Tag: braxton berrios

Why one ‘B’ from college still sticks with Jets WR Braxton Berrios

The same drive that helped Braxton Berrios excel in the classroom has turned him into a special teams weapon for the Jets.

Braxton Berrios’ competitive edge has turned him into a return man the Jets can trust on a weekly basis.

That same edge is the reason why he was so successful outside of football during his days at the University of Miami.

When Berrios wasn’t busy torturing ACC defenses out of the slot and as a kick and punt returner for the Hurricanes, he was taking care of business in the classroom. Berrios was the Valedictorian of Miami’s Herbert School of Business — an impressive feat given the difficulty of balancing academics with playing in a Power 5 conference.

“I preface it every time before this talk with, ‘I’m not the smartest guy in any room I walk in.’ I’m really not,” Berrios said Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, I have a competitive edge and a switch that just doesn’t go off.

“I sat in those classes and it was either you or me. You got the same test I got. You got the same quiz I got, the same project, whatever. I was going to make sure that when I turned mine in, I was going to beat you.”

As consistent as Berrios has been for the Jets in 2021, he’s not perfect every time he takes the field — no player realistically is. The best players are judged on their ability to respond and bounce back from slip-ups, which is something Berrios had to do as a student after receiving a “B” in one of his junior year classes.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Berrios said with a laugh. “It stung. It hurt. I’m not going to say the teacher’s name, either. It was in a finance class and it bothered me for a while.”

Academic prowess aside, the Jets might have themselves a long-term keeper in Berrios. He has managed to develop chemistry with Zach Wilson — albeit in a limited role with Jamison Crowder taking most of the snaps in the slot — and is getting the job done as a returner. Berrios might not be the second coming of Andre Roberts or Leon Washington, but he is a major upgrade over some of the return men New York has trotted out over the last decade.

The rest of the regular season is a chance for Berrios to do enough to earn a contract extension to stay in the Big Apple. That is not the 27-year-old’s focus with unrestricted free agency knocking on the door for the first time in his career, though.

Just like when he would sit in the classroom in Coral Gables, his main focus is doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

“I want to help this team win. That’s all I really care about at the end of the day,” Berrios said. “If they need me to go out and play DB, I’ll do that. Whatever they want me to do that puts us in the best position to win, I’m game for.”

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6 takeaways from the Jets’ Week 13 loss to the Eagles

The Jets’ defense flopped and their offense faltered in the second half of their loss to the Eagles. Takeaways from the action:

The Jets’ offense showed up to play early in their Week 13 matchup with the Eagles.

Their defense? Not so much.

New York allowed Gardner Minshew to channel his “Minshew Mania” days with the Jaguars and the offense couldn’t keep up. Minshew, playing in place of the injured Jalen Hurts, threw for over 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Philadelphia got back in the win column with a 33-18 victory.

The Jets moved the ball well in the first half and Zach Wilson looked the best he has in a while, but he still could not avoid turning the ball over at a key point in the game.

Here are six takeaways from Gang Green’s ninth loss of the season.

Ty Johnson, Sheldon Rankins among 5 unsung heroes in Jets’ win over Bengals

Players like Ty Johnson and Sheldon Rankins didn’t necessarily star against the Bengals, but they were among the unsung heroes in Week 8.

The Jets shocked the Bengals in Week 8 with backup quarterback Mike White under center. White had a game for the ages, throwing for over 400 yards and three touchdowns to lead New York to a 34-31 come-from-behind victory.

Players on both sides of the ball shined for New York, though not everyone received equal credit for fending off a Bengals team that traveled to MetLife Stadium fresh off its biggest regular-season win in a long time. Here, we’ll take a look at some unsung heroes who flew under the radar in the Jets’ Week 8 win.

Making sense of Denzel Mims’ minimal Week 1 usage

The Jets may want to reconsider their approach to using Denzel Mims moving forward.

The Jets entered their season opener against the Panthers in somewhat of a peculiar position at wide receiver.

Jamison Crowder and Keelan Cole were unable to suit up, leaving Zach Wilson without two of his top wideouts. Elijah Moore was an obvious candidate to join the starting lineup, but Mike LaFleur still had another receiver to replace.

Denzel Mims profiled as a natural fit to take on more of a prominent role against Carolina. Even after struggling with short and intermediate routes and missing time due to food poisoning over the summer, he could theoretically operate as a deep threat with Corey Davis and Moore working to their strengths underneath.

Instead of giving Joe Douglas’ 2020 second-round pick an extended run, LaFleur opted to go small. Moore took most of his snaps on the outside, while Braxton Berrios took the bulk of the snaps in the slot. Mims was left to watch on the sideline for most of the game, but he made a big 40-yard catch late in the fourth quarter to get the Jets into the red zone.

It was Mims’ only target of the game, and he played just three snaps.

Robert Saleh provided some insight into Mims’ minimal usage on Monday, saying that his lack of playing time stemmed from not being up to speed at all three of the wide receiver spots in LaFleur’s west coast offense. Gang Green’s rookie head coach dove deeper into the subject in an interview on The Michael Kay Show, disclosing that Mims was not a top-three option over Berrios, Davis or Moore.

“He can really help himself out by knowing all those positions, which he’s doing a good job of,” Saleh said.

Saleh’s rationale is understandable, but it could also be considered a prime example of a coaching staff overthinking its personnel usage. The Jets need to play their most talented wide receivers in order to maximize what Wilson has to work with. He might not be a master of the west coast offense just yet, but Mims is still one of New York’s better pass catchers from a skillset and athleticism perspective.

If Moore knows all three wide receiver positions in LaFleur’s offense, why not make him the one to move around and leave Mims on the outside at a position he knows? Moore has already shown that he is capable of working on the outside and in the slot. There’s no good reason to leave a playmaker like Mims on the sideline just because he can’t do every single thing the Jets are asking of him just yet, especially when New York’s offense was stagnant for half the game.

Crowder is likely to return from the COVID list in Week 2 and Cole is day-to-day with a knee injury, leaving the door open for the veteran to suit up against the Patriots. If Crowder and Cole take the field against New England, the “Mims should play more” argument essentially becomes a moot point. If there isn’t a solidified role for him in New York’s offense with those two out of the picture, there definitely won’t be one when they return.

If the Jets are down a receiver or two again at any point this season, though, Saleh and LaFleur might want to re-think their approach to Mims’ usage.

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The Jets’ 4 most surprising roster keeps

Some of the players the Jets decided to keep on roster cutdown day came as a surprise.

The Jets set their initial 53-man roster Tuesday after spending the afternoon trimming down from the 80 players they had in the building at the end of the preseason.

The roster New York unveiled is likely to change, as Joe Douglas will work the waiver wire, and potentially the trade market, to give Robert Saleh the best possible team to take with him to Carolina in Week 1.

Roster cutdown day featured a healthy dose of unexpected moves coming out of One Jets Drive. Here are four of Gang Green’s most surprising keeps.

WR Jeff Smith signs tender to return to Jets

The backup receiver is sticking around New York for another season.

Another member of the Jets’ 2020 receiving corps is returning.

Jeff Smith signed his one-year tender Tuesday, according to multiple reports. This comes a month after the Jets placed the tender on him as an exclusive rights free agent. Smith will earn the league minimum salary of $660,000.

Smith caught 17 receptions for 167 yards in 12 games last year. His best performance came in Week 4 when he tallied seven receptions for 81 yards against the Broncos. The 23-year-old Smith likely won’t see much of the field with Corey Davis, Jamison Crowder, Denzel Mims and Keelan Cole as the likely starters, but he’ll be a solid depth piece that can play in a pinch.

Watch: Tricky New York Jets score TD against Cleveland Browns

Jamison Crowder with the trick-play TD pass for the Jets

The New York Jets better be careful or they can have a winning streak.

Adam Gase reached into the playbook against the Cleveland Browns, who have been known to resort to trickeration on occasion.

Check out the fancy work with the football as Sam Darnold gives the ball to Ty Johnson, who flips it to Jamison Crowder finds a wide-open Braxton Berrios for a 43-yard touchdown.

The Jets added another score but missed the PAT. Still, Gang Green led, 13-3, against a depleted Browns team due to COVID-19 issues.

Instant Analysis: Offensive ineptitude runs rampant in Jets’ 8th straight loss

It was over as soon as the Jets landed in Kansas City.

It was over as soon as the Jets landed in Kansas City.

New York never had a chance to knock off the Chiefs on Sunday. As expected, Patrick Mahomes made easy work of the Jets’ lowly defense and Gang Green’s offense failed to get into the end zone in their eighth consecutive loss. Sam Darnold could not pioneer touchdown drives and it proved costly against a high-powered offense.

The Jets will have a little extra time to reflect on their latest loss before playing the Patriots next Monday. Considering how bad New England has been this season, maybe Week 9 could be the week New York breaks into the win column.

Just don’t count on it.

Game Balls

Braxton Berrios: Berrios was Darnold’s safety blanket throughout the afternoon, hauling in eight passes for 34 yards. He did not do much after the catch, but Berrios was a reliable option for New York on Sunday. The Jets need that with their wide receiver depth chart running thin.

Sergio Castillo: Castillo was money filling in for Sam Ficken for the second consecutive week, nailing three of his four field-goal attempts — including one from 55 yards out. He had a chance to go 4-4 in the first half, but his kick just before halftime was blocked. Should Ficken not be able to go against the Patriots in Week 9, Castillo is a kicker the Jets can rely on moving forward.

Quinnen Williams: Williams was his usual disruptive self, recording three tackles, two of which came behind the line of scrimmage, against the Chiefs. He also had a QB hit. Kansas City struggled to run the ball and Williams was a big reason why.

Quick Thoughts

-It goes without saying, but field goals are not going to do it against a team like the Chiefs. Darnold did well to get the Jets into scoring position in the first half, but his inability to find the end zone was what cost New York any chance of seriously challenging for an upset.

-You could argue that the Jets’ defense deserves credit for coming up with some key stops early in the game, but Mahomes still sliced up New York’s secondary. Kansas City’s inability to finish more drives with points was more its own doing than anything else.

-The Jets drove deep into Chiefs territory on their first drive of the game, only to have the series end with a screen pass on third-and-12. New York’s lack of aggression in that situation perfectly captures why it is a winless football team.

-Another week of more Frank Gore than La’Mical Perine. A message to Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains: This season is going nowhere. Give your talented young running back more touches than the veteran on his last legs.

-Denzel Mims has wasted no time making his presence felt as a legitimate weapon, yet Darnold failed to look his way consistently for a second consecutive week. The Jets need to gameplan to get Mims more involved — he is too talented to see only three passes thrown his way.

-Chris Herndon’s nightmare 2020 season continues to get worse. His regression has been staggering and it’s hard to imagine the Jets having any sort of faith in him moving forward after Sunday’s fumble.

–If the Jets move on from Jamison Crowder at the trade deadline, they will be in good hands with Berrios manning the slot. Every time Crowder is sidelined, Berrios shines and paces New York’s receivers. Even if Crowder sticks around past the deadline, Berrios has carved out a role.

-Williams is a beast when he’s on, and that was the case Sunday. It’s a good thing the Jets don’t have any plans to trade the defender.

Instant Analysis: Sam Darnold’s blunders prove costly in Jets’ loss to Colts

Jets Wire breaks down New York’s Week 3 loss to the Colts.

Football is all about capitalizing on opportunities. No matter how talented your team is or how hard they play, missed opportunities usually result in a loss.

The Jets learned that lesson firsthand against the Colts in Week 3, as a pair of Sam Darnold interceptions proved costly in a 36-7 loss to Indianapolis. New York lost its first drive to a pick-six and Darnold cost the Jets points again later in the first half with an interception in the end zone. The second half featured much of the same, as Darnold tossed another pick-six, effectively burying any chance of a comeback.

Give the Jets credit. They played tough and hung around a lot longer than they did against the 49ers last weekend. For this team, being competitive beyond the first 13 seconds of a game can be considered progress. Maybe they can parlay that into a complete game against the Broncos on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.

Game Balls

WR Braxton Berrios: Berrios hauled in four passes for 64 yards and a first-quarter touchdown reception. The Miami product has done a fine job for New York since entering the starting lineup in Week 2.

Quick Thoughts

-Another week of struggles for Gregg Williams’ defense, which was supposed to be the strength of the Jets in 2020. Instead, they have been exploited both on the ground and through the air.

-The Jets need Mekhi Becton to be okay. He has been one of the lone bright spots on New York’s offense so far this season and has the makings of a future star at left tackle. Gang Green cannot afford to have him miss any time.

-Obviously, it did not give the Jets any momentum, but a great job by Sam Darnold to bounce back and march the Jets down the field for six after throwing a pick-six to begin the game. It’s unfortunate that he could not overcome the turnover bug and take advantage of that strong second drive.

-Darnold’s at his best when he uses his legs to extend plays and stretch out the defense. It’s not ideal when he is forced out of the pocket before he has time to go through his initial reads, but at least he has a skill set that allows him to make something out of nothing when he has to.

-Do the Jets have something in Berrios? That could be the case. He has displayed a knack for getting open the last couple of weeks.

-Henry Anderson’s string of underwhelming play finally caught up to him, as he was benched to start the game. Frankly, it’s about time. The Stanford product has simply not produced.

-Week 3 marked the first time the Jets did not trail after the first quarter in 2020. You could call that baby steps for New York.

-The Pierre Desir experiment has been an utter disaster so far. From getting benched in his Jets debut to constantly getting beat and flagged in key moments, he has gotten off to a rough start in the Big Apple.

Jets vs. Colts inactives: Braxton Berrios, Connor McGovern active for New York in Week 3

Jets vs. Colts inactives for their Week 3 matchup in Indianapolis.

After being listed as questionable on Friday, Braxton Berrios and Connor McGovern are good to go for the Jets against the Colts in Week 3.

McGovern was listed as questionable with a hamstring injury throughout the week, while Berrios was a last-minute addition to the injury report with a barking hamstring of his own. However, both will suit up for New York against Indianapolis. With Berrios healthy, the Jets’ wide receiver depth chart will feature Berrios, Chris Hogan, Josh Malone and undrafted free agent Lawrence Cager on Sunday.

Despite the good news on Berrios and McGovern, the Jets still enter Week 3 extremely banged up. New York will be without starters Jamison Crowder, George Fant and Breshad Perriman on offense. Gregg Williams will also not have Ashtyn Davis and Quincy Wilson at his disposal on defense.

Despite the good news on Berrios and McGovern, the Jets still enter Week 3 extremely banged up. New York will be without starters Jamison Crowder, George Fant and Breshad Perriman on offense. Gregg Williams will also not have Ashtyn Davis and Quincy Wilson at his disposal on defense.

As for the Colts, they will be without rookie cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (illness). Tight end Jack Doyle is active after missing Week 2 with ankle and knee injuries.