A touch of gold in Green mess
The Jets might be imploding before our eyes, but there are at least two encouraging signs inside the NFL’s largest dumpster fire. If you comb through the rubble, you’ll find that wide receiver Jeff Smith and defensive end John FranklinMyers are playing pretty damn good football. For a team devoid of playmakers, this pair of unheralded guys should be lauded.
Smith was the best weapon at Sam Darnold’s disposal not named Jamison Crowder in last week’s loss to the Broncos, making plays all over the field in his first game off injured reserve.
The former Boston College quarterback, who was unearthed by former general manager Mike Maccagnan as a 2019 undrafted player, was a bright spot in training camp before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the start of the regular season.
Myers, a 2018 Rams’ fourth-rounder claimed off waivers in September 2019, has done nothing but disrupt the passer since starting the season as one of the gameday inactives in Buffalo.
For a franchise that has been mocked throughout the NFL universe in the first month of the season for poor coaching, over-the-top public votes of confidence, curious roster construction and bizarre roster management, the Jets have some players worth praise in Smith and Franklin-Myers.
Smith, who played just one game late last season, caught seven passes on nine targets for 81 yards in prime time against Denver. He also drew a 38-yard defensive pass interference call that was destined to be a 58-yard touchdown. Not bad for a kid making his second career start.
Smith — who played more snaps than any skill-position player on Thursday night (73 of 77) could be a nice piece to the puzzle this season.
The 6-4, 288-pound Franklin-Myers has made a solid contribution in his three games. He racked up a team-high three quarterback hits while playing 44% of the snaps against the 49ers in Week 2. The Jets, who haven’t been able to generate consistent heat on opposing quarterbacks for years, might have found someone who can improve this obvious area of weakness.
Franklin-Myers has 11 pressures on 47 pass-rush snaps this season, according to jetsxfactor.com. Although it’ll be an arduous task to maintain his league-leading 23.4% pressure rate among interior defensive lineman, it’s impossible to ignore that the former Rams draft pick has been solid to this point. Franklin-Myers, who has five quarterback hits in three games, had six pressures i n 19 pass-rush snaps against the Broncos, per jetsxfactor.com. The Jets will take that kind of production. The next step, of course, is getting home. Franklin-Myers, who recorded two sacks for the Rams in 2018, is looking for his first sack with the Jets.
Adam Gase’s 0-4 team isn’t a playoff contender, but it’s encouraging to see players like Smith and FranklinMyers make the most of their chances as general manager Joe Douglas assesses how to best move forward.
In the meantime, 12 games remain in a season that already feels like it has been 12 games long. “Our guys… have to do a good job of sticking together and blocking out any outside noise,” Gase said. “I talked to all those guys… about (how) fracturing is not an option. We’re four games in. We’ve got to do a good job of putting our head down, going to work, correcting the mistakes, fixing the stuff that’s absolutely non-talent based and doing those things right first and then your outcome is going to be different.”