Sauce Gardner shuts down DK Metcalf whereas shadowing Steelers’ star in new Jets wrinkle
Sauce Gardner spent nearly his total Sunday shadowing DK Metcalf, a change for the younger cornerback.
It was one thing the Jets defensive again has publicly mentioned he want to do, nevertheless it wasn’t carried out by the earlier teaching workers, besides on a situational foundation.
Sunday was totally different.
“I appreciated it. I’m a competitor. Our teaching workers is just about full of men who performed within the league, so it’s no shock,” Gardner mentioned after the 34-32 loss to the Steelers at MetLife Stadium. “I really feel like all time I used to be on him, he is aware of what it’s. He was making an attempt to be bodily after the performs.”
The Steelers have been in a position to scheme Metcalf away from Gardner just a few instances.
He actually solely had one catch when Gardner defended him, a key 11-yard reception on the Steelers’ game-winning subject objective drive.
On a slant, Metcalf obtained inside place. Gardner broke up the cross, however Metcalf deflected it to himself twice.
It then caromed off teammate Jonnu Smith and landed in Metcalf’s arms whereas he lay on the turf.
“He had a catch on me. That’s an enormous deal for me,” Gardner mentioned. “When it got here, it was in the direction of the tip of the sport. Regardless of the way it occurred, that obtained them nearer to subject objective vary.”
Allen Lazard was inactive.
The veteran large receiver was not on the damage report all week, so he was a wholesome scratch.
It got here as considerably of a shock, given how few identified portions the Jets have at receiver behind star Garrett Wilson.
Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson (who was simply elevated to the energetic roster from the observe squad Saturday) and rookie fourth-rounder Arian Smith comprise many of the unit exterior of Wilson.
Wilson predictably dominated the targets, catching seven passes for 95 yards and a landing. Reynolds and Johnson every had two catches, as did operating again Breece Corridor.
Lazard had a quiet summer time whereas additionally battling a shoulder damage, failing to earn the No. 2 large receiver job that was up for grabs for all of coaching camp.
And he struggled the previous two seasons after signing a four-year, $44 million cope with the Jets — he recorded a mixed 60 receptions for 841 yards and 7 touchdowns.
There is also a brand new Jets regime in place that didn’t deliver Lazard in.
Lazard was teammates and shut with Aaron Rodgers on the Packers, which performed a big issue within the Jets signing him and offering Rodgers with a well-known weapon.
As anticipated, the Jets began Josh Myers at heart and Joe Tippmann at proper guard within the wake of Alijah Vera-Tucker’s season-ending triceps damage. … Working again/kick returner Kene Nwangwu suffered a hamstring damage within the first quarter and didn’t return.
