NEW YORK JETS
Just when you think the Buffalo Bills had a bad preseason week 3 at QB, just when you think QB Mark Sanchez was the king of insane turnovers, and just when you think Rex Ryan and company couldn’t get any bat shit crazier…I present this game…and 1st up…
QB Geno Smith didn’t look like he was bothered by his previous ankle injury, and he started out with some nice safe one read throws- some out of the bootleg. Heck on his 2nd possession Smith (aided by 4 defensive penalties) led the team down the field for a TD. So what came after was baffling. His 1st INT was just a lazy throw that was behind his WR just enough for the DB to make the play. Most times that sort of pass is knocked away or dropped – but no doubt the throw was soft.
Then on his next series he threw another interception when he was faced with some pressure up the middle and he sailed a pass high over the middle. The game just seemed to start moving too fast for him at this point – he’s not evolved enough at this point to deal with adversity in the pocket or to read defenses.
The 3rd Int about a quarter later was because Geno couldn’t see DE Justin Tuck drop back into coverage. He was just flat out fooled and had terrible zone recognition as he tried to dump it short.
What do you do to top off 3 int’s? Simple. You” Orlovsky” that shit. Sure enough in the 4th quarter – Geno overreacted to some simple pressure, inexplicably sprinted backwards toward the end line, stepped over it, and launched a ball while falling away that landed just in bounds on the sideline (so that even had he not stepped over the line, he would’ve gotten a safety on intentional grounding).
The game just seems too big and too fast for Geno right now. And that’s ok, he’s a rookie. He would benefit from sitting behind someone for a season or 2 – and then maybe he can look back on this and laugh.
So of course, the Jets – insisting there’s a QB competition, even after this debacle send Mark Sanchez out there against 4 stringers? I mean the only thing that could keep Sanchez from starting opening day after that is injury…so…
Yeah, you see where this is headed…
Sanchez’s injury will be one of the most over analyzed controversies of the preaseason. As such you can find numerous takes on it-including the continuing absurdity of Rex Ryan’s press conferences. So I won’t add much on that front – on the fantasy front it is actually horrible news – b/c Sanchez was at least looking like someone who could play the position. Geno looks like someone too raw to do much of anything. The 2013 New York Jets offense could resemble a tire fire.
RB Bial Powell who looked like he might actually upset Chris Ivory for the starting RB job, took a step back in this one…he was terrible in the passing game dropping 2 easy ones, before getting 2 for 18 yards, and bad in the running game 11 carries for 16 yards (with a 6 yard TD). The Jets lack of a run game this preseason is alarming..”ground & pound” may just wind up being “pound” beginning of the season – where pound = defenses pounding into them.
NEW YORK GIANTS
The highlight for the Giants came on their very 1st offensive play when RB David Wilson took the ball 84 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. The play was blocked superbly and all he had to do was run through the hole and use his speed. It didn’t showcase any great moves or vision, just speed. And Wilson continues to represent a dilemma for me in ffl – as he seems to be a big play back based on speed- but he worries me in the boom or bust department. Aside from his 84 yard run – he had 4 other carries for just 8 yards. He also caught 2 passes for a net total of zero yards. So overall, outside of the 84 yard run – he had 6 touches for 8 yards.
Wilson’s ADP has been moving up steadily all preseason and is now about the late 3rd, high 4th in 12 team leagues. It’s not bad value, but from what I’ve seen if he doesn’t hit a big play during his day, he won’t grind out yards – that to me means he’s a risk pick. So if you’re taking him, make sure the next RB at the position is a little more traditional in their output/workload – lower ceiling, but higher floor type of guy.
Defenses are so unpredictable that I very rarely make comments about team defenses….but, this if any is the year to pass on taking the Giants D in fantasy as a #1 team defense. They have not looked good in the preseason, they have lost starter S Stevie Brown for the year and they play in a division with 3 potentially very good offenses. At one point early in this game the defense committed penalties on 4 straight plays – their stat sheet for the game looks good because of Geno’s meltdown, but they are not a defense to invest in.
:by Mike
The Art of Score 