(Image credit Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Week 3 of the NFL season kicked off where the New York Jets lost to the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium 26-0. We all knew that this game was not going to be a close one for the Jets but while watching the Jets play I got more annoyed by the performance of this team. I thought the Jets were going to be competitive in this game and at least try not to be embarrassing. Boy was I completely wrong. It was a joke that the Jets did not even score a point in this game. I contemplated turning off the TV at the end of the third quarter as this team clearly gave up and were unprepared all game. But I decided not to because I feel that it would go against being a true fan of this team. I have loved this team for multiple years and I have stuck by them for many seasons. This game was so embarrassing that I contemplated making this a Top 10 list for the Jets players that were disappointing in this game. I decided against it because there were a few players that were not embarrassing and tried in this game but my goodness I was super close to doing it. Before we get into the list I want to congratulate the Denver Broncos as they looked amazing in this game and their defense is one of the top defenses in football now. Kudos to Teddy Bridgewater as he has been a player that I have liked throughout his football career and finally has a place where he can showcase his skills and stay as the potential long-term starter. The Broncos are a legit team and I am excited to see them play the entire season. So now let's get to this list where I will go through five players that both were impressive and disappointing.
1. Player Who Impressed - OL George Fant
The offensive line was completely terrible all game vs the Broncos (We Will get to that shortly). But George Fant was not completely terrible in this game as this was his best performance all season. He definitely improved his foot technique and was solid as a pass blocker and I think he only had two times allowed defenders to pressure Zach Wilson all game. But he needs to be more consistent as a run blocker and he even missed some blocks on occasion.
2. Player Who Disappointed - RB Ty Johnson
The Running game for the Jets did nothing in this game. Tevin Coleman and La’Mical Perine did not play in this game due to injuries. While a lot of people were disappointed in Michael Carter in this game and they have points. Remember he is still a rookie and will have growing pains. I was more disappointed in the performance of Ty Johnson. Even though he had three carries in this game including a 13-yard run Johnson was terrible in the passing game. He was targeted 6 times and only had 1 reception for 6 yards. Johnson was a liability in the passing game and was terrible running routes all game.
3. Player Who Impressed - DT Quinnen Williams
Quinnen Williams has gotten better and better every year in the NFL. He continues to be a wrecking ball on this defensive line. He has had a ton of impact as he provided a ton of pressure to Teddy Bridgewater as he pressured him two times and had 1.5 sacks in this game. While the run defense was not good at all for this defense Williams did what he could to stop the running game. I often saw Williams get double blocked many times on defense as he has had a big impact on this defense. He definitely is one of the best players on this defense and I am happy that he has improved and should be a part of this team for the long term.
4. Player Who Disappointed - WR Braxton Berrios
There is the Berrios that we saw most of last season. He was once again a liability on this offense once again. He had two big drops in this game, one at the beginning of the game and the other which led to an interception thrown by Zach Wilson. Even though Berrios had a 22-yard reception he was once again sloppy in his route running. He also was poor with his leaping ability as well as which led to some overthrown balls being thrown at him. Berrios also did nothing on special teams. I don’t even think he had a Punt return at all in this game. Definitely, a bad game for the receiver core, and Denzel Mims better be active next week now that Elijah Moore could be out due to a concussion and TE Tyler Kroft injuring his ribs.
5. Player Who Impressed - LB Quincy Williams
The Brother of Quinnen Williams Quincy performed a lot better in this game than his performance vs the New England Patriots. He had made a ton of strong solo tackles all game. He even forced a fumble in this game at the goal line and it was recovered by Del’Shawn Philips which put a smile on my face. Now Quincy is a little inconsistent covering Noah Fant and Albert Okwuegbunam but overall compared to other linebackers he was solid in his role. Quincy could be a player of the future if he does develop more during this season.
6. Player Who Disappointed - OL Morgan Moses
This was easily the worst performance in Morgan Moses' career with the New York Jets. He was beaten by defenders multiple different times which led to his blocking being delayed in reaction time. He let Zack Wilson get pressured multiple different times. The worst was when he allowed Von Miller to sack the QB but it was mainly Ty Johnson who missed the block but Moses deserves a bit of the blame as well. Von Miller’s hit was a nasty one and I thought Zach Wilson got hurt with that hit.
7. Player Who Impressed - LB CJ Mosley
Finally, we are getting to see CJ Mosley play as a New York Jet after suffering a Torn ACL during the 2019 season and opting out of the 2020 NFL Season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He had a big impact on this defense as he was all over the place making tackles everywhere. He had an impact stopping the run on many different occasions. He had 10 tackles, four of them being solo and he showed flashes of his old Baltimore Raven self. He even did a nice job drawing penalties as well when he made blitzes to stop the run and open holes for other defenders to provide pressure to the quarterback. Mosley needs to do better in coverage as sometimes he does not provide the tightest bit of coverage. But overall a strong player on this team and didn't make too many mistakes in this game.
8. Player Who Disappointed - OL Greg Van Roten
Another game, another struggling performance by Greg Van Roten. He was terrible in this all game and was a liability as a run blocker and a pass protector. He has lacked a ton of awareness and missed a lot of easy blocks and gets fooled easily by defenders that blitzed him. He was the main reason why Alexander Johnson and Malik Reed were able to dominate all game sacking Zach Wilson and stopping the run game with Michael Carter. If he keeps this bad performance up not only will he not be re-signed next season by the Jets but he could lose his starting spot on the o-line.
9. Player Who Impressed - CB Michael Carter II
At least Michael Carter looked decent in this game. Easily the best player on the secondary in this game. He had done a good job in coverage as he only allowed one catch in this game and was a solid tackler all game. He had two big solo defensive stops to make it 4th down. So far he has been the best defensive draft choice made in the recent draft class by the New York Jets and hopefully, he keeps his momentum up next week against the Titans.
10. Player Who Disappointed - CB Bryce Hall
Bryce Hall has had an up and down tenure with the New York Jets ever since he was drafted in the 5th round in the 2020 NFL Draft. This game was definitely a down game for him. He struggled all game in coverage against Tim Patrick and Courtland Sutton. Hall needs to get a grip and be a consistent tackler as he had moments where he missed big tackles to Melvin Gordan and Javonte Williams. He needs to be a hard hitter and wrap his arms better when making tackles.