Tag: 2019 New York Jets

Jonotthan Harrison is Jets’ nominee for Walter Payton Man of the Year award

The Jets have nominated Jonotthan Harrison for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

The New York Jets announced on Thursday that center Jonotthan Harrison is the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. The award recognizes players who help out in their communities.

Harrison has always focused on bullying around the United States. He was bullied as a child and is now raising awareness about bullying through social media and public speaking. Harrison wants children to understand the signs of bullying and how they can prevent it from happening. He is also an ambassador for Stomp Out Bullying, a nonprofit that aims to improve bullying culture among students.

“I am humbled to be amongst this contingent of selfless honorees,” Harrison said in a statement. “The opportunity to represent the Jets organization, my family and my community means so much to me. Growing up, I was an easy target for bullies. The daily harassment I endured helped shape me to become who I am today.”

For being nominated, Harrison will wear the Walter Payton Man of the Year decal on his helmet for the rest of the season. A $40,000 donation will go to a charity of his choice.

The award will be announced during the NFL Honors show the night before Super Bowl LIV. The winner will take home a $250,000 donation to a charity he selects.

The Jets are just as good as the Patriots… at one thing, anyway

The Jets are tied with the Patriots in non-offensive touchdowns.

When you put the New York Jets and New England Patriots on the field together, the latter almost always dominate. But there’s one statistical category in which the Jets are just as good as their superior division rivals.

In Thursday night’s 42-21 loss to the Ravens, the Jets scored their sixth non-offensive touchdown of the season when a blocked punt that was recovered by B.J. Bello for a touchdown. That score tied New York with the Patriots for the most non-offensive touchdowns in the NFL this season.

Three of Gang Green’s six non-offensive touchdowns have come on interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns. Jamal Adams, Brian Poole and C.J. Mosley each have one. Adams also has a fumble that he returned for a touchdown against the Giants. Lastly, Arthur Maulet recovered a muffed punt against the Patriots in the end zone.

It’s a good sign that the Jets are creating different ways to score touchdowns because their offense hasn’t scored many this season. For a stretch early in the season, the Jets had more non-offensive touchdowns than offensive touchdowns.

However, if the Jets want to be a respected football team, they can’t only be as good as the Patriots in one small category. The offense has been inconsistent all season long even, while the defense has done what it can given the number of injuries New York has suffered. These are all areas in which the Jets can drastically improve.

It has been an underwhelming season that has been filled with too many injuries, bad coaching and inconsistent play. While the Jets should be thrilled that they’re even in the same discussion as the Patriots in one category, the bigger picture is that the Jets are lightyears away from being nearly as good as their division rival.

Video shows Sam Darnold angry at Adam Gase during Jets’ loss to Ravens

Sam Darnold appeared frustrated with his coach after the Jets 41-21 loss to the Ravens.

Sam Darnold has sided with Adam Gase through thick and thin this season, but one video from the end of the Jets’ 42-21 loss to the Ravens shows the quarterback looking awfully frustrated with his head coach.

Darnold and Gase exchanged words on the sideline after Darnold failed to connect with wide receiver Jamison Crowder on fourth-and-1 with 4:06 left in the game, effectively ending the game. Whatever Gase said to Darnold, the quarterback wasn’t having it and appeared visibility frustrated with his coach.

 

It’s hard to tell what was said, but the body language, facial expressions and hand motions say it all. Even back-up quarterback David Fales looks shocked by whatever was said.

Darnold has been a staunch supporter of Gase’s throughout the Jets’ tumultuous season. When CEO and Chairman Christopher Johnson announced Gase would return in 2020, Darnold called it “absolutely amazing.” Darnold continued to say nothing but good things about the offense and how it’s evolved since Gase took over and actually looked well at times Thursday night despite playing against a superior Ravens defense. Though it wasn’t his best game — Darnold finished with 218 passing yards, two touchdowns and two turnovers — he played well enough to give the Jets a fighting chance throughout the game.

But after the turnover on downs and subsequent conversation, it’s impossible to tell how Darnold feels about Gase. It could easily just be two frustrated people having an animated conversation. Or, it could be something more that could affect their relationship down the line.

Jets vs. Ravens: Game info, where to watch, notes

Here everything you need to know for the Jets’ matchup with the Ravens.

The Jets will look for their biggest win of the season when they take on the Baltimore Ravens Thursday. That, of course, will be easier said than done.

New York is coming off a 22-21 win over the Dolphins and has won four of its last five games. However, the Jets are coming in really banged up after multiple players went down on Sunday against Miami.

Chuma Edoga (ankle), Ryan Griffin (ankle), Bilal Powell (ankle/illness), Brian Poole (concussion have all been ruled out. Jamal Adams (ankle), Arthur Maulet (calf), Quinnen Williams (neck) and Demaryius Thomas (hamstring/knee) are doubtful. Henry Anderson (shoulder), Kelvin Beachum (ankles), Mathias Farley (ankle), Steve McLendon (knee/hip), Ty Montgomery (foot/hip) and Nathan Shepherd (ankle) are all questionable but should be able to play.

The Jets are expected to get Le’Veon Bell back after he sat out last week with the flu. It’ll be interesting to see how Adam Gase uses him after not giving him the ball much against Cincinnati. Ty Montgomery should also see a good amount of carries with Powell already ruled out.

As for Sam Darnold, his plays needs to step up if the Jets are going to win this game. Darnold was not great last week against Miami, as he was overthrowing too many receivers. He has to be more consistent and limit the turnovers.

Defensively, the Jets have to do whatever it takes to shut down Lamar Jackson. He is the most explosive player in the league right now and the defense needs to always have a spy on him. They can’t let him get out of the pocket or they’re in deep trouble.

The Ravens are coming off a win in Buffalo last week and are riding a nine-game winning streak. Jackson is on pace to be the NFL’s MVP this season and the Ravens have a legit chance of winning the Super Bowl.

Here’s everything you need to know for Thursday night’s game:

  • Who: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens
  • When: 8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 12, 2019
  • Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
  • TV/Radio: FOX, ESPN 98.7 F.M. For a Spanish broadcast check out 1050 AM ESPN
  • Livestream: fuboTV (try it free)
  • Line: Ravens -15.5

What another NFL salary cap spike means for the Jets

The NFL cap number is projected to be in the range of $196.8-$201.2 million for the 2020 season.

NFL teams will be able to spend a lot more money for the 2020 league year.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL informed teams that the 2020 salary cap is expected to be in the range of $196 million to a little over $201 million. This marks the seventh consecutive season in which the cap is projected to climb more than $10 million per team over a year.

Since 2011, the cap number has increased by 65 percent and $76 million per team. The total projected player costs for the 2020 season will be more than $7.7 billion.

As for what that means for the Jets, they have 40 players under contract for the 2020 season, according to Over The Cap. They have $147,098,220 million committed to those players. Based on a projected salary cap number of $200 million, the Jets will have $52,901,780 in cap space for 2020.

However, this number isn’t set in stone for 2020, as the Jets can create more cap space through cuts and trades. One of the first players that will be cut after the season is Trumaine Johnson. The Jets will take a $12 million dead cap hit, but will save $3 million. Meanwhile, Brian Winters has no guaranteed money left on his deal, meaning the Jets will save his entire $7 million salary if they cut him as expected.

In terms of trades, the Jets could possibly deal both Le’Veon Bell and Jamal Adams in the offseason. If the Jets can find a trade partner to take most if not all of Bell’s remaining contract, they’d be in line to save a lot of money. The Jets would save a few million by trading Adams as well.

New York is also going to try and retain some of its upcoming free agents too, so that will cut into cap space, as will the draft. Overall, the rise in the NFL salary cap number for 2020 will be beneficial for Joe Douglas when he gets his first crack at free agency.

Steve McLendon delivered strong message ahead of Dolphins game

Steve McLendon delivered a strong message ahead of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins after he noticed sloppy football in practice.

Jets captain Steve McLendon wasn’t going to put up with sloppy football ahead of Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.

The Jets were coming off a disappointing effort against the Bengals two Sundays ago in which they did nothing right. McLendon started to notice that their careless mistakes were carrying over into Friday’s practice, and so he delivered a strong message to wake them up.

“The coaches had to fuss too much and I couldn’t take it,” McLendon said, per ESPN. “I didn’t feel like guys were focused enough. Called ‘em up, got it together, had a good practice, same thing on Saturday and came out and won.”

The question is why did the Jets need a wake-up call in the first place? They were coming off a terrible loss to a winless football team and should’ve been motivated to bounce back, especially against a team that embarrassed them earlier in the season.

As for McLendon, he keeps proving every week why he is such a valuable teammate. He sets high standards not only for himself, but for the team as a whole. If he sees a player slacking off, he’ll call them out on it.

The Jets re-signed McLendon for another year for moments like this. His veteran presence rubs off well on the younger players. McLendon has been in the league long enough to know what it takes to win consistently and the Jets have yet to accomplish that.

Jets add WR Jeff Smith after sending CB Kyron Brown to IR

The Jets can’t escape the injury bug, yet again, as they send another player to the injured reserve list.

The Jets can’t escape the injury bug, as they sent another player to the injured reserve list on Monday.

Forced to start Kyron Brown at cornerback this past weekend, the Akron product left Sunday’s game with a quad injury. That makes 16 Jets to land on IR this season.

As a result, New York filled the void on their roster by signing wide receiver Jeff Smith. Another undrafted free agent, Smith got his start by signing on to the Jets’ practice squad in September.

The wideout started his career at Boston College as a quarterback. Following his freshman campaign, he made the position change, leading to 72 catches for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns over the next three years.

Smith possesses a versatile skill set that came to life as a Golden Eagle. Boston College utilized him in the ground game, as well. Smith recorded 902 yards and another nine scores as a rusher.

With a new whole on their practice squad after promoting Smith, the Jets added offensive lineman Brad Lundblade. The 24-year-old spent some time with the Carolina Panthers practice squad before being released earlier this week.

Jets only doing walk-throughs ahead of Thursday’s game vs. Ravens

The Jets will only do walk-throughs ahead of their game on Thursday night against the
Ravens.

Adam Gase is trying something a little different in order to get prepared for Thursday’s game against the Ravens.

Gase told reporters on Monday that the Jets will only do walk-throughs this week, meaning the team will not practice at all. Gase said he went winless on Thursday night while with the Dolphins when he did hold practices on short weeks.

The Jets are also really banged up after Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, as they lost another cornerback in Kyron Brown for the season. Meanwhile, Ryan Griffin, Demaryius Thomas, Bilal Powell, Chuma Edoga, Quinnen Williams, Jamal Adams, Brian Poole and Arthur Maulet all would not have practiced to start this week.

Gase’s decision gives some of those players extra time to heal. The Jets are thin at multiple positions and they can’t afford any other players to go down, especially if it occurred in practice.

It would be more ideal for the Jets to practice given that they’re going against one of the best teams in the NFL. However, allowing more guys to get healthy gives the Jets a better shot at winning rather than risking someone getting hurt.

At this point in the season, the players know Gase’s system, so it’s not like they’d be practicing anything new anyway. We’ll have to wait and see if Gase’s strategy pans out on Thursday night.

After Bilal Powell’s big day, do the Jets need Le’Veon Bell?

The Jets ran the ball effectively despite playing with Le’Veon Bell.

The Jets’ 22-21 win over the Dolphins showed something that could shape how Joe Douglas evaluates his roster at the end of the season: New York didn’t need Le’Veon Bell for the run game to be effective.

Take that with a grain of salt given the Dolphins are one of the worst run defenses in the league and Bell is still one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. That said, the idea that New York’s backfield could succeed without Bell is not without its merits and should give Douglas something to think about when deciding to keep Bell past this season. 

Consider Bilal Powell’s day as the Jets’ workhorse running back with Bell out sick. The 31-year-old Powell tallied 74 yards on 19 touches for a healthy 3.9 yards per attempt. His rushes were the second-most for a Jets rusher this season (Bell had 21 in Week 2), his yards were the highest for a Jets rusher this season (Bell had 70 in Week 7 vs. the Patriots) and his yards per attempt ranks third for a Jets rusher with at least 12 rushes in a game all season.

Yes, it came against the Dolphins’ 31st-ranked run defense, but Bell only tallied 66 yards on 17 attempts when he played Miami five weeks ago.

So looking at it from a purely statistical perspective, Powell ran better in Adam Gase’s offense than Bell did. Powell had 20 yards on the Jets opening drive and ripped off a couple of nice medium-yardage runs in the first half. He doesn’t offer the same receiving skillset Bell does, but Gase has already proven in the past he doesn’t plan on utilizing Bell’s dual-threat ability as well as the Steelers did, which almost makes the point moot.

Powell isn’t the long-term answer for the Jets at running back. He’s old and has never shown he can be a true bell-cow back. Neither is backup Ty Montgomery, who saw an expanded role and finished with 61 total yards on 12 touches. But after seeing the combination of Powell and Montgomery tally 104 rushing yards against the Dolphins, it begs the question: Is Bell an expensive luxury that the Jets don’t need moving forward?

Bell has been ineffective during his time in New York either due to usage, Gase’s offense or because of his age (he’ll turn 28 in February). Bell is on pace to average only 88.2 scrimmage yards per game this season, which would be the first time he didn’t average at least 100 yards per game since his rookie season in 2013.

But that doesn’t mean the Jets should necessarily end the Bell experiment early.

For one, Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million contract that he signed last offseason would be hard to move on from. There would be a $17 million dead cap hit in 2020 if they did. His contract also makes trading Bell difficult even after the Jets reportedly fielded offers from him at the October trade deadline.

Bell is also a great asset for Sam Darnold and takes the pressure off the rest of the offense. Despite his down season, defenses still respect Bell as a playmaker and key in on him whenever he sees the field. He saw at least 90 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps the first three weeks and was an important safety valve for the Jets quarterbacks early in the season.

But Bell has slowed down the stretch. His production and offensive snaps have decreased rapidly since Week 9. Whether it’s fatigue or something else, Bell hasn’t looked as fresh as he did early in the season.

This all goes back to the underlying theme that Gase doesn’t need a workhorse back in his offense. While Powell’s 19 rushes were high for a single Jets running back, it was also unusual for the Jets to run the ball 32 times as a team. It was the most attempts by the Jets since Week 11 against the Redskins when the Jets rushed 33 times. Outside of those two games, the Jets typically average 23 rushes per game – 27th in the league.

Bell is on pace to finish with 244 rushing attempts if he plays the final four games of the season, which would be his lowest over a full season since his rookie year and the second-highest of any running backs in a Gase offense since he became an offensive coordinator in 2013.

Is that usage worth a $15.5 million cap hit in 2020 and up to $44 million if Bell plays out his entire four-year contract? Probably not.

Powell and Montgomery aren’t better running backs than Bell. That’s obvious. But their ability to operate just as effectively in Gase’s offense as Bell did in the previous 12 games at a fraction of the price should weigh greatly on the mind of Douglas as he sees all of the holes on his roster. 

5 interesting stats from the Jets’ Week 14 win over Dolphins

Here are five interesting stats from the Jets’ Week 14 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The Jets avoided the season sweep of the Dolphins with a 22-21 win Sunday, courtesy of Sam Ficken game-winning, 44-yard field goal.

The Jets looked as if they were going to have an easy victory on their hands when they jumped out to an early 10-point lead, but the offense went stagnant after the first quarter. However, the defense held its own by not allowing a single Miami touchdown, while the offense put together a solid final drive in order to secure the victory.

Even with the win, the Jets were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the Titans and Steelers both winning their games on Sunday.

Let’s take a look at some interesting stats from Gang Green’s win.

Ficken’s walkoff longest in franchise history

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Ficken lifted the Jets to victory with a 44-yard field as time expired. It was the 23rd walkoff field goal by a Jets kicker with no time left on the clock or in overtime. It was also the longest walkoff in franchise history by a Jets kicker. The previous long was held by both Mike Nugent and Nick Folk at 43 yards.

For Ficken, it was the best moment of his pro career and a day he’ll remember forever.

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