Five things I think I think following the Jets loss to the Broncos
Five things I think I think
The New York Jets did about as well as anyone could’ve expected Sunday at home against the Denver Broncos. Rex Ryan had Peyton Manning utterly confused for the better part of the first half, and the Jets had a lead when the first quarter came to a close.
The last time New York had a lead was Week 2 versus the Green Bay Packers.
Eventually, Manning and Co. righted the ship and cruised past the Jets for a two-touchdown victory.
With the Jets fifth straight loss in the books, here’s five things that I think I think following Week 6.
I think Geno Smith wasn't 'bad'
I think that although Geno Smith didn’t do anything special on Sunday, this was a baby step forward for the neophyte quarterback. I’m not going to criticize Smith for his late interception like many others, because the game was virtually over when Aqib Talib picked him off and ran it back for a touchdown with fifteen seconds remaining.
For the better part of the game, Smith did a pretty decent job of running the offense.
He didn’t make any glaring mistakes, which was a major improvement over the previous four games, but he also did not do anything of note.
Smith finished the game completing 23-of-43 passes for just 190 yards, but he did throw two touchdowns.
With that being said, he and the offense as a whole need to improve. New York was unable to stretch the field vertically, as Smith chose to throw underneath all game long. 190 passing yards on 43 attempts is just 4.41 an attempt, which is well below the league average.
The biggest knock on Smith, in my eyes, is his sudden reluctance to scramble out of the pocket. He has been under constant pressure the last month of the season, but instead of running with the football, he has chosen to back up in the pocket. Smith's legs are the biggest positive he brings to the game right now for New York. He needs to use them more often.
I think that Jace Amaro is ready for an increased work load
I think that Jace Amaro is starting to emerge as the Jets No. 2 option in the passing game. That may be a pretty obvious statement, but I believe it to be true. Amaro caught ten passes on Sunday, the most for a New York tight end since 1994. He can be Smith’s safety valve when no one else is open which is critical for a young quarterback.
It was also nice to see offense coordinator Marty Morningwheg use Amaro more often on Sunday.
Against Denver, he played a season-high 35 snaps, which is ten more than he has played all season. But he still played less than incumbent starter Jeff Cumberland. This is perplexing to me.
I know that Amaro is still raw as a blocker, but since when is Cumberland a good blocker? Oh wait, he isn’t. According to ProFootballFocus.com he is statically New York’s worst run blocker, while Amaro is second only to center Nick Mangold. Yet Cumberland played 49 snaps on Sunday, 14 more than the rookie. That number needs to be reduced greatly. With Amaro on the field, the Jets have a legitimate second option to Eric Decker.
Personally, I am very excited to see the second round pick play more often. He now leads New York with 24 receptions this season on just 28 targets. If you’re scoring at home, that’s an 85.7 percent completion rate, by far the best on the team.
I think it may be time to pull the plug on Quinton Coples
I think that Quinton Coples needs to get his act together or he will wind up on the bench very soon. In fact, that may already be happening if Sunday's game was any indication. Although, Coples did start the game at outside linebacker, he played less snaps than veteran Jason Babin.
Officially, Coples played just 36 snaps versus the Broncos, which is just less than half of the total defensive snaps for New York.
It is by far his lightest work of the young season. There’s a reason for this: He is simply not producing like Rex Ryan and the coaching staff expected when they moved him to rush linebacker last season.
At 280 pounds, Coples lacks the necessary speed to be an effective outside pass rusher. He is much better suited to rush the passer from the interior line, but that will not happen with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson thriving in that role.
In 289 plays this year on defense, the North Carolina product has just one sack, which came early on in Week 2. He does has 15 hurries, but that only exaggerates the point that he does not have the burst to be an outside rusher.
On the other hand, in just 132 snaps this season, Babin has recorded two sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He is even playing the run well, which has always been the knock on him. Babin has graded as a +2.6 against the run this season according to ProFootballFocus. This surprising success against the run, coupled with his pass rushing ability, will earn him more playing time at the expense of Coples.
I think that Rex Ryan benched Antonio Allen on Sunday following his poor showing versus San Diego last week. Allen, who has been a constant in New York’s defensive backfield this season, played just 18 snaps Sunday, his lowest of the season.
This has been a tough season for Allen as the Jets have moved him back and forth between safety and cornerback. This constant change of roles from week to week can’t be easy for such a young player.
While he has shown some flashes of ability, he has lacked the consistency to be a starting caliber player.
Ryan opted to go with Darren Walls and Phillip Adams over him at cornerback, and Jaiquawn Jarrett more at safety. Allen was only in the game in New York’s dime package.
On the season, Allen has allowed a team high 28 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns to opposing receivers. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 113.9 when targeting him.
I think that the Jets will be more competitive than people think on Thursday night in New England. The odds will certainly be stacked against them as New England comes off of two impressive victories in a row and will also be playing at home, which is a huge advantage on a short week.
But don’t write the Jets off just yet. They played very hard versus the Broncos, and showed some signs that they may be ready to break this long losing streak.
Let’s not forget that Rex Ryan has had a lot of success defending Tom Brady in recent years, despite the Jets lack of victories in the series between the two rivals.
In two games versus New York last season, Brady completed 48 percent of his passes with just one touchdown. He also threw a pick six in the Jets victory in the Meadowlands last October. His 4.86 yards per attempt versus New York were his lowest totals of the season against any team.
I am not saying that New York is going to beat New England on Thursday, but I expect a close game come the fourth quarter. The onus will be on Geno Smith and the Jets offense to make more plays than they did on Sunday.
The New York Jets did about as well as anyone could’ve expected Sunday at home against the Denver Broncos. Rex Ryan had Peyton Manning utterly confused for the better part of the first half, and the Jets had a lead when the first quarter came to a close.
The last time New York had a lead was Week 2 versus the Green Bay Packers.
Eventually, Manning and Co. righted the ship and cruised past the Jets for a two-touchdown victory.
With the Jets fifth straight loss in the books, here’s five things that I think I think following Week 6.
I think Geno Smith wasn't 'bad'
I think that although Geno Smith didn’t do anything special on Sunday, this was a baby step forward for the neophyte quarterback. I’m not going to criticize Smith for his late interception like many others, because the game was virtually over when Aqib Talib picked him off and ran it back for a touchdown with fifteen seconds remaining.
For the better part of the game, Smith did a pretty decent job of running the offense.
He didn’t make any glaring mistakes, which was a major improvement over the previous four games, but he also did not do anything of note.
Smith finished the game completing 23-of-43 passes for just 190 yards, but he did throw two touchdowns.
With that being said, he and the offense as a whole need to improve. New York was unable to stretch the field vertically, as Smith chose to throw underneath all game long. 190 passing yards on 43 attempts is just 4.41 an attempt, which is well below the league average.
The biggest knock on Smith, in my eyes, is his sudden reluctance to scramble out of the pocket. He has been under constant pressure the last month of the season, but instead of running with the football, he has chosen to back up in the pocket. Smith's legs are the biggest positive he brings to the game right now for New York. He needs to use them more often.
I think that Jace Amaro is ready for an increased work load
I think that Jace Amaro is starting to emerge as the Jets No. 2 option in the passing game. That may be a pretty obvious statement, but I believe it to be true. Amaro caught ten passes on Sunday, the most for a New York tight end since 1994. He can be Smith’s safety valve when no one else is open which is critical for a young quarterback.
It was also nice to see offense coordinator Marty Morningwheg use Amaro more often on Sunday.
Against Denver, he played a season-high 35 snaps, which is ten more than he has played all season. But he still played less than incumbent starter Jeff Cumberland. This is perplexing to me.
I know that Amaro is still raw as a blocker, but since when is Cumberland a good blocker? Oh wait, he isn’t. According to ProFootballFocus.com he is statically New York’s worst run blocker, while Amaro is second only to center Nick Mangold. Yet Cumberland played 49 snaps on Sunday, 14 more than the rookie. That number needs to be reduced greatly. With Amaro on the field, the Jets have a legitimate second option to Eric Decker.
Personally, I am very excited to see the second round pick play more often. He now leads New York with 24 receptions this season on just 28 targets. If you’re scoring at home, that’s an 85.7 percent completion rate, by far the best on the team.
I think it may be time to pull the plug on Quinton Coples
I think that Quinton Coples needs to get his act together or he will wind up on the bench very soon. In fact, that may already be happening if Sunday's game was any indication. Although, Coples did start the game at outside linebacker, he played less snaps than veteran Jason Babin.
Officially, Coples played just 36 snaps versus the Broncos, which is just less than half of the total defensive snaps for New York.
It is by far his lightest work of the young season. There’s a reason for this: He is simply not producing like Rex Ryan and the coaching staff expected when they moved him to rush linebacker last season.
At 280 pounds, Coples lacks the necessary speed to be an effective outside pass rusher. He is much better suited to rush the passer from the interior line, but that will not happen with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson thriving in that role.
In 289 plays this year on defense, the North Carolina product has just one sack, which came early on in Week 2. He does has 15 hurries, but that only exaggerates the point that he does not have the burst to be an outside rusher.
On the other hand, in just 132 snaps this season, Babin has recorded two sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He is even playing the run well, which has always been the knock on him. Babin has graded as a +2.6 against the run this season according to ProFootballFocus. This surprising success against the run, coupled with his pass rushing ability, will earn him more playing time at the expense of Coples.
I think that Rex Ryan benched Antonio Allen on Sunday following his poor showing versus San Diego last week. Allen, who has been a constant in New York’s defensive backfield this season, played just 18 snaps Sunday, his lowest of the season.
This has been a tough season for Allen as the Jets have moved him back and forth between safety and cornerback. This constant change of roles from week to week can’t be easy for such a young player.
While he has shown some flashes of ability, he has lacked the consistency to be a starting caliber player.
Ryan opted to go with Darren Walls and Phillip Adams over him at cornerback, and Jaiquawn Jarrett more at safety. Allen was only in the game in New York’s dime package.
On the season, Allen has allowed a team high 28 receptions for 327 yards and three touchdowns to opposing receivers. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 113.9 when targeting him.
I think that the Jets will be more competitive than people think on Thursday night in New England. The odds will certainly be stacked against them as New England comes off of two impressive victories in a row and will also be playing at home, which is a huge advantage on a short week.
But don’t write the Jets off just yet. They played very hard versus the Broncos, and showed some signs that they may be ready to break this long losing streak.
Let’s not forget that Rex Ryan has had a lot of success defending Tom Brady in recent years, despite the Jets lack of victories in the series between the two rivals.
In two games versus New York last season, Brady completed 48 percent of his passes with just one touchdown. He also threw a pick six in the Jets victory in the Meadowlands last October. His 4.86 yards per attempt versus New York were his lowest totals of the season against any team.
I am not saying that New York is going to beat New England on Thursday, but I expect a close game come the fourth quarter. The onus will be on Geno Smith and the Jets offense to make more plays than they did on Sunday.
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