New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh looks on during a Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Quite a few New York Jets starters got exposed against the Baltimore Ravens and although there were minor bright spots for Gang Green, there are also clear areas that need to be improved.
One was the free safety position, alongside Jordan Whitehead. This role is currently manned by veteran Lamarcus Joyner, who is embarking on his ninth season in the NFL after playing one game in 2021.
To be blunt, Joyner struggled mightily in Week 1 and after the front office sacrificed a promising youngster like Jason Pinnock in order to keep him, that didn’t jive well with Jets fans and analysts.
Analyst ‘Wouldn’t Give Much More Rope to Joyner’
The morning after the Ravens loss on September 12, Jets X-Factor film analyst Michael Nania voiced the following: “I wouldn’t give much more rope to Joyner before turning to Tony Adams. We know he’s not bringing any special physical traits, his appeal is supposed to be experience, and yet he appeared lost on many plays in deep zone coverages.”
I wouldn’t give much more rope to Joyner before turning to Tony Adams. We know he’s not bringing any special physical traits, his appeal is supposed to be experience, and yet he appeared lost on many plays in deep zone coverages
Nania makes a fair point. If Joyner is out there for his veteran savvy, why should the Jets keep him around after a massive blown coverage on the 55-yard touchdown pass and a key penalty earlier in the game?
Pro Football Focus graded him a miserable 29.9 against Baltimore, with a 29.6 score in coverage. The Jet Press pointed out that this was the “lowest [grade] of any defensive back in the NFL in Week 1,” calling it a “nightmare game” for Joyner.
Lamarcus Joyner’s 29.9 PFF grade was the lowest of any defensive back in the NFL in Week 1.
Worst among all safeties and cornerbacks.
Nightmare game for Joyner.
That is the definition of a liability, and considering Joyner is nearing the end of his career — he admitted that he almost retired this offseason — turning to the undrafted rookie makes sense. Even if he’s learning on the job, Adams would be developing into a long-term option and offers much more from an athletic and physical standpoint.
Plus, if he succeeds, fans potentially forget all about Pinnock and Ashtyn Davis — or at least give general manager Joe Douglas a slight pass on those miscues. Whitehead is an NFL-caliber starter, but the Jets need to find a second to pair with him.
D.J. Reed & Sauce Gardner Dominate in Debut
Based on the scoreline, you might have overlooked that the Jets’ top two cornerbacks dominated in Week 1 — seriously, check out these numbers.
Most of the blown coverages were charged to the safeties and backups like Michael Carter II and Bryce Hall. The latter allowed the initial touchdown catch to Ravens WR Devin Duvernay.
Reed earned an elite 90.3 grade (90.0 in coverage) from PFF, on the other hand, with an interception and zero completions allowed. Gardner wasn’t far behind him with a 72.5 in coverage and one reception allowed for eight yards. The first-round pick also had a strong pass breakup on tight end Mark Andrews near the front of the end zone.
Awesome breakdown from @QuincyEnunwa on Sauce Gardner’s PBU in Jets Overtime with @eallenjets and @Anthony_Becht.
Nice play by the No. 4 overall pick.
The Ravens targeted Reed a total of six times through the air and only targeted Gardner a total of three times during their tremendous debut.
If this cornerback pairing can continue to erase opposing playmakers, it will translate to wins in this league eventually. The Jets just need to score some points on offense and shore up their weak points in the secondary — and that plan could begin with head coach Robert Saleh benching Joyner.