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A few things to get into today . . .
The Jets seem to be holding out hope for safety Marcus Maye playing Thursday. He missed the first two games with a foot injury.
It really doesn’t make any sense for him to play.
First off, how much better will be be today, tomorrow or Thursday from last Sunday when he was ruled out?
Secondly, when you have a Thursday game, you have 10 days on the back end to healthy, so why not take advantage off it.
The third point is they’re fine without him, so why rush him back? There isn’t a drop-off to his backups, Doug Middleton and Terrence Brooks. Some people will be quick to point out that Middleton gave up a touchdown to tight end A.J. Derby on Sunday in the Jets’ loss to Miami. However, I’m not 100 percent sure that play was entirely Middleton’s fault. It you look at the replay, inside linebacker Avery Williamson was in the vicinity, and didn’t get over there either. So to me, without knowing their playbook, but based on the eye test, this play was either on Middleton or Williamson.
But the bottom line is it’s probably foolish to play Maye on Thursday night, with so much rest/healing time on the backside . . .
Jarvis Landry has been a nightmare for the Jets in the past, and could be again on Thursday if their not careful. Landry likes to line-up in the slot, which could match him up with Buster Skrine, who struggled last week. Skrine isn’t going anywhere because he’s beyond reproach with the Jets’ decisions makers, so if he’s in the slot on Landry, look for him to be targeted . . .
I keep hearing about Sam Darnold interceptions, like his Pick Six against Detroit, and his two against Miami – “He will learn from them.”
I’m not interesting in that narrative.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear I love Darnold as a prospect, but the NFL isn’t a developmental league. Picks are unacceptable whether their by a 10-year veteran, or a by a rookie.
Perhaps the most important stat category is the turnover margin. It often determines wins and losses. So if you are going to make excuses for Sam Darnold’s picks by saying, “He’s young, he will learn,” talk to somebody else. I have no interest in that.
This is the NFL! . . .
There is a Jets assistant coach whose almost never brought up when talking about their staff. We hear a lot about Jeremy Bates, Kacy Rodgers and Brant Boyer, but we almost never hear the name of the man above them – Mike Caldwell.
No, he’s not a coordinator, but he’s the assistant head coach, so he’s theoretically ranked ahead of Bates, Rodgers and Boyer.
But it’s not just the fact that he’s the assistant head coach that he should be brought up more, but because he’s also the team’s inside linebacker coach, and that group was shaky last week, and quite a bit the previous two seasons.
This coach needs to take his unit to the next level. There is no question about it.
September 18, 2018
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