Every time Denzel Mims and La’Mical Perine touch the football, the Jets’ offensive future looks a little brighter. The rookie receiver and running back have proven that they can produce in limited roles, yet as soon as the second half begins they’ve been given fewer opportunities despite the overall struggles of the team.
From a pure development standpoint, this strategy makes no sense for the Jets.
In three games this season, Mims turned 18 targets into 10 receptions for 146 yards. He’s the first Jets receiver to tally at least 40 yards in his first three games and at least 140 over his first three games since Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. He’s been electric and posted a team-high 14.6 yards per reception with a healthy 4.4 yards after catch mark. Adam Gase raved about him this week, too, refusing to put a ceiling on his abilities.
“The sky’s the limit. We just got to keep bringing him along,” Gase said, according to Newsday. “We’ve got to find ways to give him opportunities and see what he can do.”
But as soon as the second half hits, Mims never sees the ball: only three of his 18 targets have come after halftime. Why would the Jets shy away from arguably their most consistent playmaker in a crucial part of the game?
Part of the problem is likely second-half adjustments, something the Jets have struggled with all season long and especially when Dowell Loggains took over play-calling duties from Gase. When the Bills switched cornerback Tre’Davious White onto Mims midway through Week 7, he struggled to gain much separation. The Jets also seem to be more risk-averse in the second half and have taken fewer chances with their play-calling, hence their limited production at the end of games.
Mims, to his credit, took some of the blame for his poor second-half showings.
“I think it’s my fault that the ball is not moving,” he said. “I try to ask myself, ‘What can I do more? What can I do to make sure to try and get the ball moving? I’m going to try to do everything I can to help us get the ball moving in the second half.”
Perine has seen a similar pattern emerge early in his Jets career. When Le’Veon Bell went on injured reserve and was released soon after, Perine should have absorbed a sizable portion of that workload. Instead, Gase rolled with 37-year-old Frank Gore. Perine’s snap share wavered between 40-50 percent every week – with one 70-percent game in the middle – but that never equated to more touches. Much like Mims, Perine also saw a significant drop in touches in the second half, with only eight of his 42 touches since Week 6 coming in the third and fourth quarters.
Perine hasn’t done a lot with his touches – he’s tallied just 153 total yards and a rushing touchdown since Week 6 – but he’s also had eight fewer touches than Gore. It’s possible Perine’s usage will increase as the season progresses, but unless he sees more touches in the second half, it’s hard to imagine he’ll develop enough to be properly evaluated.
The Jets’ development strategy seems to be to limit their rookies’ opportunities to showcase their ability. Mims proved he could be a stud wideout with a couple of sensational catches in the past two weeks. Perine looks elusive out of the backfield and has been just as efficient as Gore on fewer rushing attempts. The Jets have looked much better in the first half than they have in the second half in their last three games, so maybe feeding their rookies might change that.
There’s no obvious reason why the Jets neglect their rookies in the second half of games other than they don’t want to rush their young players into big roles too early in their careers. While the sentiment is nice, it’s flawed considering the Jets have no direction in another lost season. It would make more sense to throw Mims and Perine into the fire now, let them make a lot of mistakes when the season doesn’t matter and give them time to learn from those errors and build more successful careers in the coming years.
Things could change in the final seven games of the season, but for now, the Jets are giving more looks at aging veterans and journeymen than the futures of their franchise.