Mims The Word For Jets To Get More Playmakers On The Field Versus Pats
One of the underlying principles in Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick’s defense through the last two decades has always been to take away the opponent’s most fearsome weapon. In Robby Anderson’s four seasons as a Jets wide receiver, the deep threat averaged a mere two catches per game versus New England and not once scored a touchdown.
On Sunday in Gang Green’s home opener versus the Pats at MetLife Stadium, Corey Davis is expected to get the Belichick treatment. Though star cornerback Stephen Gilmore is on New England’s PUP list (or is in a contract dispute “hold-in”, depending on your read of the matter), J.C. Jackson is a solid cover corner who picked off nine passes last season. And he’ll have help, as Belichick will attempt to confuse Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson with different man/zone combination looks in addition to a variety of pressure packages.
That is why it is incumbent upon the Jets to not only fix their offensive line issues on Sunday, but to flood the field with playmakers so Wilson doesn’t have to lock in on Davis.
That didn’t happen often enough in New York’s 19-14 defeat in Carolina in Week 1. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur regularly trotted out formations with multiple tight ends (including the plays where tight end Trevon Wesco lined up as a fullback) on more than half the team’s offensive snaps, according to SharpFootballStats.com.
That would be fine if the Jets’ tight end room was teeming with receiving talent, like the Patriots have with Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. Unfortunately, the Jets are going with a rotation that includes Tyler Kroft, Ryan Griffin, and, at times, Wesco, not exactly a fearsome trio downfield.
The blocking from Jets tight ends on Sunday was no great shakes either. The group was responsible for 8 pressures allowed in pass protection, according to ProFootballFocus.com, and they didn’t exactly pave the way to a successful running game—the Jets averaged 2.6 years per carry. They were, for all intents and purposes, wasted space.
Making matters worse last Sunday, rookie Elijah Moore was on the opposite side of the field from Davis for 56 of the Jets’ 65 offensive snaps. Here’s his complete record of work: a loss of three yards on a Wilson shovel pass and a drop on a deep ball early in the game. That’s it. With Jamison Crowder on the COVID-19 list and Keelan Cole sitting out with an injured knee, Braxton Berrios played 37 snaps, mainly in the slot, and Jeff Smith had 9.
Then there was Denzel Mims, the Jets’ second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He saw exactly three snaps, one of which he turned into a 40-yard gain on a go route in the fourth quarter.
Much has been discussed this week about why Mims has fallen so far down the depth chart that he is at risk of being deactivated on Sunday when Crowder and Cole presumably return. We heard that Mims is behind the curve because he missed some of the OTAs and minicamp, that he hasn’t mastered all the options receivers must know on every play, he isn’t a finely-tuned route runner, and Head Coach Robert Saleh mentioned something this week about how Mims has to learn all three receiver positions to earn time on the field.
Yeah, yeah—let’s list all the things Mims doesn’t do well. You know what he does do well? He makes plays.
This has nothing to do with where Mims was drafted—If he wasn’t performing on the field, you’d read about it here. Last season, it’s fair to say that Mims experienced the ups and downs normally associated with rookies. However, among the Jets with at least 10 targets, Mims’ 15.5 yards per catch ranked second behind Breshad Perriman and overall, he showed enough in those games to make one believe he could be useful going forward at least as a third receiver, certainly miles better than Smith.
He just needs to be used.
While it’s true that the best ability is often availability and Mims has had multiple medical issues that sidetracked his development, he’s healthy now. So how about giving the Patriots an extra body to worry about on Sunday instead of a second tight end who doesn’t accomplish much of anything anyway?
The best coaches, like Belichick, get the most out of their talent, modifying their game plans to maximize each player’s performance. The Jets have a player with size (6-foot 3, 215 pounds), speed (4.38 40 at the 2020 NFL Combine), and hands (one drop in 44 targets last season). How Mims is handled this season will be an important test of the new Saleh regime’s ingenuity.
My gut tells me that they have as much to learn as Mims.
Prediction: Patriots 27 Jets 13