Tight ends a bunch of zeros
IT’S no secret Jets coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan like to go against the grain, to zig when the NFL’s conventional wisdom says to zag.
From Maccagnan keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster to Bowles sticking with Ryan Fitzpatrick all the way through his sixth — sixth! — interception in Kansas City last week, the Jets’ braintrust obviously doesn’t care much for your opinion.
But nothing speaks to their go-italone approach more than the gaping black hole that is the Jets’ tight end situation — an issue that will only be exacerbated after Friday’s news that wide receiver Eric Decker is out with a partially torn right rotator cuff.
If you want to know why Gang Green is 1-2 and already facing a must-win scenario Sunday at home against the Seahawks, their complete lack of production at what has become one of the game’s most valuable offensive positions in recent years has to be high on the list.
The Jets are the only team in the league this season without a single catch from a tight end.
Yes, you read that right. While 56 other tight ends around the NFL have at least one catch (and, in most cases, many more) through the first three weeks, the Jets have zip from Kellen Davis, Brandon Bostick and Braedon Bowman.
In fact, they haven’t gotten a catch from a tight end since a 19-16 victory over the Cowboys in Week 15 last season, when Davis recorded one of the mere eight receptions by a Jets tight end all season.
Those dismal numbers no doubt explain Maccagnan’s risky gamble with former first-round pick Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but the ex-Buccaneers tight end is so troubled off the field it will be a surprise if the Jets get anything out of him.
Essentially, the Jets are conceding the same position on offense that has become a primary, and in many cases essential, weapon practically everywhere else in the league.
That’s remarkable. It’s also a good way to miss the playoffs for the sixth year in a row.
Just look at the Patriots, who are a strong Super Bowl favorite in large part because having two pass-catching threats at tight end, in Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett, on the field at the same time is an epic nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.
New England had just lost in the first round (at home, no less) when Bill Belichick drafted Gronkowski and fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez in 2010 and turned them loose, leading to the Patriots’ return to dominance.
For the Jets, though, even one tight end contributing in the passing game would be an achievement at this point. It would probably be a differ- ence-maker, too, because competent tight ends serve as a safety valve for quarterbacks under pressure or in tight situations.
The lack of a tight end isn’t entirely the fault of Bowles or Maccagnan. Previous GM John Idzik thought he had the Jets’ version of Gronkowski in 2014 second-round pick Jace Amaro, but he washed out and is now with the Titans.
Without that safety valve, quarterbacks take chances, force passes and make mistakes. You know, like a certain Jets quarterback in Kansas City.
Bowles shrugged off the total lack of production from his tight ends when asked Friday, saying it’s partially “by design” and the Jets have bulky wide receiver Quincy Enunwa to essentially fill that role.
“[Not having a catch from a tight end] doesn’t concern me,” Bowles said. It should. Even though offensive coordinator Chan Gailey remains one of the game’s most respected playcallers and the Jets finished 10-6 with almost no input from their tight ends last season, it’s a recipe more likely to get you fired than back to the playoffs.