Tag: Davante Adams

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 17

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 17

The Buffalo Bills will play the New York Jets at home at Highmark Stadium in Week 17.

With a win, the Bills (12-3) would post a perfect record in Orchard Park this season. They have won nine of their last 10 in total. The Jets (4-11) have lost five of six.

The Bills are favored by 9.5 points. In the first matchup best these two AFC East foes in Week 6, the Bills skated by with a 23-20 victory.

Even though the Jets have four wins this year, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to pick up its 13th win of the year.

With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 17:

Get it going on the ground

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Bills running back James Cook had an efficient day on the ground against the New England Patriots in Week 16. He carried it 11 times and recorded 100 rushing yards (9.1 avg), including a 46-yard run for a touchdown.

In Week 17, Buffalo faces a Jets team that ranks 23rd in the NFL in defense rushing DVOA. Last week in a loss to the LA Rams, the Jets allowed running back Kyren Williams to rush for 122 yards and a touchdown at 5.3 yards per carry.

Opportunities should arise for the Bills’ runners on Sunday if they remain dedicated to the run game.

More production from pass catchers

Imagn Images

No player on the Bills roster had more than 26 receiving yards in last week’s win over the Patriots. Cook led the team, Mack Hollins had 25 yards, and Dawson Knox and Khalil Shakir each had 22 yards.

Having production from the pass catchers will make life easier for Josh Allen and the Bills against the Jets. If they are going to be vanilla with their play calling over the last few weeks, receivers are going to need to win one-on-one matchups.

An impact from the defensive line

USA Today Sports

The Jets, even at 4-11, are still a capable offense when they get into a rhythm. Led by Aaron Rodgers under center, they have playmakers who can rip you apart like Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall.

If Rodgers has the time to sit back and go through progressions, life will be difficult for the Bills on Sunday, especially given their injuries on the back end. Three safeties are questionable: Damar Hamlin; Taylor Rapp; Cam Lewis. An impact from the defensive line, both against the run and the pass, would go a long way toward a Bills victory.

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Former Packers Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams approaching NFL milestones to end 2024 season

Former Packers greats Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams are approaching NFL milestones to end the 2024 season.

The Green Bay Packers have a lot to play for in terms of the postseason to end 2024, but two former franchise greats are chasing NFL milestones over the final two games of the season.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Davante Adams — now with the New York Jets — can hit special marks to finish 2024.

The Jets, who are 4-11 and eliminated from postseason contention, end the season with a road game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and a home game against the Miami Dolphins next Sunday.

Rodgers has 499 career touchdown passes and is one away from becoming the fifth quarterback in NFL history to 500 touchdown passes. Rodgers, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, threw 475 of his career touchdown passes with the Packers.

QBs with 500 career TD passes

1. Tom Brady, 649
2. Drew Brees, 571
3. Peyton Manning, 539
4. Brett Favre, 508

Per the NFL, Rodgers can join Manning as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to throw 500 touchdown passes in under 250 career games. Sunday against the Buffalo Bills will be Rodgers’ 247th career game. Manning needed 244.

Rodgers and Adams are also approaching history as a TD-creating duo. The two are entering Week 17 with 82 career touchdown connections, including the postseason, which is tied for the third most in NFL history. With one more, Rodgers and Adams will pass Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for third place all-time behind only Manning and Marvin Harrison (114) and Steve Young and Jerry Rice (92).

QB-WR touchdowns, including postseason

1. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison: 114
2. Steve Young and Jerry Rice: 92
3. Dan Marino and Mark Clayton: 82
3. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams: 82
5. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown: 78

Rodgers and Adams produced 76 of their 82 touchdown connections while with the Packers between 2014 and 2021.

Adams, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2014, recently caught his 100th career touchdown pass, becoming the 12th player in NFL history with 100 or more touchdown catches. He currently ranks 10th all-time with 102 touchdown catches, trailing only Mike Evans (103) among active players.

Now 41, Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions over 15 starts this season. Adams has 56 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns in nine games since being traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Jets.

Both Rodgers and Adams face uncertain futures together in New York post-2024. Rodgers is still determining whether he wants to keep playing in 2025, while both Rodgers and Adams have unsavory and likely untenable cap hits for a team likely to hire a new general manager and head coach after a disastrous 2024 season.

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

All-22 review: Young Jaguars shine in back-and-forth loss to Jets

The Jacksonville Jaguars sit at 3-11 on the season following their back-and-forth, 32-25 loss to the New York Jets. The 2024 season has been one of the most disappointing in franchise history and the blows continued on Sunday.

However, one of the upsides of having one of the worst records in the NFL is the opportunity to utilize and evaluate the young talent on the roster. Against New York, a handful of Jacksonville’s rookies and second-year players stood out.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the All-22 from Sunday’s loss to examine the potential future pieces of the roster.

WR Brian Thomas Jr.’s historic rookie season

Should Trent Baalke hold onto his job as Jacksonville’s general manager this offseason, his first-round selection of the former LSU All-American may very well be the biggest reason why.

Against the Jets, Brian Thomas Jr. caught 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise rookie record for receiving touchdowns and yards while tying its rookie record for receptions in a season, putting his season total at 64 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns.

Thomas has become more than just a vertical threat in the passing game. He has transcended into a true No. 1 target in the passing game with plenty of room to continue growing in the years to come.

One of the reasons why Thomas has begun to receive a high volume of targets is because of his smooth, yet sudden short-area bursts and quickness at the line of scrimmage.

Take his first touchdown for example. He does a great job setting up the man defender to get his feet stuck in the grass. This allows Thomas to break quickly inside and use his explosiveness out of the break to separate.

Here’s another example of Thomas winning at the line of scrimmage. He displays a textbook split release and forces the corner to be choppy in his footwork. The separation out of the break allows Thomas to catch and run away from the defender for his second touchdown of the day.

Thomas was not asked to sit and find green grass in LSU’s offense last season, raising concerns about his ability to succeed in this area. This is an example of how just because you couldn’t do it in college, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This was one of the most explosive plays from the Jaguars’ offensive explosion against the Jets. Thomas does a great job of exploding out of his stance and then quickly decelerating in green grass to sit and make his number available for the quarterback. After the catch, he splits defenders and takes off for a 41-yard pickup.

Thomas must continue to improve his overall play strength to better win at the line of scrimmage against physical press-man cornerbacks. There were a couple of reps against the Jets where All-Pro defender Sauce Garnder used his physicality to disrupt the timing and tempo of Thomas’ route.

If he can add more to his frame and be more assertive against physical corners, Thomas will have taken the next step to being one of the best playmakers in the NFL. Jaguars fans will be in for a treat regardless for years to come.

Rookie CB Jarrian Jones thriving in the nickel

A nice development for Jacksonville’s defense is the emergence of rookie defender Jarrian Jones, who was a standout cornerback at Florida State just down I-10.

Jones has flashed many qualities as a nickelback and may have emerged as the team’s future at this spot. He showed impressive recovery skills and awareness in man coverage, positioning himself to make plays on the ball or disrupt the timing of the catch with physicality against opposing receivers.

Below are two quality reps in coverage against Allen Lazard and All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

TE Brenton Strange

With versatile tight end Evan Engram out for the rest of the season with a torn labrum, the Jaguars can see what they have in second-year tight end Brenton Strange.

Strange took over Evan Engram’s role as the F-move TE where, paired with his traditional duties in-line and as a receiver, he motioned to fullback on occasion to disguise 21 and 12 personnel looks.

Strange is an above-average athlete who was used on screens to create after the catch and shows good quickness out of breaks. He is also a reliable and tough hands catcher who caught 11 passes for 73 yards against the Jets.

Thomas, Adams combine for four TDs in Jaguars’ 32-25 loss to Jets

Thomas, Adams combine for four TDs in Jaguars’ 32-25 loss to Jets

A record-setting performance by Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was overshadowed by one of the best showings of Jets wide receiver Davante Adams’ career on Sunday.

Despite Thomas establishing new Jaguars rookie receiving records for yards and touchdowns in the first quarter and building upon those marks throughout the contest, a nine-reception, 198-yard, two-touchdown second half by Adams lifted New York (4-10) to a 32-25 victory over Jacksonville (3-11) in Week 15.

Thomas finished with 105 yards and two touchdowns over 10 receptions, the latter two stats being single-game bests for Jacksonville’s rookie sensation. He now has 64 catches for 956 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.

But after being held without a catch in the first half, Adams exploded by hauling in all but one of his 10 second-half targets, with at least two grabs on each of the Jets’ scoring drives.

Among those catches were a one-yard touchdown reception that gave New York its first lead of the game, 17-16 in the third quarter, and a 71-yard score to make it 25-22 in the fourth quarter. Adams also converted a two-point try after his second touchdown.

Adams’ 198 yards were the second-most he has recorded in a game in his 11-season NFL career.

A fourth-quarter, 43-yard field goal by Jacksonville rookie kicker Cam Little created a 25-25 tie with 1:56 left in regulation.

It was more than enough time for Adams, New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense to march down the field and retake the lead. The quarterback-receiver tandem connected twice for 64 yards over the seven-play series, setting up a one-yard, go-ahead rushing touchdown by running back Breece Hall.

Jacksonville got the ball back with 1:05 on the clock but could not find similar success to New York offensively.

Over five plays beginning 70 yards away from the goal line, Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones completed three passes for 23 yards, tossed a deep incompletion, and was ultimately intercepted by Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner on his final throw of the game, a deep pass to Jacksonville wide receiver Parker Washington.

The pick muddied what was quarterback Mac Jones’ best performance in place of injured starter Trevor Lawrence this season. Jones completed 31-of-47 passes for 294 yards, the seventh-most in a game in his career, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Jaguars will travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders in Week 16, at 4:25 p.m. ET next Sunday.

Davante Adams becomes 12th player in NFL history to 100 career receiving TDs

Former Packers WR Davante Adams caught his 100th career touchdown pass on Sunday in Jacksonville. He’s the 12th player in NFL history to 100 touchdown catches.

He didn’t get to the century mark while wearing green and gold, but former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams — a 2014 draft pick who spent eight seasons in Green Bay — caught his 100th career touchdown pass on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fittingly, Adams caught the pass from Aaron Rodgers, his quarterback for all eight seasons in Green Bay.

Adams, who scored 73 of his touchdowns while with the Packers, is the 12th player in NFL history to reach 100 career touchdown catches. He entered a three-way tie with Tim Brown and Steve Largent — two Pro Football Hall of Famers — for 10th place all-time.

Here’s Adams’ 100th career touchdown catch:

Adams needed only 161 games to get to 100 touchdowns. Since leaving Green Bay following the 2021 season, Adams has scored 27 touchdowns in 45 games with the Raiders and Jets.

The Packers made Adams the 53rd overall pick in the 2014 draft. He made five straight Pro Bowl teams from 2017-2021 and he led the NFL in touchdown catches (18) in 2021 while with the Packers.

Of the 11 players with 100 or more receiving touchdowns, eight are currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and at least two others — Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Gates — are likely to join eventually. Mike Evans has 101 career receiving touchdowns and is the current active leader.

Don Hutson, a Hall of Famer for the Packers, caught 99 career touchdown passes.

UPDATE: Adams caught a second touchdown on Sunday, while Mike Evans added a pair of scores in the late afternoon window. The leaderboard reflects the change.

NFL career receiving touchdowns leaders

1. Jerry Rice, 197
2. Randy Moss, 156
3. Terrell Owens, 153
4. Cris Carter, 130
5. Marvin Harrison, 128
6. Larry Fitzgerald, 121
7. Antonio Gates, 116
8. Tony Gonzalez, 111
9. Mike Evans, 103
10. Davante Adams, 101
11. Tim Brown, 100
11. Steve Largent, 100

Davante Adams signs hamburger bun before Colts-Jets

What did Davante Adams sign for a fan?

Fans will get an autograph on anything. The latest example is what New York Jets WR Davante Adams signed for a fan while arriving on Sunday for the team’s game with the Indianapolis Colts.

Check it out as Adams puts his John Hancock on a hamburger bun.

Unless this is freeze-dried for posterity, the bun will eventually turn moldy and green. Just like the Jets.

So far things are going worse for Davante Adams in New York than they were in Las Vegas

Since Raiders traded Davante Adams to the Jets his numbers have actually gone down while losses have gone up.

It’s been a month now since Davante Adams got his wish and was traded to the New York Jets. Things weren’t going as Adams had hoped with the Raiders. The former Packers receiver wanted to be reunited with his old pal Aaron Rodgers in. New York in the hopes they could rekindle their connection from Green Bay.

That hasn’t really happened so far.

By every metric, things are actually going worse for Adams with the Jets than they were over the his three games with the Raiders to begin this season.

He has fewer receiving yards in four games with the Jets (206) than he did in three games with the Raiders (209) and has been on the losing end of more games (3) as well.

If you’re looking for a straight up comparisons, the fair thing to do would be to remove his first game from the equation since he played that game less than a week after joining the team. So, let’s put his numbers over the his last three games up against those of his first three games of this season in Las Vegas.

Team Gms Tgts Rec Yds TDs YPC Wins
Raiders 3 27 18 209 1 11.6 1
Jets 3 30 17 176 1 10.3 1

It is pretty surprisingly honestly to see him go from a clunky offense led by Gardner Minshew to reuniting with his former MVP QB and actually see his numbers go down. Not to mention the team not perform any better in the win column.

For all this, his new team has lost just as many games (7) as his old team, and has the same number of wins with him on the field.

In terms of the compensation on the trade, this isn’t necessarily something Raiders fans should be celebrating. The conditions for the pick to jump from a third rounder to a second rounder were either the Jets making the AFC Championship game or Adams being named at least second team All Pro. Neither of those things appears likely at this point.

The only possible good news here is if the Jets keep losing, at least that third round pick will be a high pick. If they were to start winning now and not reach those conditions, that would be the worst case scenario for where the Raiders would be picking.

Jets WR Davante Adams has to dust the Cardinals in the desert

Jets WR Davante Adams has to dust the Cardinals in the desert

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams needs a repeat performance from week nine if his team is going to beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. Adams will have opportunities to win versus man coverage and must be a serviceable target for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to target on the outside.

Adams tallied seven receptions, 91 yards, and a touchdown in a win versus the Houston Texans last Thursday night. With a time of possession total of just 26:18, the Jets yielded three passing touchdowns and Rodgers only failed on 10 of his 32 pass attempts.

 

However, five punts were the result of stalled drives and a third-down conversion rate of just 41 percent. Adams and the Jets offense can’t get caught up in the same lack of execution versus the Cardinals (5-4). Instead, the Jets (3-6) must neutralize the blitz by opting for the quick pass, and this means using three-step drops where Rodgers has struggled this season.

If the Jets are going to win, Adams or teammate Garrett Wilson will need to keep the offense ahead of the chains. A reliance on the Jets wide receivers to win at the line of scrimmage and produce yards after the catch will be pivotal.

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Cordarrelle Patterson has hilarious reaction to WR Mike Williams trade

RB Cordarrelle Patterson, the Steelers’ number one recruiter, had an amazing reaction to the Mike Williams trade news.

While the Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan pulled off an unbelievable heist at the trade deadline, acquiring wide receiver and outside linebacker help for the team, he doesn’t deserve all the credit. One man has spent time and energy, week in and week out, recruiting receivers to play for the Steel City.

This would be none other than the Steelers’ RB Cordarrelle Patterson, who had recently attempted to recruit WR Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, who ended up with the New York Jets, and D.K. Metcalf, who ultimately remained with his Seattle Seahawks, and last but surely not least, the former New York Jet and newly acquired Steelers’ WR Mike Williams.

Patterson, realizing he had hit a homerun for the Steel City, jokingly had this to say on social media.

While Steelers fans understand how little impact Patterson truly had on this trade unfolding, as most of the credit belongs to the team’s front office, his witty humor and constant barrage of recruitment tactics brought laughter to Pittsburgh fans throughout the 2024 season.

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Report: NFL teams interested in three Jets players at 2024 NFL trade deadline

Report: NFL teams interested in three Jets players at 2024 NFL trade deadline

(Update: 1:35 p.m.): The Jets have traded wide receiver Mike Williams:

2024 NFL trade deadline: Jets end up shipping out wide receiver anyway

Previous coverage:

The New York Jets were already active ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline.

With the 4 p.m. cutoff now here on Nov. 5, could another move be on the way? It remains to be seen.

However, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini named three players that could end up moving… but there’s a curveball: These players would only be traded if New York general manager Joe Douglas decides the team will be selling, not buying, at the deadline.

At 3-6 and coming off a win against the Houston Texans, the Jets seem positive about their outlook.

Even so, there were a trio of players in green and white recently named in a report that other teams are calling about to ask if the Jets would considering moving them.

The full list can be found below:

WR Garrett Wilson

Getty

Wilson could be a player that is in the fold for the Jets’ plans now and in the future. What this potentially comes down to is what New York could get in return. After a tough start to 2024, Wilson is one of the players that would hold the most trade value in terms of what the Jets could get in return for him in case New York believes he won’t re-sign this upcoming offseason.

CB DJ Reed

Getty

Reed is having a top-flight season for New York’s defense. Throughout most of the season, he’s been the Jets’ No. 1 cornerback over Sauce Gardner if you’re looking at metrics like Pro Football Focus. However, Reed is playing on an expiring contract and teams around the NFL are likely asking the Jets if they’d like to cash in on him.

WR Davante Adams

Getty

Davante Adams? After just acquiring him? Well, if the Jets really thought their season was over, Adams could fetch back the draft pick New York gave up for him. It seems unlikely the front office and quarterback Aaron Rodgers would give this one a stamp of approval, though…

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