for David Nelson by drawing coverage away from him . . .

David Garrard told me today, he’s now in playing shape, and has learned the offense, so he can go in a play if needed.

But right now he’s buried behind Matt Simms, so if anything happened to Geno Smith, Simms will be the one to go into the game, not Garrard.

Personally, I’d go with Garrard with all his experience (has played in 86 NFL games) – he has seen it all, but I don’t run the Jets . . .

Watching Santonio Holmes on the practice field today, he looked explosive, and ready to roll . . .

Remember, as we have mentioned all week, the Bills were very, very banged up in the first Jets-Bills game this year.

We mentioned how ravaged they were in the secondary (both corners, the nickel back and the star safety out for all, or most of the game).

But also remember, defensive tackle Marcel Dareus was knocked out of that game early.

He’s healthy now, and the Jets have to be very, very nervous about his match-up with Brian Winters . . .

November 15, 2013

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