Jets Injury Report: An illness keeps Robby Anderson out of practice on Thursday

Jets wideout Robby Anderson was a non-participant in practice on Thursday due to an illness that resulted in him being sent home.

Add Robby Anderson to the list of Jets who have succumbed to illness in recent weeks.

Anderson was sent home from team facilities and did not practice on Thursday. Tom Compton (calf) and Demaryius Thomas (knee/hamstring) were also sidelined due to injury.

Anderson’s illness doesn’t seem to be serious and his status for this week is not currently in question. The Jets will need Anderson on the field if they want to have any chance at knocking off Pittsburgh, as the Temple product has been on a tear in recent weeks.

Compton and Thomas have not practiced this week and are questionable for Sunday’s game against the Steelers in Week 16. New York signed wide receiver Josh Malone to their active roster on Thursday, which could be an indication of the direction Thomas is trending with Sunday approaching.

Thursday's Injury Report #PITvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/5dhzAmlP6C

— NYJ Communications (@NYJetsPR) December 19, 2019

Jamal Adams, Henry Anderson, Kelvin Beachum, Arthur Maulet, Steve McLendon, Brian Poole, Bilal Powell, Quinnen Williams and B.J. Bello were all limited in practice on Thursday. All nine players are trending towards suiting up against the Steelers.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin no longer has relationship with Jets RB Le’Veon Bell

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t have much to offer when discussing Jets running back Le’Veon Bell on Wednesday.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and Jets running back Le’Veon Bell won’t be exchanging pleasantries before Pittsburgh and New York kick off on Sunday.

After sitting out all of last season due to a contractual dispute, Bell left the Steelers and signed a four-year, $56.5 million deal with the Jets in March. Tomlin has not kept in touch with his former star running back since he left Pittsburgh and isn’t exactly giddy to reunite with him this weekend.

“I have none,” Tomlin said when asked if he had any sort of relationship with Bell. “I don’t communicate with him. He’s a New York Jet.”

It’s understandable if Tomlin is harboring any sour grapes towards Bell. His contractual dispute with the Steelers rubbed many within the organization the wrong way and drew plenty of criticism. Tomlin went as far as saying Bell had a “complete game”, but didn’t offer too many praises for the 27-year-old tailback or lend any insight into whether Pittsburgh has an advantage going up against its former feature back.

“I don’t have to tackle him. I don’t have a lot to worry about,” Tomlin said. “Tackling him is the issue. His teammates have seen him in [a] training-camp like setting. It won’t be the first time those guys had a chance to combat him in those ways.”

Bell became a star with the Steelers, appearing in three Pro Bowls and establishing himself as one of the NFL’s elite running backs. He hasn’t been able to achieve the same success in his first season with the Jets, recording only 676 rushing yards, 404 receiving yards and four total touchdowns in 13 games.

The hope is that Bell will be able to exact some revenge against his former team in Week 16. Either way, there is certainly no love lost between the running back and his former head coach.

Jets are underdogs in Le’Veon Bell’s first meeting against Steelers

Jets seated as underdogs in Le’Veon Bell’s first meeting against the Steelers

Fans and media alike had this game circled on their calendars well before Week 1. How would Le’Veon Bell perform in his first game against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers?

If the oddsmakers have any say in the matter, not well enough. But, it may be closer than expected.

Gang Green is currently seated as a slight 2.5-point underdog, per BetMGM. They are +105 in the spread, possess a money line of +125 and will have the benefit of playing on their home turf.

Pittsburgh, as 2.5-point favorites, are -125 against the spread and have a money line of -154.

The over/under is set at 38.5 points, with the lines resting at -115 for the over and -106 with the under. The last time these two met, they combined for 44 points in a Steelers win at home in 2016.

The Steelers hold a steep advantage over the Jets all-time. Pittsburgh is 20-5-0 and has seen the likes of a nine-game win streak to begin the series.

New York is seated in third place of the AFC East at 5-9 entering this weekend. The Steelers are second in the AFC North at 8-6.

These two teams will meet at MetLife Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. in what might be a revenge game for the Jets’ star running back. While that may be the case, oddsmakers suggest he might not experience the outcome he’s been anticipating.

Steelers QB Devlin Hodges gets starting nod against Jets in Week 16

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that Devlin “Duck” Hodges will start against the Jets on Sunday.

The Jets are going to have a chance to go duck hunting when the Steelers come to town on Sunday.

Despite a rough performance against a Buffalo Bills defense he proclaimed nothing special on Sunday Night Football in Week 15, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced on Tuesday that Devlin “Duck” Hodges will start for Pittsburgh on Sunday.

“I think it’s reasonable to expect growth from young players as they get exposure,” Tomlin said. “Sometimes that exposure can be negative exposure, like his experience in the last game, but exposure nonetheless is a tool for growth.

“Particularly at the quarterback position, I think it’s reasonable to expect him to learn from those negative experiences from last Sunday night and apply it to this next opportunity and really, hopefully not make those same mistakes twice.”

Instead of pulling the plug on the rookie after one bad game, Tomlin is opting to give him a chance at redemption against a banged up Jets secondary in what is essentially a must-win game for a Steelers squad looking to remain in the hunt for the final AFC Wild Card spot. By keeping Hodges under center, Tomlin is placing a lot of faith in a player who never figured to be in this position.

An undrafted free agent out of FCS Samford, Hodges began 2019 at the bottom of Pittsburgh’s depth chart. A season-ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger moved up him to No. 2 behind Mason Rudolph before Hodges took over for the injured Rudolph in Week 6 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Hodges played relatively well in his first career start, going 15-20 for 132 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rudolph returned after Pittsburgh’s bye and took over center once again until Week 12, when he was yanked mid-game against the Bengals. Hodges relieved Rudolph in that game and has not relinquished the quarterback position since despite rather pedestrian stats. Hodges has only thrown for 884 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions, but has kept the Steelers in the playoff race with a 3-1 record.

Even with Gregg Williams throwing everything he has at him, it’s safe to assume Hodges will improve upon his four-interception performance against the Bills against a New York secondary that got torched by Lamar Jackson in its most recent outing and is in dire straits due to an assortment of injuries to key contributors.

If he doesn’t, let’s just say the duck might not be flying in Pittsburgh much longer.

Jets WR Robby Anderson joins exclusive undrafted free agent club

Robby Anderson became the fifth NFL player to reach 3,000 receiving yards in his first four seasons after entering the league as a UDFA.

Robby Anderson’s season began rather quietly, but the fourth-year receiver recently joined an exclusive club of undrafted players.

Anderson became the fifth NFL player since 1970 to reach 3,000 receiving yards in his first four seasons after entering the league as an undrafted free agent. The list includes former Jets WR Wayne Chrebet, an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra.

Here’s the full list:

3,000 Receiving Yards Club
Player	Team	1st 4 Yrs	Recs	Yds	Avg	TDs
1. Victor Cruz	NYG	2010-13	241	3626	15.0	23
2. Wayne Chrebet	NYJ	1995-98	283	3517	12.4	18
3. Antonio Gates	SD	2003-06	265	3378	12.7	34
4. Drew Pearson	DAL	1973-76	188	3103	16.5	18
5. Robby Anderson	NYJ	2016-19	202	3009	14.9	19

Through the first four games this season, Anderson had just 11 receptions for 131 yards. When Sam Darnold returned from his bout with mono, Anderson immediately jumped back onto the scene. In Week 6 against Dallas, he caught five passes for 125 yards, including a 92-yard score.

With his name circling trade rumors and the Jets offense reeling, Anderson’s production again hit a standstill. However, over the past four games, he has been red hot. In his past four contests, Anderson has caught 22 of 34 targets for 370 yards and two scores.

His Thursday night performance put him over the 3,000-yard mark. Anderson caught four passes for 66 yards in the Jets’ 42-21 loss to the Ravens on Thursday Night Football.

With two games left to play against two of the best defensive backfields in the NFL, it’s unlikely that Anderson is going to set any career highs. Anderson is 271 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

Still, he continues to put himself in a position to get paid this offseason when he hits free agency. It remains to be seen if the Jets will be the ones to pay him, but Anderson is due for a sizeable contract nonetheless.

6 young Jets with a chance to impress over New York’s final 2 games

The Jets Wire takes a crack at listing the six young Jets players with a chance to make a name for themselves with two games remaining.

With the Jets having just two games remaining this season, the team has a real chance to take a seat and step into self-evaluation mode.

New York has nothing to play for, while its next two opponents, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, have playoff sights with two weeks remaining in the 2019 season. Now is a chance for the Jets’ young players to step up, especially with the injury bug allowing for these opportunities.

The Jets have used 70 players this season, which is the most in the NFL. When Jeff Smith, a UDFA WR out of Boston Collge was placed on injured reserve, he became the 17th Jet to hit IR this season. That high number has enabled some of the Jets’ younger players, including multiple names from the 2019 draft class, to see increased playing time.

With that said, here are six young Jets with a chance to impress over New York’s final two games.

TE Trevon Wesco

The Jets’ fourth-round pick out of West Virginia has seen limited playing time, mostly as a full-back, but Wesco has a chance to see increased opportunities.

New York placed Ryan Griffin on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury, while Daniel Brown missed multiple assignments in the Jets’ 42-21 loss to Baltimore.

Wesco has one career catch for 15 yards and one rushing attempt for two yards. Both of his touches came in the Jets’ 34-27 win over the Giants. With Sam Darnold in need of another security blanket, look for Wesco to make an impact in both the passing and blocking game.

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