Bob Wischusen has been the radio play-by-play voice of the New York Jets for 19 years. Lasting all season, Wischusen will share thoughts about the Green & White in a weekly column.
What We've Learned About Jets Through Five Games
What we've learned is that the Jets are a team that is in the midst of a major rebuild, and they need to get their young players on the field as soon as possible, and get them as much playing experience as possible. This season is now about trying to get those players seasoned and looking toward the future. This is a team that desperately needs an infusion of young talent, and the number of draft choices they have had but haven't been able to get on the field yet, have hurt that developmental process. They are a team that has no margin for error right now, because the explosive part of their offense has been laid up for the better part of this season and has not been able to get in the lineup. These last 11 games need to be about getting Sam Darnold healthy, getting players like Denzel Mims, La'Mical Perine and some of the players on defense on the field. Any NFL season, no matter how many losses you pile up, can have positive ramifications for the future if young players are at least getting experience. This season now needs to be about those young players.
Thoughts on Joe Flacco
The one thing we knew Joe Flacco would do taking over for Darnold last week was at least execute a game plan as a veteran quarterback and get through the game, know how to line up, know what the plays were, be a professional QB, and hopefully not turn it over. That was something he was able to take care of as well. What you also saw, though, was the anticipated rust in a quarterback who had not been under center for the better part of the year. … You certainly saw that he is still trying to shake the rust off after a long absence. At the least, the Jets know that if they need to call on the backup QB, they have one that is a professional who has the ability to keep them in games. That is not something they had last year.
Defensive Takeaways and Turnovers
There is no statistic in professional sports that is more indicative of giving a team a major advantage in whatever that sport is than takeaways and giveaways in football. Whenever the Jets have a chance to get a defensive takeaway, like they did with Avery Williamson's INT on Sunday, it does give them an opportunity that, more often than not, their offense has not been able to create for itself. The problem for the Jets is they have such a small margin for error that every single one of those opportunities they have to take advantage of and maximize because their offense isn't generating points on its own. Getting that INT from Williamson and only being able to turn it into 3 points is something that they can't afford. They must get 7's when their defense gives them a short field. The turnovers and takeaways for the Jets will only be maximized in their importance because of how their offense is struggling. Until they start to get some of their weapons back, it's the hope that they can create some big-play ability on offense that they have not had this season.
