ESPN reporter predicts Dolphins will sign WR Robby Anderson this offseason

ESPN’s Rich Cimini predicts the Dolphins will sign WR Robby Anderson in his Jets offseason objectives writeup.

If there were one area of the Miami Dolphins’ roster that didn’t need a ton of help, fans would probably point to the wide receiver position. And they’re right — given the career resurgence of DeVante Parker and the promising start by undrafted rookie Preston Williams, the Dolphins aren’t exactly hurting at the wide receiver position.

But with a difficult decision looming over WR Albert Wilson and injury issues aplenty for the likes of Jakeem Grant, Allen Hurns and even the aforementioned Williams, no position should be considered “safe” from an upgrade. Even wide receiver.

Which is what makes the prediction by ESPN’s Rich Cimini so intriguing. Cimini penned several offseason objectives for the New York Jets today — and among them was to not overpay for standout WR Robby Anderson. Cimini went on to predict that Anderson would leave New York to come play in Miami for his former wide receivers coach, Karl Dorrell.

Here’s what Cimini had to say about Anderson’s current prognosis as a pro:

Anderson is expected to seek a contract that will pay him at least $14 million a year, which would put him in the top 15 among wide receivers. The Jets are justifiably hesitant to go that high. While he has made nice strides in recent weeks, demonstrating a willingness to fight for contested balls, Anderson hasn’t elevated himself to the point where he deserves to be paid like a star.

He’s never had a 1,000-yard season, he’s not a red zone threat and he’s a slow starter. There’s also some concern about his off-the-field habits, even though he has stayed out of trouble for nearly two years. – Rich Cimini, ESPN

The $14M per season payout is a steep one, even for a team like the Dolphins, who are projected to enter this offseason with the most cap space in the NFL. That figure would be $4M more per season than what the Dolphins just paid out to DeVante Parker on his recent extension.

The prospect of adding Anderson is an exciting one, but not at that financial commitment for Miami. The Dolphins have pledged to be aggressive, so expect them to spend. And Anderson will turn 27 years old in May, so he’s the appropriate age for a young Dolphins team looking to establish a young core and grow into a competitor together. Heck, Anderson attended South Planation High School in Broward County, too — there are plenty of dots to connect between Anderson and the Dolphins between that and his relationship with Dorrell.

But if the Dolphins are going to sign Anderson and Cimini’s prediction is to come true, it will have to be because Anderson finds his salary demands are too rich for the collective NFL. Then, and only then, would this signing make sense for the Dolphins.

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Sticking to the ground game among keys to Jets’ offense vs. Bills

Jets Wire breaks down what it’s going to take for the Jets to have success on offense against the Bills on Sunday.

The final week of the 2019 regular season is upon us.

The Jets will take the field for the final time this season on Sunday when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. New York is looking to exact revenge against Buffalo after blowing a 16-point lead to the Bills in Week 1, but it’s not going to be an easy task with Buffalo now established as one of the premier teams in the AFC.

The Bills have relied on their defense to carry them to the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Josh Allen and company have been solid on offense throughout the season, but Buffalo’s calling card is dominant defensive play.

Knowing what the Bills bring to the table defensively, let’s take a look at what the Jets will have to do on offense if they want to put points on the board in Week 17.

Stick to the ground game

If there’s one way to beat the Bills’ defense, it’s running the football.

Buffalo boasts an elite pass defense that ranks third in the NFL with only 195.9 passing yards allowed per game. Its run defense is solid, but ranks outside of the top 10, allowing 4.3 yards per carry and 104.2 rushing yards per game.

Le’Veon Bell has seen a relatively heavy workload in New York’s last two games. There’s no reason to stray away from a run-heavy gameplan in Week 17 considering it plays to the Bills’ lone weakness on defense.

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Adam Gase shoulders blame for Sam Darnold’s blunder; praises the way he managed game vs. Steelers

Adam Gase blamed himself for Sam Darnold’s costly turnover, which allowed the Steelers to tie the game at 10 in the Jets 16-10 win on Sunday

The Jets’ offensive performance in their 16-10 win over the Steelers in Week 16 wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly what Adam Gase had hoped for.

In order to pull off the upset, New York knew it needed to win a dog fight on offense, defense and special teams. Gase expected the game to be a low-scoring, defensive battle where Gang Green had to rely on avoiding self-inflicted mistakes.

Despite low offensive production, the gameplan went accordingly. Gase praised Sam Darnold’s ability to manage the game, limiting the second-year quarterback to controlling the tempo of a defensive-dominated game.

“He played that game exactly the way that we talked about it on Wednesday,” Gase said on Monday. “When we met with our team and we talked about how we had to play that game, offense, defense and special teams, it was, outside of that one play, our guys executed what we wanted to do as a team. That was what really excited me because we took what we talked about on Wednesday, we practiced the right way, and then we went out and executed it.”

Darnold didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but that’s not was his head coach was asking of him in Week 16. He completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 183 yards and a lone touchdown, which came on the Jets’ opening drive.

After the Jets’ opening 11-play, 75-yard drive, the offense sputtered. New York averaged only 4.1 plays for 15.3 yards per drive through its next 12 possessions, which netted nine points and one trip to the red zone.

Still, Darnold avoided throwing any interceptions and only turned the ball over on a strip-sack by T.J. Watt — a play that allowed the Steelers to tie the game at 10 before halftime.

Gase shouldered the blame for that mistake, insisting it was his fault with the way the Jets were lined up. Darnold, who has always been accountable in his two years with the Jets, refused to let his head coach accept the blame. Instead, he accepted responsibility for holding on to the ball for too long.

“I put us in a bad spot,” Gase said. “He was waiting on a route which is 100 percent on me, I wish I would’ve stayed with a different personnel grouping which would’ve helped him in that situation get the ball out quicker, it was just a bad call by me that forced him to hold onto the ball.”

NFL Draft: Jets remain among Top 10 despite Week 16 win

Jets Wire takes a look at where New York stands in the 2020 NFL draft following its win over the Steelers in Week 16.

Once a foregone conclusion that the Jets would have a top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, New York is in danger of following out of that range following its 16-10 win over the Steelers last weekend.

Gang Green currently sits at No. 10 in the latest NFL draft order with Week 16 in the books after entering the week in possession of the No. 7 overall pick. A 5-2 stretch over its last seven games has put New York out of range to land the cream of the 2020 crop, but the Jets will still have an opportunity to land an impact player with this year’s draft class being a deep one.

New York will have its draft pick set in stone by this team next week with the final week of the regular season approaching. The Jets will face a stout Buffalo Bills squad that plans on playing its starters in Week 17. New York will be out for revenge on Sunday, as it let a 16-point lead slip away against Buffalo in Week 1.

If the Jets lose to the Bills on Sunday, there’s a strong chance they remain in the top 10. This would behoove the organization considering the many holes that need to be filled this offseason. With that being said, the players on the field couldn’t care less about draft position heading into their final game of the season.

As Jamal Adams said on Tuesday, the Jets are going hunting on the final weekend of December. A win would come at the expense of a top 10 draft pick, but a 6-2 hot streak to end the season could pay dividends beyond the draft heading into 2020.

USA TODAY NFL Power Rankings: Jets jump two spots after beating Steelers

Where do the Jets stand in the latest USA Today NFL Power Rankings? Jets Wire takes a look.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Jets’ 16-10 victory over the Steelers in Week 16 was enough to propel Gang Green up two spots in the latest edition of the USA Today NFL power rankings.

New York rises from No. 23 to No. 21 following its sixth win of the season. The Jets got off to a 10-0 start against Pittsburgh, but sputtered offensively for the remainder of the afternoon. If it weren’t for the leg of Sam Ficken and arguably the best play of safety Marcus Maye’s career on the Steelers’ final offensive possession of the game, things easily could’ve gone the other way.

Gang Green will have a chance to finish on a high note and rise one last time in the rankings in Week 17 against the Bills. Currently No. 9 in the rankings, Buffalo will play its starters against New York despite being locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. It remains to be seen how long Sean McDermott will roll with his starters, but it could play a major role in the Jets’ ability to end the season 7-9.

As for the rest of the AFC East, the Patriots jump up two spots from No. 9 to No. 7 following their nail-biting win over the Bills. The Dolphins stood pat at No. 29.

The Baltimore Ravens remained atop the rankings, while the San Francisco 49ers rose from No. 4 to No. 2 as the NFC’s premier team. The Saints dropped one spot from No. 2 to No. 3, the Kansas City Chiefs jumped up a spot from No. 5 to No. 4 and the Green Bay Packers entered the top five after being ranked sixth a week ago.

Jets Injury Report: Alex Lewis, Tom Compton sit out walk through

Jets injury report 12/24/19.

The Jets might be short on offensive linemen when they travel to Buffalo in Week 17.

New York had a walkthrough on Tuesday in which both Tom Compton (calf) and Alex Lewis (ankle) did not participate. Compton missed last week’s 16-10 win over the Steelers and was replaced in the starting lineup by Conor McDermott. If either Compton or Lewis cannot play against the Bills, McDermott or Brent Qvale will assume a starting spot on the offensive line. If both are not healthy enough to suit up, both McDermott and Qvale will start, giving the Jets an offensive line made up primarily of backups.

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) was also a non-participant in the walkthrough. The veteran has not played since Week 14 against the Dolphins.

Jamal Adams was limited on Tuesday, but for maintenance purposes. His status for Week 17 is not up in the air.

Ex-Giant Brandon Marshall rips Darrelle Revis, Sheldon Richardson

Former New York Giants WR Brandon Marshall ripped his ex-Jets teammates, Darrelle Revis and Sheldon Richardson, for their 2015 failures.

Former New York Giants wide receiver Brandon Marshall is still sour over how the 2015 season concluded for his then-New York Jets, imploding in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills and subsequently missing the playoffs.

Four years later and Marshall has not let go of that frustration, and he’s got cornerback cornerback Darrelle Revis and Sheldon Richardson to thank for that.

“Being brutally honest … you had guys like Darrelle Revis, who just was stealing from us and didn’t show up, didn’t get off the bus, and I was disappointed,” Marshall said on the New York Post’s “Gang’s All Here” podcast.

“But that’s Darrelle Revis, that’s Sheldon Richardson … the big guys that we were counting on, they didn’t show up … being brutally honest. That whole year on that defensive side, man … if those guys were who we thought they were, we probably would have went on to just crush the playoffs.”

Instead, the Jets finished with a 10-6 record and just missed out on the playoffs due to their Week 17 loss and a win by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That season, Revis was in his second stint with the team, having signed a deal for $16 million after spending some time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, earning a Super Bowl ring in the process. He appeared in just 14 games that season and was a shell of his former self.

In that Week 17 game, he surrendered 11 receptions and 136 yards to then-Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins, while Richardson recorded six tackles.

Marshall, meanwhile, caught eight passes for 126 yards in the game. In his 13 seasons, he never once made the NFL Playoffs.

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On This Date: Giants, Victor Cruz crush Jets’ spirit on Christmas Eve

In one of the most magical Christmas moments in New York Giants, Victor Cruz crushed the New York Jets’ soul on this date in history.

Eight years ago to the day, wide receiver Victor Cruz gifted the New York Giants with a franchise-altering 99-yard touchdown against their cross-town rivals, the New York Jets.

On Christmas Eve in 2011, the Giants were 7-7 and their playoff lives were on the line. On the opposing sideline, the Rex Ryan-led Jets were coming off their second consecutive AFC championship game appearance and, sitting at 8-6, were battling to get back into the NFL Playoffs.

For one team and their fans, it was going to be a very merry Christmas. For the other team and their fans, it would be coal in their stockings and booze in their eggnog.

Late in the second quarter, the Jets were leading 7-3 and had the Giants pinned at the one-yard line. With another stop, it felt like the Jets would have a chance to bury the Giants once and for all.

Instead, wide receiver Victor Cruz would deliver a Christmas miracle like Santa Claus himself.

On a third-and-10, quarterback Eli Manning connected with Cruz around the 11-yard line. With a quick juke, Cruz escaped a tackle and then took off. The MetLife Stadium crowd erupted, Cruz broke out the salsa and the Giants would ultimately be propelled to a 29-14 victory.

It was a Christmas miracle that helped fuel the Giants en route to a Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots. And to this day, it still eats away at Ryan.

“There’s no question it sticks with you,” Ryan told Newsday in 2015. “It was Christmas Eve, we were in complete control, third-and-10, and they hit the 99-yard touchdown pass.

“If you could point to a play that turned not just the game around, but maybe the season around, it was that play. The Giants came out a totally different team, and they carried it through. It changed their fortune, and it certainly changed ours with that play and that loss.”

The Giants delivered a small Christmas gift to their fans this season, defeating the Washington Redskins, 41-35 in overtime, but the game had far less consequence and it pales in comparison to that year, that play and that moment.

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New York Jets at Buffalo Bills odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s New York Jets at Buffalo Bills sports betting odds and lines, with Week 17 NFL betting picks, tips and best bets.

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The New York Jets (6-9) will be trying to send the AFC East-rival Buffalo Bills (10-5) into the postseason with one more loss as the two sides meet at New Era Field Sunday of Week 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. We analyze the Jets-Bills odds and sports betting lines, while providing sports betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Jets at Bills: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

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The Bills claimed a 17-16 road victory when the two sides met in Week 1. Bills QB Josh Allen threw for 254 yards, while Jets QB Sam Darnold passed for 175 yards. The Jets rushed for just 68 yards as a team.
New York enters off of a 16-10 home win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets are 5-2 since Week 10.
Buffalo fell by a 24-17 count to the rival New England Patriots Saturday of Week 16.
Allen doesn’t have a 300-yard passing game on the season. Darnold has two. The Jets allow 236.2 passing yards per game while the Bills rank third in the NFL with 195.9 pass yards allowed per game.
The Bills rank second with just 16.4 points per game surrendered. The Jets have given up 23.5 PPG.
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t yet decided which starters, if any, will be resting for Week 17 with the AFC’s top wild-card spot already secured.
The Bills are set to visit the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. The Jets are projected to pick ninth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jets at Bills: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 9:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Bills 17, Jets 13

Moneyline (?)

The BILLS (-125) are the better team overall and should be the pick regardless of who starts and sits this week. Matt Barkley could draw the start in place of Allen, but the Bills are still deep enough at the other skill positions and have one of the NFL’s top defensive units. They’re a good pick at the early-week odds, and will be worth doubling down if they shift to slight home dogs with the potential inactive ruling for Allen.

The Bills are 4-3 at home while the Jets are just 1-6 on the road.

Against the Spread (?)

The better number for the BILLS (-1.5, -110) comes on the spread where they’ll need to win by 2 or more points for a bet to cash. Buffalo is a league-best 9-4-2 against the spread overall and covers the line by 3.6 points per game. New York has covered the spread in just six of 15 games and falls an average of 0.8 PPG below the cover line.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Bills to win by at least 2 points and cover the spread returns a profit of $9.09 while the same wager for the outright win on the moneyline returns a profit of $8.

Over/Under (?)

Take the UNDER 36.5 (-110). The projected total is the lowest of the week. The Bills are 4-11 against the Over/Under and fall an average of 4.1 points below the line. The Jets are 7-8 and come up 1.4 PPG shy of the projections. The Bills haven’t scored 20 points in any of their last three games.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NFL betting record: 50-45

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Former Jets WR Brandon Marshall calls out Darrelle Revis, Sheldon Richardson for roles in 2015 collapse

Former Jets WR Brandon Marshall accuses Darrelle Revis, Sheldon Richardson of stealing money during infamous 2015 collapse in Buffalo.

The Jets 2019 season finale ends in Buffalo, the same place where Brandon Marshall’s playoff hopes died four years ago.

Marshall, one of the better wide receivers of his generation, played with seven teams from 2006-18 and never appeared in the playoffs. Prior to the 2015 season, Marshall was traded to the Jets as a new regime sought its No. 1 wide receiver. He finished the season with 109 receptions on 174 targets for 1,502 yards and14 touchdowns.

Marshall’s best chance at postseason play came in his first season with Gang Green. The Jets stood at 10-5 after beating the New England Patriots in a walk-off overtime thriller the week before. All that was needed was a win over the Bills in Week 17 and New York would be in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.

The Jets lost to Buffalo and missed the postseason. Marshall felt like he was robbed of a career first and he’s still angered about the events that transpired in the Jets’ Week 17 collapse in Buffalo. Never one to hold back, Marshall took shots at former teammates over the most important game of his career.

“Being brutally honest … you had guys like Darrelle Revis, who just was stealing from us and didn’t show up, didn’t get off the bus, and I was disappointed,” Marshall said on the latest episode of the New York Post’s “Gang’s All Here” podcast.

The Jets had a simple task. Win and they clinched a Wild Card berth. Unfortunately for Marshall, the team crumbled under pressure. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three backbreaking interceptions as Rex Ryan got the last laugh in the Bills 22-17 Week 17 upset. Marshall caught eight passes for 126 yards and a score in the game, but it wasn’t enough.

Revis reunited with the team who drafted him when he signed a lucrative contract upwards of $16 million per year in March of 2015. He proved to be a shell of his former self and no longer posed as shutdown threat that he did when he first donned the green and white.

In that Week 17 game, Revis was tasked with covering Sammy Watkins, who wound up catching 11 passes for 136 yards in winning fashion. In the trenches, Richardson six total tackles and two TFLs.

Marshall and Richardson have a long-standing feud that boiled over in the Jets locker room following a 24-3 loss to the Chiefs during the 2016 season, in which Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions.

Since then, Marshall has decided to take the high-road in what he described as a “one-sided feud.” However, he could no longer bite his tongue regarding postseason play. Marshall’s 13-year career never went beyond the first week of January.

In his eyes, he has some former teammates to blame for that.