That certainly applies to Jets tight end Chris Herndon.
He struggled mightily over the first half of the 2020 season, including some bad drops and a couple of lost fumbles.
After a bad drop against Arizona on a pass from quarterback Joe Flacco, ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who also works with the Jets’ media partner, SNY, tweeted: “Another Herndon drop. Get him out of the game. He’s awful.”
In Kansas City, Herndon caught a screen pass, but fumbled after a big hit by safety Daniel Sorenson, and it was recovered by cornerback Bashaud Breeland.
A couple of days after this game, Jets GM Joe Douglas was asked about Herndon’s struggles, and threw his support behind Herndon, including shooting down a Daily News report he was shopping the tight end.
“First, no, we were not shopping Chris,” said Douglas, Nov. 3. “Secondly, I feel like Chris has been a little snake-bit since his car accident in terms of the injury last year, the suspension, and this year just hasn’t gone the way he envisioned, I’m sure, which you could say that for 51 or 52 other guys on our team as well. I know Chris, no one cares more than Chris. Chris comes out to practice, gives his all every single day. And so, like for most of our team, the practice hasn’t translated into Sundays.”
No doubt, as Douglas pointed out, Herndon had plenty of company over the first half of the season in terms of players struggling. If the Jets dumped all the players playing poorly over the first half of the season, they would have had a hard time fielding a team.
Herndon certainly rewarded Douglas’ faith in him, bouncing back from his slump, playing some really good football down the stretch, and proving he’s not “awful.”
This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February/March 2021 edition of NY Jets Confidential.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
Dan's Minicamp Diary
Becton bombarded with weighty questions
Saleh calls Wilson ‘relentless' as a worker
QUESTION SESSION WITH QB ZACH WILSON
Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
Dan's Spring Camp Diary
This time of year for learning, experimenting, not stats
AUDIBLES-Saleh doesn't cave on offseason work
Tom Brady might be wrong about this one.
SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old