QuickFix: Saucy Nuggets from the Jets' loss to the Eagles

We're going to kick off today's analysis with some things you might not have noticed from yesterday's loss to the Eagles:

Where there's a Willis, there's a way

Recent waiver-wire pick-up Jordan Willis made his Jets debut last night and perhaps saw more time than they had planned due to Henry Anderson's injury. He ended up with one tackle and two quarterback hits.

Forget the rest of the game and what contributions he may or may not have made though and check out this rep:

via GIPHY

That's sensational stuff from Willis, who shows an explosive get-off, terrific power to drive the tackle off his spot and then uses technique with the arm-over move to get a knockdown on Carson Wentz. This disrupts the throw, leading to a 3rd-and-long.

Making it all the more impressive is the fact that he did it to nine-time pro bowler Jason Peters. What a play.

In a game filled with absolute garbage all over the field from the Jets, that one play was really, really impressive. It's just one play, but the potential he showed on that play makes me desperate to see more.

Now watch as Jordan Jenkins and Brandon Copeland return next week and play 50 snaps each per week until the season is over while Willis sits on the inactive list...

Trevon gets stepped on

While we'd like to be able to quit while we're ahead and just stop there, it's worth weighing up how rookie tight end Trevon Wesco, who was in the starting line-up for the first time, performed with an increased workload.

The answer: Not great. Wesco's man made the stop on the first two plays of the game, setting them up in a 3rd-and-long situation that inevitably led to a tone-setting opening series three and out.

Later on Wesco got blown up for a sack. And it's not like the Jets were setting him up for success, requiring him to single-block the formidable Fletcher Cox on this play:

via GIPHY

Although Ryan Griffin also let the Jets down here as Brandon Graham scooted past him to get in on the stop, you couldn't really expect any other result here.

With Chris Herndon back next week, the assumption is that Daniel Brown will be released to make room for him, but has Wesco - who has no catches in preseason or regular season action - even shown enough potential to stick around? The one thing working in his favor is that Brown hasn't really shown anything either.

Too much thinking leads to sinking

Adam Gase has come under fire for a lack of creativity over these first four games, but sometimes you can try and get too cute.

On the face of it, this play is just a mess, easily sniffed out by the Eagles, although playing box-and-one on Le'Veon Bell was a pretty safe bet throughout the first half:

via GIPHY

The idea behind this play is that Luke Falk fakes the wide receiver screen to Jamison Crowder out on the right side and then turns to his left to dump it off to Bell. The defense will bite on the initial action and Bell will get the ball in space so he can go to work. How could it fail?

Right before the snap, the inside slot creeps up to the edge of the line, signifying his intention to blitz. Falk should immediately sense this and when he goes to fake the pass out to Crowder, he should actually throw the pass. That has to be built into the play as an option, surely.

If Crowder catches the ball, he has two blockers ahead of him and only two defenders. Yes, the linebacker is dropping off, but unless the two outside defenders are able to beat their blocks and force Crowder to cut back inside, that shouldn't prevent him from making big yardage. This should have been an easy first down and was also a probable big gain and a potential touchdown. Ironically, the wide receiver screen was the perfect call to counter that blitz.

You'd like to think that Sam Darnold would have the autonomy - and the ability - to read that play correctly and execute the right choice instead of just relying on the misdirection fooling the defense for it to have any chance of being successful.

Hopefully this is an example of a play that Falk is incapable of making but the offense will start to have success with once he returns to the bench.

Much more analysis to come later today and over the next few days. Please let us know who you'd like to see us feature in more detail in 3-on-D and 3-on-O.