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Going into Friday morning, four New York Jets starters were listed as non-participants in practice.
After head coach Robert Saleh addressed the media, however, two were officially ruled out against the New Orleans Saints. Team reporter Eric Allen relayed the news on Twitter.
He wrote per Saleh: “CB Michael Carter II, RB Tevin Coleman and FB Trevon Wesco are OUT. WR Elijah Moore and RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif are questionable at this stage. Saleh says they are day-to-day.”
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Contingency Plan for Carter, Coleman
Wesco was always unlikely to play but the Carter and Coleman update is disappointing. Both players suffered concussions against the Philadelphia Eagles and neither passed the necessary NFL protocols for a return.
We’ll start on the defensive side. With the nickelback sidelined, the Jets will most likely shift Javelin Guidry back into the slot — his natural role. The bigger question is: who will start on the outside opposite Bryce Hall?
Rookie starter Brandin Echols did return to practice earlier this week and according to Saleh, there’s a chance he reclaims the role on Sunday. “He’s been putting together a good week of practice, we’ll have the discussion after practice today to see how he does but yeah, he definitely has a chance to be up this week,” the Jets HC stated.
If Echols is unable to go, either Isaiah Dunn or Jason Pinnock would be called upon to start. The fellow-rookies have not performed up to snuff in their previous opportunities.
Saleh also commended Guidry for his intelligence and “football IQ,” which has helped him transition back and forth from nickel to corner.
The Saints aren’t known for their passing attack in 2021 with Michael Thomas out indefinitely — especially when Taysom Hill starts at quarterback — but they do have a couple of deep threats in Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway. This secondary must be mindful of that on play action.
Switching over to offense, the writing was on the wall at running back after the Jets signed Austin Walter to the active roster earlier this week. With RB Michael Carter on the injured reserve, Coleman out and Josh Adams now with the Saints — ironically — Mike LaFleur is down to his last three horses.
Saleh spoke on the current running back room: “Austin [Walter], [La’Mical] Perine, obviously Ty Johnson. Again, those three getting the chance to run the ball and touch it and make a difference on this team. Anytime one person is down, it gives an opportunity for another one.”
Outside of Coleman, the other backs were virtually nonexistent in Week 13 so we’ll have to look back to Houston. After Johnson struggled during the first half against the Texans, Walter showed some potential as an unsung hero that helped lead the Jets to victory.
The final stats are a bit misleading based on a 24-yard draw play by Johnson late in the game. Before that, he had carried 5 attempts for 18 yards (3.6-yard clip). Walter’s 4.2 yards per carry was on pace with Coleman, plus he also scored a touchdown.
Johnson is probably still the best pass-catcher of the three but it’s unclear who will get the ball on the early downs. The 2020 fourth-rounder, Perine, has only received one rushing attempt in 2021.
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Update on Moore, LDT
We discussed why a Duvernay-Tardif absence could mean the return of Greg Van Roten last night, but Saleh has not ruled out the offensive lineman or Moore just yet.
The Jets HC voiced that the coaching staff is going to give both players “a run” at practice today (Dec. 10) and tomorrow (Dec. 11). When asked to elaborate on the star wide receiver, he said: “Again, it’s just trying to make sure that he’s good with his quad and really just putting him through a good workout to see where he’s at.”
As much as we’d all like to see Moore on the field, it’s important not to rush him back too soon. Keep in mind, Corey Davis just played through a groin injury and after one tweak, his day-to-day issue became a season-ending injury.
The Jets cannot let the same thing happen with the dynamic rookie out of Ole Miss.
“You’re always going to have injuries,” Saleh noted when asked about his snake-bitten roster. “The league always has injuries, you never want the volume obviously, but injuries happen in this league. It’s a war of attrition and you’re just trying to get as healthy as you can for the home stretch… the silver lining in this case like you said is we’re getting the chance to see a lot of different players.”
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