QuickFix: Reviewing the rotations against the Panthers

Let's start today's analysis with a quick review of the rotations on offense and defense in yesterday's game.

A move away from three wide receiver sets

With Jeremy Kerley suspended, some Jets fans were looking forward to seeing more of ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen. And they have. But not much.

On Sunday, the Jets didn't operate out of three-receiver packages very often. Until the three minute mark of the first half, they'd only used three receivers together on three plays. They didn't do this much in the third quarter either.

As a result, fullback Lawrence Thomas played a career high number of snaps, while Stewart was in for less than 10 plays and Hansen's reps were also way down on last week.

It will be disappointing if the Jets don't get more out of Hansen or Stewart so that they just end up reinserting Kerley when he returns from his suspension. If the Jets don't trust the rookies yet, then why is Jalin Marshall - a guy they seemed to trust just fine last season - still on the practice squad?

Inactive list raises some eyebrows

It's not often we comment on the inactive list here but this week's list had a couple of interesting elements with the Jets being essentially completely healthy.

Aside from the usual mainstays - Christian Hackenberg, Obum Gwacham and Derrick Jones - the Jets had Jonotthan Harrison, Ben Ijalana, Robert Nelson and Freddie Bishop on the list.

Having two linemen inactive meant that the Jets had just seven available, with Dakota Dozier and Brent Qvale's versatility meaning any of the positions would have been covered. Qvale played a decent amount of snaps as a sixth lineman anyway. Is this really the best use they can find for Ijalana and his $6 million salary though?

Bishop and David Bass seem to be taking it in turns as to who sits out. Bass got some rotational reps on the edge this week. As for Nelson, the Jets seem to have moved Rashard Robinson ahead of him, even though Robinson has yet to get any defensive reps.

All your base are belong to me

Another player getting a season high number of reps was Mike Pennel, mainly due to Steve McLendon's third quarter injury.

The Jets didn't change their gameplan though, which saw them not using any dime packages and spending the majority of the game in base, possibly to counter the built-in flexibility that Christian McCaffrey gives the Panthers offense. Pennel just took over McLendon's reps as the nose in a 3-4 front.

The Jets would ultimately only use five defensive backs all day on defense.

Previously: Special Teams Analysis