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A few observations and Whispers
In the Jets’ practice on Sunday, you saw the Sam Darnold at his best, and you also saw area he needs to work on:
Under pressure, Sam Darnold, rolled right and hit Chris Hogan in the end zone for a TD. The wide receiver cut away from CB Quincy Wilson, creating a lot of separation.
Earlier in the practice, Darnold missed a wide open Hogan on a crossing route. He looked left briefly, and then turned his head to the right, and saw the wide open Hogan and missed him bad. Hogan created a lot of separation here from Arthur Maulet. This is an example of how Darnold needs to do a better job of going through his progressions. Yes, he got to a second read on the play, but it seemed like he go so excited with seeing the second read open, he rushed the throw, and his mechanics were off. He needs to be more smooth and fundamentally sound going through his reads.
This was a gimme throw. You can’t miss these in the NFL . . .
Before the practice yesterday, Christopher Johnson had long talk with Jets assistant head coach Shawn Jefferson in the back of the end zone, and then Jefferson had a long talk with Jets VP Security/Facilities Operation Robert Mastroddi. Jefferson is an important figure in getting the Jets through these unsettled times with many of the players upset . . .
Quarterbacks licking their throwing hand before taking a snap is probably not going away anytime soon. Drew Brees said he will try to stop. It’s going to be hard. I have seen Jets quarterbacks licking their throwing hand throughout camp, including Mike White twice before one play yesterday.
I’m not being a “Karen.” I’m just pointing out it’s going to be tough to get quarterbacks to stop this, after most of them doing it for years . . .
Frankie Luvu looks like he’s ready to explode this year for the Jets. He’s making plays all over the field, in all three facets – run support, pass rush and pass coverage. I will get to a play he made in run support in a second that turned out to be problematic for the Jets.
Some of you might have read this already, but Luvu beat Jets rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton with a spin move, and the linebacker forced Darnold to throw the ball away.
It’s good for Becton to face Luvu, to give him a feel for a fast, twitchy rusher, the type many opponents will throw at him. The guy he faces most in practice, Jordan Jenkins, is more of a power rusher.
This play pointed out that, at times, Becton could struggle against much shorter, low-to-the ground, twitchy edge-rushers, who can get under the 6-7 tackle, if he lets is pad level rise too high . . .
As for Luvu in run support. As most of you know by now, Jets rookie running back La’Mical Perine hurt his ankle yesterday in practice. He was running off right tackle, and Luvu tackled him. It was a full tackle. The coaches usually want the players to stop guys standing up, and not bring them to the ground. But Luvu was running full speed to get over there, and sometimes it’s hard to stop. Luvu felt terrible after the play, and came back over to Perine as he was being attended to by the doctors and tapped his shoulder pad in support . . .
While the other four spots on the line were clearly set entering camp, I though that, perhaps, right guard spot would be an open competition. Yes, they signed Greg Van Roten, but he didn’t sign for fortune, and seems like more of a training camp competition guy than a slam dunk starter.
With Van Roten out the last couple of days, he you seen other guys starting at that spot.
So I asked Adam Gase if it’s an open competition at right guard, and he said no, it’s Van Roten’s job.
This is understandable. With so little to prepare, and essentially an entirely new line, it’s probably not a good idea to be rotating starters for competition reasons. The Jets need one group to work together as much as possible . . .
August 31, 2020
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