QuickFix: Reviewing the rotations against the Bucs
Let's start today's analysis with a quick review of the rotations on offense and defense in yesterday's game.
Emptying the tank?
With a bye week coming, you might expect the Jets to stretch their stars to the limit, knowing that they had two weeks to prepare for the next game.
However, Leonard Williams actually played in a season-low 70 percent of the snaps against the Bucs. In fact, after playing over 85% of the snaps last year, he's only been over that mark three times in the first 10 games.
Williams was reportedly dealing with a wrist issue earlier in the year, which was expected to bother him all year. However, they quietly started listing him on the injury report with a back injury recently. Perhaps this is a sign he's been more banged-up than anyone realized.
Rookie receivers finally get their shot
There were plenty of theories as to what the Jets would do with Jeremy Kerley out and ArDarius Stewart questionable, but in the end Stewart was able to play and the Jets kept things relatively simple.
As usual, the Jets mainly operated with three wide receivers and Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson on the field most of the time. Chad Hansen got the majority of the number three receiver reps, while the only reps Stewart got (10) were on plays where Anderson came out of the game. Kearse actually got most of the reps in the slot.
The Jets didn't use any two-running back sets and reduced Eric Tomlinson's workload back to its usual level with Lawrence Thomas back in the lineup. Third tight end Neal Sterling was on the field for five plays.
Responding to Claiborne's injury
Morris Claiborne gave up a 22-yard pass play to DeSean Jackson where he couldn't keep up with him going across the field and then exited the game immediately and did not return. He said this wasn't a recurrence of his foot injury so maybe it was just a matter of him knowing he hadn't recovered enough to contribute properly.
After he left, the Jets secondary held up quite well without him. Once again, they didn't change their plan, just elevated the fourth corner - Juston Burris - to the nickel package and Darryl Roberts back into the starting lineup.
As ever the Jets just had a three man rotation at corner and a couple of snaps where Skrine was dinged up and, surprisingly, Rontez Miles replaced him in the nickel. The only other changes in the secondary where when they ran the Miles/Davis dime package.