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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1.To the rescue? With Davante Adams joining Garrett Wilson, the Jets have their best 1-2 punch at wide receiver since Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker in 2015. Perhaps not coincidentally, that was their last winning season. The organization’s hope is that Adams can galvanize their inconsistent passing attack.
“If we play to our potential, then that’s talking about the Super Bowl,” No. 3 receiver Allen Lazard told ESPN.
At 2-4, there’s a lot of work to be done. The Jets’ receiving corps is ranked last by ESPN Analytics, which uses three components in its tracking metrics — getting open, making the catch and gaining yards after the catch.
Adams, who will make his Jets debut Sunday night at the Pittsburgh Steelers, can impact the offense in many ways — some obvious, some nuanced.
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A receiver Aaron Rodgers can trust: Nothing irks Rodgers more than a player who isn’t in the right place at the right time. (Mike Williams can speak to that.) Adams speaks Rodgers’ language and knows his hand signals, an accumulation of knowledge from eight seasons together. The way they talk about each other, you’d almost expect them to finish each other’s sentences. But you get the point; he provides security for Rodgers.
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A playmaker in the red zone: Receivers need to be precise and win quickly inside the 20-yard line. It’s not happening on a consistent basis, which probably explains why Rodgers is a 50% passer in the red zone. Last week, the offense was 1-for-4. Enter, Adams. Since 2000, only two duos have connected on more red zone touchdowns than Rodgers and Adams — Philip Rivers-Antonio Gates and Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski.
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Force defenses to play more zone: The Jets have faced the highest percentage of man coverage on pass plays, according to Next Gen Stats. In Wilson’s case, it’s often man coverage with a safety over the top, which has stifled him at times. Adams’ presence should force defenses to back off in zone or perhaps roll coverage to Adams. More zone should mean more easy completions for Rodgers.
“I hope it just lets me get some more one-on-ones and do things that I’ve been accustomed to doing,” Wilson told ESPN. “[Adams] is such a dynamic player and the guy that Aaron built a great past, so teams will have to respect that and have to guard it a certain way and account for it. I’m excited to see how it all plays out.”
2. Did you know? Since entering the league in 2014, Adams has basically outperformed the Jets’ entire receiving corps over that span. He has 30 games with at least 100 receiving yards and one touchdown; the Jets’ wideouts have combined for 29 such games over the same period.
3. Slowing down: If there’s a concern about Adams, 31, it’s his decline in speed. In 2020, he averaged 13.64 mph on pass routes. This season, it’s 12.55 mph, per Next Gen Stats. Some will say he compensates with experience and savvy. The Jets hope that’s the case.
4. Elusive 300: Maybe Adams can help Rodgers put an end to that pesky 300-yard game drought — 28 consecutive games (Week 14 in 2021) with fewer than 300, the longest active streak in NFL and by far the longest of his career. He almost snapped it last week (294).
5. Shaky blind side: Do the Jets have an issue at left tackle?
Tyron Smith, one of the league’s most decorated offensive linemen, is off to a shaky start. He already has allowed five sacks, including two in last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, according to Next Gen Stats. He also has been called for five penalties (two accepted).
Compare it to last season with the Dallas Cowboys: Three sacks and three penalties (all accepted) in 13 games.
Clearly, Smith isn’t playing up to the elite standard he set for himself, one that likely will take him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. The Jets signed Smith, 33, because they felt he still had some gas left in the tank, but he hasn’t stabilized the position the way they had hoped.
Todd Downing, the de facto offensive coordinator, said he’s not concerned. He said Smith is an “All-Pro level player.”
“[Smith] knows how to fix little technique things that come up,” Downing said. “… I believe that he’ll get the necessary adjustments made, and we’ll be off and rolling.”
First-round pick Olu Fashanu is waiting his turn, which gives them a viable option if Smith continues to struggle.
6. Sobering stat of the week: The Jets’ scoring after six games — 113 points. After six games in 2023 with Zach Wilson at quarterback — 113 points.
7. Quiet Q: Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams acknowledged he’s not “disrupting the line of scrimmage like I can on run downs.” He gets points for accountability. The numbers back him up. His run-stop mark was 7% last season; now it’s down to 4.4%, per Next Gen Stats.
8. Next three up: One of the things the Jets like about their defense is the depth. Well, it’s about to be tested in the secondary, as they will likely face the Steelers without three of their top five defensive backs — cornerback D.J. Reed (groin), safety Chuck Clark (ankle) and nickel Michael Carter II (back). Reed is questionable, but their likely replacements would be Brandin Echols, Ashtyn Davis and Isaiah Oliver, respectively.
Say this for Echols, he’s the only player on the team with an interception (two).
9. Wally Pipped? This is a big week for C.J. Mosley, Jamien Sherwood and the middle linebacker/signal caller position. Will Mosley get his old job back? Has Sherwood taken it?
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Sherwood’s performance over the past four games will make for a “good conversation” when Mosley (toe) is healthy. Well, that time is now. For the first time in five weeks, Mosley no longer appears on the injury report.
Mosley returned from his injury last week, but he was limited to nine snaps as the third linebacker in their 4-3 base front. Sherwood and Quincy Williams were the every-down ‘backers. The Jets don’t seem to be in a hurry to get Mosley back into his customary role; they’re intrigued by Sherwood’s combination of youth and speed.
10. The last word: “Sunday Night Football” means Cris Collinsworth will be calling the game. Collinsworth also was in the booth (NFL Network) for the first significant game of Rodgers’ career — Nov. 27, 2007, when he replaced an injured Brett Favre and nearly rallied the Packers from a big deficit against the Cowboys.
Rodgers looked shaky on his first drive (a near-interception), prompting Collinsworth to say on air, “They aren’t going to win a whole lot of games with Aaron Rodgers playing quarterback unless things change drastically.” Rodgers never forgot it. When recounting that game in an interview last year, he brought up the dig by Collinsworth, quoting it verbatim.
Collinsworth, in a text to ESPN, said: “I bet Aaron I never said that. I lost. He never forgets anything. It was one play, and he loves keeping that edge, as do a lot of players. After 15 years, he finally told me about it.”
