Giant Injured On ATV, Jets D Is Real; Rams Player Roasts Own Offense, And More NFL
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen blamed himself after Sunday's surprising loss to the New York Jets. He basically said if a team's signal caller doesn't play to usual high standards, it is more difficult to succeed.
Except Allen said that in a more Western New York kind of way.
"It's tough to win in this league," Allen said, "when you're playing a good team and your quarterback plays like s--t."
The last word rhymes with "fit" and that's where the focus will be in some sectors. But it's the "good team" part that has lasting significance.
Because the Jets defense is ballin'.
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is the best of a young talent infusion to the Jets defense. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Jets Recipe Includes Sauce
"We have some good players," Jets coach Robert Saleh said after the Jets held Allen to a season-low passing yards and zero passing TDs for the first time this season.
"Knock on wood, our d-line is healthy, playing a relentless style of football. Our secondary ... I feel like the communication has been so good and the precision with which we’re playing in the back end has been so much better than a year ago.
"When you mix in that rush and coverage and obviously Brick (defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich), I’m going to go overboard for Brick and his staff. The amount of work they’ve been putting in and the amount of conversations to try to put these guys in the best positions possible. I feel like he’s been doing an unbelievable job, too. Just collectively, just everybody, Joe Douglas bringing in great players. Players executing at a high level. Coaches doing their best coaching."
So now we understand Saleh speaks in fragments. But his defense makes bold statements.
The club has 14 takeaways already this year, matching last year's total and cornerback play is a big part of that.
D.J. Reed plays on the other side of the much more recognized Sauce Gardner. But together these two young players offer a promising future for New York's defense.
Gardner had one of the two interceptions of Allen on Sunday.
"I felt like I had a feel for Josh Allen and the throws he likes to make," Gardner said of his pick.
"I know Sauce gets all the fanfare, fourth overall, catchy nickname and he’s doing a great job," Saleh said. "It’s deserved. He had another interception today, but D.J. is playing Pro Bowl football."
The Jets have 12 defensive players in their fourth season or younger. Five of those start or play significant snaps.
This is a group that's growing together and coming together.
"It feels like we’re on a high school team, like that’s the comradery we got and we’re just close," rookie defensive end Jermaine Johnson said. "Like we hang out outside the building, we have fun when we’re in the building, it’s not just business to us.
"So, there’s a real-life connection here and we display it. It’s getting better every week."
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey was frustrated with the offense after the defense gave up the game-winning touchdown drive. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Rams Offense Takes Fire From Ramsey
It's a problem old as the NFL when one side of a team -- either on offense or defense -- is superior while the other side is struggling.
When that shows up consistently in games the toughest part of a coach's job is to keep the team from dividing into factions, with the high performing unit criticizing the struggling unit.
That by definition is division. And it can be a team killer.
And that's exactly what the Los Angeles Rams are dealing with today.
After Sunday's stirring 16-13 comeback victory by Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, voicing his frustration, threw the Rams' underperforming offense under the bus.
The Rams D stopped the Bucs at the L.A. 6 yard line with 1:57 to play to hold a 13-9 lead. If the offense could have gained one first down, the game would have ended with a Los Angeles win.
But the offense did not gain a first down. The team punted the ball back to Brady and the comeback drive ensued against Ramsey and his defensive mates.
So Ramsey was not upset his unit gave up the winning drive. He was upset his teammates on offense put the defense in that spot to begin with.
"The defense should not have had to go back on the field. Simple," Ramsey told reporters. "Got to have some dogs who are gonna go get it. We shouldn't come to the sideline after a big stop like that and our coaches or the other side or whoever telling us, 'We gonna need y'all one more time. Like what the f---?
"We just made a big stop, got a turnover on downs, with a minute and some change left and no timeouts for nobody."
Oh boy.
Coach Sean McVay took responsibility for the Rams' offensive struggles. He said changes need to be made. But McVay probably wasn't expecting fire coming at the offense from inside his own team.
"Gotta have some dogs who are like, man, f--- all that, we are going to end this game right now," Ramsey said, his frustration obvious. "Good stop. We are going to end the game for y'all. We gotta play off each other in that sense. You know what I mean? That's what I mean by we should not have had to go out there.
"It is what it is. It ain't the first time that this has happened. This has happened multiple times this year, really. S---."
Ramsey is correct. The Los Angeles offense has problems, including with an offensive line that is simply overmatched many games.
But voicing that truth doesn't help the team. Makes for interesting reading, but doesn't help the team.
New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney went on vacation to Mexico during the bye and it went wrong for him and the team. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Taking An L On Bye Week
The Giants are having, by any measure, a surprisingly good season with their 6-2 record and chase to a playoff spot. And that didn't change during their bye week.
But they did suffer a loss even without playing.
Seems starting safety Xavier McKinney took a little mini-vacay on the bye and did some touristy things in Cabo. And that included an ATV ride.
Which went horribly wrong.
This is unfortunate. McKinney fractured his hand, per a source. And, interestingly, the replies on this public acknowledgement by McKinney are mostly sympathetic.
But the Giants are not thrilled.
Because stuff like this is totally avoidable.
Coaches often tell players ready to go away for their bye to stay away from basketball courts and other athletic activities because of injuries. They warn players to stay away from clubs because late nights with alcohol can go sideways.
And, by all means, don't go parachuting, motorcycle riding or similar activities that could result in injuries.
This is the reason for such warnings.
McKinney is not expected to play in Sunday's game against the Houston Texans and for several weeks beyond.
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