BETS!
Spots for Gang
estimation.
Nerves are not part of his makeup days before the first regular-season game of his NFL career.
“Nervous is being scared… and when you’re not prepared,” Adams said. “When you’re prepared, you don’t go out there and play nervous. I’ve never been nervous for a game. I’ve been very anxious for a game, I would say. That’s a better word. But nervous? Never. You can’t be nervous, man. As soon as you’re nervous, the ball goes over your head.”
Maye isn’t daunted by the spotlight, either. He was arguably the best defensive player in training camp. His instincts near and far off the line of scrimmage will make him an indispensable piece for Bowles & Co.
The preseason taught him one sobering lesson: There are no free lunches on fall Sundays.
“Every quarterback that we faced was legit,” Maye said. “You’re going to get that every week. You don’t have any room for error. The window is so small. The quarterbacks did a great job finding those open spots. So, it’s just about closing those small windows and knowing where to be and when to be there.”
Bowles has been careful not to overload his young safeties, but Adams insists that “whatever Coach does throw at us, Marcus and I are definitely going to know it.”
It’s that confidence coupled with skill that will make both fun to watch this season. Yes, contrary to popular belief, there will be enjoyable aspects to these Jets.
“That’s the special thing about them: There’s no doubt,” veteran cornerback Buster Skrine said. “They’re already advanced because of the way they play and the way they carry themselves. A lot of times you see young DBs and they’re a little timid and they play soft. But these guys are aggressive and smart.
They know that, ‘Yeah, I can play in the league and I’m just as good as everyone else I’m playing with.’”
Adams and Maye might be pups, but they’re not completely naïve. Regardless of their pedigree, they’re fully aware that opponents will attack them every week.
“I feel like we’re going to get a lot of action just because we’re new out there,” Maye said. “But I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The new kids on the block usually get picked on. These two guys won’t flinch.