The Jets’ working backs have heard the chatter for weeks.
The group’s flirtation with Dalvin Prepare dinner was very public when he got here to Florham Park to go to.
There was a clamoring from Jets followers to signal Prepare dinner as insurance coverage as Breece Corridor recovers from his ACL harm.
However on Saturday, of their preseason sport towards the Panthers, the present Jets working backs confirmed the group won’t want Prepare dinner.
The Jets mixed to hurry for 141 yards and their backs caught 9 passes.
That ought to make basic supervisor Joe Douglas assume twice about signing Prepare dinner.
The present Jets backs acknowledged their case.
“We ignore it. Discuss is reasonable,” working again Michael Carter mentioned. “Dalvin’s a fantastic participant. Dalvin’s in all probability among the finest school soccer working backs of all time [at Florida State], in my view rising up in north Florida. He’s a very good participant.
“On the identical time, we really feel like we’re nice gamers, too. We’re simply younger in our careers. We’re all chasing greatness by way of group and private objectives. Nothing however respect for [Cook], however we’re not likely targeted on that. We’re simply making an attempt to get higher and grind.”
Carter is essentially the most intriguing of the Jets backs.
He had a robust rookie season in 2021 however dropped off final 12 months. Carter has spoken about how troublesome final 12 months was.
Corridor emerged because the group’s lead again after which when Corridor tore his ACL in Week 7, the Jets traded for James Robinson quite than permitting Carter to hold the load.
Carter appears like he has regained the shape he confirmed as a rookie when tacklers struggled to carry him down.
Carter averaged 4.8 yards per carry Saturday and caught two passes for 34 yards.
“As for Michael, he looks like he’s rattling close to again,” coach Robert Saleh mentioned. “I do know he was pissed off from his second season, however one factor you possibly can depend on with him is to make the primary man miss and simply churn out these 4-, 5- and 6-yard runs.
“I believed he did a very nice job of creating the primary man miss as we speak and searching like who he’s.”
Within the locker room after the 27-0 win Saturday, Carter mentioned he felt good going into final season, too, however acknowledged it’s totally different this 12 months.
“All the pieces is totally different,” Carter mentioned. “This 12 months I really feel higher than each of these years. I respect coach saying that. Everybody’s obtained their very own opinions, however I respect it. I really feel good.”
The Jets’ offense goes to revolve round new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, in fact, however the working sport might be important.
The Jets introduced Nathaniel Hackett in as offensive coordinator and pointed to his success within the working sport in Jacksonville when he was the coordinator.
The Jets can’t simply depend on Rodgers.
“When you possibly can fall ahead and make one thing out of nothing and preserve yourselves forward of the sticks, it begins with the offensive line and the run sport — you’re going to provide your self an opportunity to own the ball which I really feel like we did within the first half and the second half,” Saleh mentioned.
Rodgers didn’t play within the preseason sport in Carolina, leaving Zach Wilson to begin at quarterback.
Wilson threw regularly to the working backs and you could possibly see how massive of a component screens could possibly be for the Jets.
“Working sport helped arrange some screens, some keepers, which clearly did very well for us,” Wilson mentioned. “Hats off to these guys up entrance for taking that problem. I feel that was the problem for them as a result of joint practices perhaps didn’t go in addition to we wished up entrance.
“The message was to go on the market and provides all of it you bought. The large guys up entrance, I feel they did an superior job. We ran the ball effectively with the primary group and the second group.”
