Focus Turns to Dustin Keller
Last Sunday, the Jets were in in a tough spot.
With Bubba Franks out due to injury and Chris Baker having a hip injury flare up shortly before gametime, the Jets were exposed in a situation where they had no real Tight End to use for running plays. As the team is a “gameplan specific” offense, it didn’t go well. The team used lineman Robert Turner and Wayne Hunter and as Mangini put it “tipped our hand” towards their predeliction to run.
The missing piece was a real Tight End. The Jets had two more listed on their active gameday roster, but they weren’t exactly what they were looking for.
The team’s long-snapper James Dearth was one option, but as Dearth can struggle with injuries at times and is so steady at his job they payoff isn’t worth it, as Mangini said yesterday.
“That’s one of those things where you don’t really miss until it’s gone and then you really, really miss it. You’ve got to weigh the cost of risk.”
And he’s right. Losing a long-snapper mid-game could be tragic as the Pittsburgh-Giants game proved last weekend. Even so, the team also has Dustin Keller, why not use him?
“At this point we are able to do a few more things in terms of preparation. Dustin played a lot more reps last week and I’m not afraid to play Dustin more than he has to this point. He’s made good progress, so I would see him take more of a role there as the true tight end, getting involved with more of those plays than maybe he has in the past.”
Keller has been used so far during the season mostly in passing downs … 3rd and 5, 2nd and 8 type stuff. Maybe the Jets staff thought they could beat the Chiefs even handicapped as they were. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with putting the load on Keller’s shoulder at that moment without much prep. Keller has expressed a desire to play more in-line at Tight End, but I get the feeling that the Jets wanted to ease him into that role. Even so, from Mangini’s quote, it sounds like that’s a direction he’d like to move with Keller, so you might start seeing him lining up there.
10 Responses to Focus Turns to Dustin Keller
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DannyMazz says:
I agree – we need to see more of this kid
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PF989 says:
Dusin has been used more in passing downs like 3rd & 5, 2nd & 8?????
If you’ve watched any of the games the past few weeks its pretty easy to see that Schottenheimer thinks 3rd & 1 is a sure-fire passing down (even against the worst rush defense in the NFL)
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haha no worries….not a critique on the article…just saw an opportunity to vent a little bit
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Jason says:
This is going to suck without Baker, however make the best of it by using Turner more on those runs which can open a door for play action, this could be the start of another formation even when Baker is better.
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i love dustin keller … thank god we drafted him … takes pressure off of the fact that Baker is hurt. However hope Baker does get better soon cause he has experience!
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Eddie DiGio says:
Keller has tremendous wheels for a tight end, only thing I noticed he needs to work on is catching the ball in traffic, but I guess that goes for any rookie
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Dustin is a BEAST! Get this guy the ball more!!! Farve… c’mon, you want to look great, throw it to him, his YAC will get it done even if you pass it to him one yard out. PLEASE start getting Dustin the ball. You’ll see what happens.
Trust, I speak from experience in watching the man.
Can we get some play action Dustin Keller passes in the play book??? Maybe a TE delay roll out????? Give the guy something. even a sweep! he’s the fasted TE in the league, use what you’ve got!
p.s. Why is Gholson not a DE? he’s a beast, i’d like to see him out there a lil more just running over offensive linemen.
also, Leon Washington… i like that guy, gota use him like we did against KC.
~Keller status
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Bent says: Gholston is not a DE because in a 3-4 scheme like the Jets run, a DE would need to be at least 280 pounds and ideally around 300 and their skill set is battlling interior linemen, more similar to a DT. Gholston is around 265 and when he plays OLB for the Jets, he will almost always be matched up with a lineman anyway.
I agree about Dustin and Leon.
Go get ‘em, Psycho!