WEEK IN REVIEW
The Jets continued their progress toward the number one overall draft pick with their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday afternoon. The final score was 34-28, but the game itself was not nearly as close as the score would indicate. The Jets went into halftime down 24-6, and Los Angeles took a much more conservative approach to the second half. The defense played soft to prevent big plays and preserve the lead, and the offense shifted their focus to ball control and clock management.
One positive takeaway from the game is the development of the Jets’ rookies. Denzel Mims showed on multiple occasions that he is learning how to use his size to gain leverage against NFL defensive backs. He has a great combination of size and speed, and to show this much progress after missing the first half of his rookie season is extremely impressive. Additionally, OT Mekhi Becton continued to prove that he was worth the first-round pick. Becton is a tremendous athlete and is extremely nimble for being 6’7” and 364 lbs. The Jets are putting together some pieces for the future, and a couple more successful drafts could elevate this team quickly.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Adam Gase is still the head coach. As mentioned in previous weeks, this will be the main story until it is no longer the case. Gase’s latest excuse comes in the form of a high ankle sprain to rookie running back La’Mical Perine. Perine has seen increased touch and snap volume over the past few weeks as he accumulates himself to the NFL. Perine was having a positive game prior to the injury, scoring his 2nd career NFL touchdown. Following the injury, Frank Gore handled the workload and looked the way most would expect a 37-year-old running back to look.
After the game, Gase tried to pass the blame for the offense’s struggles on Perine’s injury because he was a large part of the game plan. While Perine’s absence may have hindered the Jets’ efforts to some degree, the main issue is the lack of accountability from this head coach. This serves as the latest prime example for why the Jets will continue to struggle until major changes are made.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The Jets opened this week as 6.5-point home underdogs to the Miami Dolphins, who have won four of their last five games. The Dolphins are one game behind the Buffalo Bills in the division standings and their playoff hopes are very much alive. Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had some impressive moments since taking over the starting job from veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick but was pulled from last week’s game due to poor performance. It’ll be very interesting to see how the rookie bounces back after some tough love.
The Dolphins defense has played very well lately under the guidance of Head Coach Brian Flores. They implement a “bend, but don’t break” strategy, putting up solid performances for over a month now. They’ve had at least one takeaway in 16 straight games dating back to last season. After seeing Joe Flacco’s egregious pick-six against the Chargers, there’s no reason to suspect that the trend won’t continue with this upcoming game. The 44.5 Over/Under reflects the limitations Miami will put on the Jets’ efforts. Don’t be surprised if the Dolphins come away with another defensive score this week.
