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Brilliant move by John Morton and/or Josh McCown taking advantage of a Miami Dolphins injury.
Dolphins starting cornerback Byron Maxwell got hurt in the first half, and while he was sidelined (he eventually came back), the Jets took advantage of Alterraun Verner on Robby Anderson’s 69-yard touchdown pass from McCown. Verner isn’t a fast corner. Kudos to whoever made this decision. It showed they were cognizant of Verner being out there, and that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Anderson . . .
I asked Jets coach Todd Bowles a few days before the Jets-Dolphins games if he was going to make any defensive lineup changes after the Jets performances in Buffalo and Oakland.
Here is the exchange:
Q)Are you considering any defensive lineup changes?
Bowles: No.
Q)Why aren’t you considering any defensive lineup changes?
Bowles: Because I have my starters.
While the coach shot down the idea of making any lineup changes, he made one, and the result was pretty good.
Cornerback Juston Burris had a rough game in Oakland, giving up two touchdown catches to Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Against the Dolphins, Burris was replaced as the Jets #3 cornerback spot by Darryl Roberts, and the former Marshall star had a very good game.
Early in second quarter, Roberts had a nice PD on wide receiver Kenny Stills on a pass on the short right side. Later in the second quarter, Roberts had great coverage on wide receiver Jarvis Landry deep down the right sideline ending a Dolphins possession.
Roberts also finished with seven tackles.
So the Jets did make a move. While you could say they didn’t replace a starter, teams are in nickel defense most of the time, so the third cornerback is like a starter.
The advantage that Roberts has over Burris is speed and quickness. Coming out of college, Roberts ran under 4.4. He’s also has looser hips than Burris, and has better short-area quickness, so when a receiver attempts to cut away from Roberts, he has a better chance of staying with the player than Burris.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, Burris would make a terrific safety. And there were scouts that felt that way when he came out of North Carolina State . . .
Good day for Jets GM Mike “Mr. Coffee” Maccagnan. Two recent acquisitions had a big impact on the game.
OLB/DE David Bass signed with the Jets on September 21 after being released by the Seattle Seahawks. Sunday, in his first game as a Jet, he had a sack and two tackles for losses.
On August 27, the Jets traded cornerback Dexter McDougle to Philadelphia for safety Terrence Brooks. Early in the third quarter, a drive ended when Jay Cutler connected with Landry on a pass that would have gone for a first down, but Brooks hit the receiver so hard in the back, it dislodged the ball, ending the Dolphins’ possession. Also early in the third quarter, Brooks hit Cutler as he threw causing an incompletion, and then on the next play, Brooks had a pick on a fake punt. Then late in the game, Brooks picked off a crossing route to end a drive.
These two Maccagnan moves clearly helped the Jets today.
September 24, 2017
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