Jets will face the real Shady in Bills McCoy
The Patriots’ stunning season-opening loss — combined with the Dolphins’ Week 1 postponement due to Hurricane Irma in Florida — means the Jets incredibly can stand alone in first place in the AFC East with a win Sunday in Buffalo.
To do so, however, Gang Green’s defensive front probably will have to at least somewhat contain Bills back LeSean McCoy, who the Jets believe is still the real Shady despite questions about whether the veteran has lost anything from his Pro Bowl form.
“Not one bit. He’s as shifty as ever,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said when asked if McCoy has shown any decline in recent seasons. “He’s as tough as ever, great out of the backfield and good in the backfield, as well.”
The former Eagles standout actually finished last season with the highest yards per rushing attempt in his eight-year NFL career, at 5.4 yards per carry (1,267 yards on 234 attempts). McCoy’s 13 touchdowns also marked his second-highest total in a single season, trailing only the 17 TDs he managed for Philadelphia in 2011.
Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor, who was cleared to play this weekend after completing the league’s concussion protocol, also rushed for 580 yards last season, most among NFL quarterbacks.
“They have a running QB, which is always a challenge for teams and defenses, but our main thing is stopping Shady McCoy,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “He’s a really good running back. We just have to stay gap-sound and do our jobs, don’t try to be a hero and do somebody else’s job.
“I think it’s his vision that makes him so dangerous,” Williams added of McCoy. “As soon as he gets the ball, he knows exactly where he’s going already.”
Everyone seems to know exactly where the Jets are headed this year, but their players and coaches certainly are not thinking about outside predictions of few wins and the likelihood of a crack at the first overall draft pick next spring. Ezekiel Elliott will play beyond Week 1. The Cowboys running back was granted his motion for a preliminary injunction by federal Judge Amos Mazzant of the Eastern District of Texas on Friday, blocking his six-game suspension for the duration of the lawsuit.
Mazzant wrote, “the Court finds Elliott did not receive a fundamentally fair hearing, necessitating the Court grant the request for preliminary injunction.”
Arbitrator Harold Henderson upheld Elliott’s six-game suspension on Tuesday, but the injunction may allow him to play the remainder of the season.
Elliott was already eligible to play Week 1 vs. the Giants because of the timing of Henderson’s decision.
Mazzant was critical of Henderson in his ruling.
The judge wrote, “the NFL’s breach of CBA is only compounded by Henderson’s breach of the CBA. Specifically, Henderson denied access to certain procedural requirements, which were necessary to be able to present all relevant evidence at the hearing. These procedural requests, that Henderson denied are: (1) access investigators’ notes; (2) cross-examine (Tiffany) Thompson; and (3) question Commissioner (Roger) Goodell.”
Thompson is the woman who has accused Elliott of assaulting her.
The NFLPA, representing Elliott, released a statement regarding the injunction.
“Commissioner discipline will continue to be a distraction from our game for one reason: because NFL owners have refused to collectively bargain a fair and transparent process that exists in other sports,” the
Asked how the possibility of “first-place Jets” sounds after New England lost to Kansas City on Thursday night, Williams cracked a huge smile and replied “that sounds great.”
“Every division game is most important,” Williams added. “You have to win your division games, and it’s also our first game, so any team that we’re gonna be playing right now, we’re going to be expecting to get the win…We’ve been studying our opponent, our team feels really prepared right now and I have pretty good confidence in our guys’ confidence right now.”
An ex-Patriot, Kony Ealy, is hoping to provide another confidence boost to the defensive front after his cousin, Sheldon Richardson, was traded to Seattle last week.
Ealy, who was claimed off waivers after New England released him, registered three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble for Carolina in the Panthers’ loss to Denver in Super Bowl L barely 18 months ago.
“When we first got Kony, he came in right away and there was something about being released from a couple of teams, from Carolina and then New England, this guy came in very hungry, eager to learn,” defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said. “We’ve been trying to force-feed him, throwing a lot of stuff at him. He’s just been going at it.
“I think the reality of being cut and hitting the streets has helped him. … I can’t speak on him when he was in Carolina or New England, but since he’s been in this door, he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
Rodgers added that he expects the Jets to “have a unique role” for Ealy, 25, beginning Sunday in Buffalo. “What I can do for this defense is be disruptive and give them my experience of being in the playoffs and in the Super Bowl,” Ealy said. “It’s not just a one-man show, but we’re going to work collectively together…and turn some heads.”
A TIGHT SPOT: Bowles said he’s ruled out rookie tight end Jordan Leggett (knee) and safety Rontez Miles (eye) for Sunday’s game. The Jets still have three tight ends — Eric Tomlinson and recent additions Neal Sterling and former Giant Will Tye — on the roster.