Somebody test Jeff Ulbrich’s tongue for chunk marks.
The Jets’ defensive coordinator did his finest Thursday to keep away from offering bulletin materials for the sport Sunday in opposition to the Patriots. He couldn’t, nevertheless, completely masks his anger at the way New England handled the fourth quarter of its 54-13 blowout win over the Jets final season.
“I keep in mind the rating. I keep in mind lots of issues. I keep in mind it being 40-plus [points scored] and photographs nonetheless being taken on us,” Ulbrich stated. “It’s what it’s. It’s our job as a training workers and a protection to cease that. It comes right down to what we will management, and we allowed means an excessive amount of final yr. I’m trying ahead to this one.”
It was essentially the most factors allowed by the Jets since 1978 and perhaps a part of the impetus for a near-complete overhaul of the secondary this offseason. None of the present 4 starters performed that day. The injury-plagued Jets have been right down to their seventh or eighth linebacker by the top of that recreation, by which they allowed eight performs of at the very least 25 yards.
“Schematically, we’re not an entire lot completely different. Some wrinkles right here and there that we added or have taken out,” Ulbrich stated. “From a personnel standpoint, clearly lots of guys which are beginning for us, particularly on the again finish, weren’t right here final yr. However everybody could be very conscious of what went down final yr.”
Two weeks later, the Jets lost 45-30 to the Colts.
These two video games are “in all probability locations the place there was a stage of darkness inside my very own mind and soul,” Ulbrich stated. “It was attempting, however I’d prefer to say we’re higher due to it.”
Requested if there may be an unwritten rule between coaches in opposition to throwing passes when the Patriots took their lead from 21 to 41 with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, Ulbrich stated, “I attempt to not say an excessive amount of. I’ve been advised.”
Michael Carter appreciated that head coach Robert Saleh referred to as him Monday simply earlier than the information broke that the Jets had acquired James Robinson from the Jaguars.
It had appeared as if Carter would get an opportunity to be the undisputed lead again after rookie Breece Hall’s season-ending torn ACL. Saleh had simply completed saying Carter “has confirmed he can carry the load” and that if “anyone [was to] go as much as Michael Carter and say that he can’t do it” then Carter “goes to take a look at you sideways” when the commerce occurred.
Carter isn’t taking it personally that he must share carries once more.
“James is an effective participant,” Carter stated. “I’m blissful we acquired him, particularly the state of affairs we’re in proper now the place we will go win lots of video games. My fundamental factor is, ‘I can’t work out why the hell Jacksonville traded him?’”
Invoice Belichick confirmed that the Patriots will begin quarterback Mac Jones, who was benched on Monday and changed by rookie Bailey Zappe in a deliberate rotation. Zappe had began the earlier two video games in Jones’ injury-related absence.
Belichick stated Jones will get a “full load” and tripled-down when asked about any possibility of using two quarterbacks: “This week’s a special week, so completely different state of affairs. Mac would be the quarterback.”
LB Quincy Williams (ankle) and DL John Franklin-Myers (sickness) have been upgraded to full follow contributors after they have been listed as restricted and unavailable, respectively, on the Wednesday harm report. WR Corey Davis (knee) didn’t follow for the second straight day, whereas LT Duane Brown (shoulder), S Ashtyn Davis (hamstring) and DE Jermaine Johnson (ankle) stay restricted.
