Florham Park, N.J. — It’s almost as if New York Jets rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik printed out a particular Jet X article and pinned it on his bedroom wall — sans Ivan Drago.
It’s uncanny, really; a day after questioning the Jets’ current backup quarterback situation, the rookie fourth-round selection not only buried me, but he also trampled me, kept me down, and stepped on my face while laughing along his merry way.
Thank the football heavens he has yet to learn about waterboarding, but I digress…
In the unlikely event that he actually read and responded to it with Rocky Balboa-esque testicular fortitude, I simply say the following: “Well done, sir.”
Klubnik strikes back
Klubnik, 22, enjoyed the best day of his young Jets career during the Green and White Scrimmage on Saturday morning. Take note of the scrimmage-type practice also, because that factors into the equation.
An argument could be made that young quarterbacks who play better in game-like situations, rather than in more controlled practices, are showing early signs of deserved intrigue.
Near the end of practice, Klubnik hit Isaiah Williams perfectly in stride for what could have been a 70-plus-yard touchdown.
Klubnik’s confidence and timing on the throw were things of beauty. Williams ran either a post or a seam from a tighter split, finding wild separation over the top.
Considering safety Malachi Moore was the closest defender on the play, Williams either beat a 1v1 man responsibility or found a spot on top of the deep-half Moore. Either way, Aaron Glenn can’t be pleased with the porous coverage on this one.
While Williams may have scored on the play, the refs ruled it down inside the red zone. No matter, though, as a back-shoulder Jelani Woods score capped off the late-practice drive:
That’s not all
Earlier in practice, Klubnik connected with Jamaal Pritchett in the back corner of the end zone’s right side:
Interestingly, at this point, head coach Aaron Glenn had already begun mixing and matching his first- and second-team defensive players. No matter, though, because the rookie fourth-round selection looked poised once the scrimmage-like conditions commenced.
Bailey Zappe also enjoyed what was probably his best day of the summer. On one play, he found undrafted free agent rookie DT Sheffield for a 50-plus-yard score.
While Klubnik and Zappe both enjoyed high points on this particular morning, don’t be confused: The struggle continues. By no means was either guy perfect, especially the rookie, who also committed his fair share of mistakes.
On this day, however, bragging rights and a genuine tip of the cap are warranted.
Other on-field highlights
From a first-team perspective, it wasn’t all that pretty. Worse yet, it wasn’t Glenn’s defense that forced Geno Smith and company into the ugliness.
Even one of the late simulated drives was ugly, despite taking on the second-team defense. Other than some between-the-tackle Breece Hall runs that found too much room — something that still very much suggests the Jets’ gap integrity and run fits need work — New York’s offense wasn’t sharp.
Isaiah Williams did hit pay dirt on another occasion, courtesy of Geno.
Some have reported that rookie David Bailey would have sacked the quarterback on the play, blowing it dead, but again, I wholeheartedly disagree. The path he took to the outside of Olu Fashanu was incredibly wide, making it relatively easy for the left tackle to ride him downhill.
Speaking of Bailey, during one of the first-team-against-second-team drives, Max Mitchell put forth a pretty impressive effort against him in the pass-rush area. The most impressive play, to me, was one where he split two blockers coming his way on a run action, but it resulted in a play-action flow the other way.
From an entire-practice perspective, Bailey put up his most impressive play of the summer (in my opinion, at least) when he committed to an all-world collision with a flashing tight end block.
Imagine an inside-zone split, with Bailey unblocked. As opposed to waiting around, he diagnosed the concept, bolted, flat, down the line, and met the sifting block in a pretty solid spot, peeling off the collision and getting in on the gang tackle.
Other news and notes
Yes, Bailey did leave practice early, towards the end of practice when he injured his left ankle, but he ultimately left the tent to rejoin his team on the sidelines. Per Glenn, he’ll be ok.
Rookie safety VJ Payne, however, will not be ok — at least not in the short-term. Glenn announced, after practice, that the Kansas State product will miss a few weeks with a bone bruise.
The Jets’ defense is still running a front that many thought wouldn’t be the norm this coming season. This is especially true after hearing how Glenn talked up more odd-principled looks in the spring.
Granted, every NFL team has to run some degree of four-man fronts in this 11-personnel-dominated league, but the Jets have exclusively featured it for several straight days. Whether it’s something that was always a part of the plan, or a pivot — courtesy of the injuries to T’Vondre Sweat, Joseph Ossai, and, until recently, Kingsley Enagbare — remains a mystery.
Next up for the New York Jets will be a familiar face. Todd Bowles’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers come to town to do battle in Florham Park, N.J., on Tuesday.
