The Rundown: Taking a Chance on Stuckey
One of the biggest questions for Saturday night was how the receivers would respond in their third and final preseason game. Granted, the Giants defensive secondary wasn’t at full strength, but the team and the receiving corps responded, with the projected starters (Stuckey and Cotchery) accounting for 120 yards on seven catches and a touchdown between the two.
On Monday, Ryan noted that the WR2, is more or less settled .. kind of.
Jets coach Rex Ryan on Monday said the No. 2 receiver role is “a position that’s going to be by committee,” but added Chansi Stuckey will be “the guy you throw out there first.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement.
While Ryan commended Stuckey and David Clowney for the flashes they’ve showed, the competition has been mitigated by reports the Jets still are exploring the possibility of adding a new No. 1 receiver.
Hmm … not exactly typical Ryan gushing hyperbole, but not exactly more than I thought. “By committee” isn’t a dirty phrase, it just indicates that the team has different players for different usage. Granted, Stuckey might not be able to do everything he wants with just two wide receivers, but who really runs solely two wide receivers sets these days? Still, it’s hard to not be impressed by Stuckey’s steady camp, and Giants game. Saturday night against the Giants, Stuckey was the more memorable receiver on the night with his sideline tiptoe and shake-n-bake to get into the end zone.
Stuckey’s Kodak moment was a 31-yard touchdown grab from rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez in which he raced across the field, caught the ball from a scrambling Sanchez at the 12-yard line, stopped on a dime near the sideline and juked four Giants defenders as he tight-roped his way into the end zone.
”I just wanted to make plays,” said Stuckey, a third-year pro from Clemson. ”I wanted to show I was capable of making plays. My preseason has been pretty quiet so far and I got some opportunities (Saturday night) and I think I made the most of them.”
Leaving aside Clowney (who we think will emerge into a solid contributor in this offense in 2009) for a minute, Stuckey is primed. Recovered from the injuries that plagued him between his senior season at Clemson and his rookie year with the Jets in 2007 when he landed on the IR, Stuckey had a full year to learn the offense, to work out and to wait patiently. One of the things that surprised me the most when I first saw him at camp in 2007 was his ability to work sideline routes and evade defenders for extra yards. It looks like it’s something that has stuck with Dan Leberfeld too.
In all of my years of covering the Jets, I have a hard time remembering a receiver who is better at making the first defender miss after the catch than Chansi Stuckey. His footwork is amazing. On his touchdown catch from Mark Sanchez, first he showed great footwork staying in bounds, and then proceeded to make make three players miss to take it into the end zone.
In 2008, in his first season in the NFL, Stuckey was an early favorite target of Favre, catching three touchdowns in the first three games. As Favre got more comfortable looking for his flanking receivers and as Dustin Keller saw more slot work, Stuckey’s contributions lessened. With Coles now gone, Stuckey had a solid camp again (as he always does) and wanted to put an exclamation point on his argument for seeing a number of first team reps this season.
“I think he wanted to show me something,” Coach Rex Ryan said of Stuckey. “He was outstanding. He really was.”… it was Stuckey who made the largest impression, racking up 39 yards after catches, signaling the elusiveness the Jets’ unproven wide receivers will need this season for Sanchez to be successful.
Sanchez is going to hand the ball off a lot, but as some of the columnists noted a few weeks ago, sooner or later he’s going to have to climb the ladder for quick score, or gain the yardage on a 3rd and 9 to keep a drive from stalling on his own 40 yard line. If he can know and trust his receivers to help him get the job done then all the better. I’ve yet to fully understand how the Jets can and will use him, and how much his role and Keller’s will overlap in the slot, but Stuckey’s a gamer, to be sure.
29 Responses to The Rundown: Taking a Chance on Stuckey
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DSmizzle says:
I like this kid a lot. Granted, I view him as kind of an ideal slot guy and not a true #2, but a slot guy is technically a very important player, or even should be considered a “starter” depending on how often you use 3-WR sets.
The guy is one of the “pro’s” or “football guys” I keep talking about when I make comparisons to Gholston not being of this caliber. I reference guys like Rhodes, Revis, Keller, Mangold, Harris, Scott, Leonhard, Cotchery and hopefully Sanchez in this class. Guys that seem like they can coach and are very coachable and work their tails off. Its safe to say that Stuckey, while his ability may not be on par with those guys, is that type of player in that kind of mold.
Hopefully he has a good year contributing from the slot.
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Jeff says:
Shake n’ bake baby, Shake n’ bake
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I’ve said it before, but I think Stuckey really excels in yards-after-catch. He’s very elusive, is always looking to take it downfield and isnt’ afraid to go at defenders. He reminds me a lot of Coles, slightly bigger, although he may not have the same inline speed.
Gotta like a guy who clearly wants to score every time he touches the ball!
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nyr2k2 says:
Ryan is just trying to be diplomatic about the battle for the No. 2 WR spot, I think. He’s obviously impressed by Stuckey, and I think the spot is his to lose at this point. But rather than just say that, he’s making it out to be a competition that remains open, to keep Clowney et al busting their asses. I think Ryan can play coy when he needs to.
Or maybe I’m totally wrong. Who knows. =)
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NJets says:
Ok… not the right forum for this but whatever.
Kyle Orton has an open dislocation. Send Clemens to the Broncos with a pick or two and get Brandon Marshall now. Not only do we owe Clemens the opportunity to start after being a stand up guy but we could really get Marshall cheap now. We probably don’t have to give a first rounder anymore… its not like they are going to resign him.
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mole57 says:
JP,
Would it make it even sweeter if I told you that Stuckey was actually 7th rounder? -
Joe B. says:
I’ve been calling him the YACman ever since I first saw him play. I still think Clowney should be the #2, but Chansi has done great work the last two years and I’m excited to see what he can produce in the regular season.
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zenlaw says:
I’m wondering what the Jets are going to do with B. Smith and W. Wright. Without question, both are excellent special teamers. However, does either play fit into the offensive scheme?
The Jets could have been running the “wildcat” with Smith for the past 4 seasons, but they have barely utilized Smith. Is this b/c Smith doesn’t have the skills or because Schott lacks the imagination?
As for Wright, supposedly he has formed chemistry playing with Sanchez and the other second stringers. Now that Sanchez has Cotchery, Keller and I guess Stuckey as his main targets, will Wright still get looks?
Bottom line, other than special teams, do either of these players add that much to the offense?
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Ok I just found this on youtube… EVERYONE WATCH… its the most exaggerated, over analyzed hit ever… but its still something.
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Brendan says:
I hate the QB protection rules.
Why would the Broncos want Clemens? I would rather have JP Losman from UFL glory than him.
DSmizzle – Gholston’s struggles are not a product of him not “working his tail off”. By all accounts he has put in the time, put in the extra time, and if you actually watch him, he’s making significant improvements.
BTW…anyone see scumbag Brett Favre almost end some guys career last night throwing a crackback block at the defender’s shins? Piece of Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.
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zenlaw:
Brad Smith certainly can handle being the #4 WR, and he is definitely worth keeping because he has the ability to do “Wildcat” stuff if the OC could utilize him properly for once. He’s also a quite productive special teamer.
Absolutely no reason why Wallace Wright can’t be your #5 and a great special teamer, especially since he has shown improvement as a WR, in case he’s ever needed in that role in a pinch.
Now, if they were to acquire some big-name guy like Marshall, that’s a totally different story, and you’d have to ponder which to release, Smith or Wright.
I’m comfortable going into the year with a decent, yet far-from-spectacular receiving core, but you must consider the nightmare scenario:
WHAT IF COTCHERY GETS HURT?!?!?
That’s why having a true #1 or at least another very good #2 like Cotchery is so important. In either scenario, if one of those guys got hurt, you’d still revert to having what we have now. But if Cotch ever gets hurt, we got Stuckey, Clowney (injury prone) and Brad Smith at the 1-3!
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Brendan:
I will re-phrase, because I agree that Gholston obviously works very hard in the weight room and on the practice field.
Those guys also work their tails off, but they also “get it” when it comes to the game of football.
Gholston has all of the physical skill in the world, but he doesn’t have the intuitive football knowledge that those guys have. Those guys could probably tell you what a QB, DB, RB, LB, etc., is supposed to do in any given scenario, which is why I said they remind me of guys who could coach the game of football.
I don’t think Gholston would be able to adequately manage a Madden 2010 franchise. And as for “hard work”, I definitely question Gholston’s toughness and desire to inflict pain when he hits people. Doesn’t currently have a killer instinct, in my opinion. That’s kind of a form of hard work, though otherwise I agree that he obviously follows the offseason lifting program!
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Harlan Lachman says:
Stuckey’s YAC is great. His work in the slot is OK. But it is his getting open as a flanker that concerns me most. In fact, I think that is the concern with all our receivers. None has the combination of size, speed and moves to get open against a top CB playing well. In their prime, both Coles and Key could get open on slants unless the DB conceded the out or deep pass.
Wesley Walker is the best I remember as a Jet at being able to get open short and deep against anyone.
Any of our guys playing opposite a real threat would look a lot better. I just don’t see this showing up any time soon.
harlan
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DSmizzle – please go check out that youtube clip. If that isn’t a desire to inflict pain (oh, how I feel for thee, David Carr) then I don’t know what is. He absolute obliterated a Carr.
Obviously what you’re saying is all speculation, so I won’t stand here and argue with you over it. But I don’t care if Gholston knows every responsibility on the field. He’s a very intelligent person, so it’s more about him gaining reps and a comfort level in this new role. While he may be in the same position as last year, his responsibilities have somewhat changed. Once he understands his own role, then he can branch out to other roles. 3-4 OLB rushers generally take longer to learn their roles, let alone someone who has played football for something like only 6 years and changed positions last year after leaving school early.
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JetObsessed28 says:
That video makes me want to pull a Terry Tate!!!
nice find, thanks for posting.
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BumpSetSpike says:
Yikes, VG absolutely flattened Carr…….and you can see he tried to turn his head a little to avoid the direct helmet-helmet shot. Too bad he clipped it for the penalty. Regardless, that’s the type of aggressiveness we’re looking to see from Gholston.
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Brendan:
I am not speculating about Gholston’s desire to mix it up. I was against selecting him prior to the draft, even though his highlight reels from OSU show him occasionally pile-driving the QB.
The willingness to blow up blockers who are trying to hurt him is what I’m talking about, not defenseless QB’s on plays where Gholston isn’t touched.
I just don’t see how it is speculation at this point. I was against the drafting of Gholston because despite his athletic prowess, I was concerned that all he did was run very fast and also use his physical strength to throw around college linemen at times. None of what I saw from OSU involved anything above and beyond physical prowess. He played DE, but didn’t even seem intuitive in that role at OSU, as I don’t think the film showed he was all that effective at absorbing simple but monumentally important football basics, like keeping contain on the off-side or utilizing the techniques that your coaches drill you on every day (using your hands, different pass-rushing moves, etc.), as he didn’t need them at that level. He was NOT Dwight Freeney, in other words, except from a physical standpoint.
Basically, I don’t see it as speculation to analyze game film and see a player who, in college and obviously in the pro’s, lacks basic (let alone advanced) football instincts.
The “speculation” part might be what I THINK is his lack of a mean streak. I don’t think he’s known for it and all I’ve heard is the opposite. I’ve never once heard of him obliterating a blocker, only that at times he was able to use his strength to push already-engaged blockers into the backfield at times (THAT is important of course, but it is one of MANY important things!).
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DSmizzle… you bring up a really really important nightmare scenario to consider. We would be totally screwed if Jericho gets hurt. Hes essentially a pure #2 to begin with. Without him we have a bunch of 3′s. For depths sake, we need another #2 out there at the very least.
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Bent says: I still think our receiving corps is better than last year. I keep saying, there’s nothing Stuckey can’t do that Coles used to and now they have the added element of a deep threat in Clowney too. Add in a year of maturation from Keller and you can see why I have been so against killing the cap with a panic move.
That’s not to say last year’s WR corps was among the best in the league, but the Jets had a winning record in spite of it.
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DSmizzle – the speculation I spoke of was that you assumed all those players could recite you the responsibilities of everyone else on the field.
Because he doesn’t have Bart Scott’s trash-talking and he doesn’t do elaborate celebrations people speak about a lack of fire. Why is that the only way a man can motivate himself. Yes, it’d be awesome to watch devour Tom Brady and let out a primal shriek, but that’s not who he is. He’s quiet, that doesn’t mean he’s not fired up. Some of the most intense people I’ve ever played with didn’t show it on the outside, but inside they had a firestorm going off in their head.
And if you analyzed game film you would see that Gholston is making strides in the right direction. From a technical standpoint he’s staying low, using his strength to drive blockers into the backfield and disrupt. He’s facing double teams regularly. If he develops a few good pass rushing moves (I’ll wholeheartedly agree he lacks in this department), than you’ll see him reach that Gaines Adams-level 6-7 sacks his rookie year.
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Brendan:
I want to be wrong about this kid very badly.
I also do recognize the slight improvements he has been making, which his supporters put a great emphasis on.
I find those developments to be very important (using decent techniques in certain situations, like being engaged with a blocker, etc.), but I also find them to put him on track to maybe be a serviceable player who doesn’t hurt the team when he is in there in perhaps another year or two.
Sadly, this is the NFL, and there is nothing we can do about the fact that players aren’t only held to the standard of looking a little better than last year; they’re responsible for playing at a level that comes close to justifying their cap hit, or at the very least making SOME positive contributions.
So yeah dude, I hear you. He definitely looks better than last year, largely I think because he’s being used the right way, i.e., in roles where he just has to use his physical skills.
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Brendan:
Another quick point: I was not really talking about wanting him to be a loud-mouthed intimidator. I just don’t think he wants to go beyond making a hit and actually creaming someone (even if he was able to do it unblocked against David Carr).
I think of things like Maurice Jones Drew blocking Shawn Merriman on his behind. He could’ve gotten away with just blocking him, but wanted to plant him on his arse.
That’s the killer instinct I’m talking about, not the ability to cream an unblocked QB (though I must admit I did like seeing that by Vernon).
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Hah the MJD block is one of my favorite plays in history of watching this game. The fact that MJD is my size and Merriman is the size of a meat locker made for one of the best blocks ever.
And I agree with you that the draft slot and the cap number make him under a huge microscope, more than any other player really. I would say he’s approaching “serviceable player” status currently. And as you pointed out they’re putting him in spots where he can utilize his natural tools, so if he can continue to improve it’s not out of the question that he has a solid year (35 tackles and 6 sacks and I’d do backflips through the Meadowlands).
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Bent…
You really think adding a receiver would be a panic move? Sure, getting a good one would hit the cap, but for the most part id say players generally get paid within a range of their true value. Wouldn’t you take a cap hit for a proven commodity in the NFL that you know will produce? I think adding a WR, whether its Matt Jones or Brandon Marshall etc. isn’t exactly a panic move, its just move to improve depth and target options for a rookie QB. The panic move comes after the nightmare scenario described, when we lose Cotchery and are forced to roll with a bunch of 3′s. Keller will be doubled all day.
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Bent says:
Such a move will make the Jets practically unable to fill any holes other than on the cheap for the next few years, so unless it makes them an instant Superbowl contender (doubtful) and you expect them to have no other needs next year (even more doubtful), I’d consider it a panic move.
The Jets like their panic moves though, so you may yet get your wish.
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We could just cross our fingers for the uncapped year then…
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Bent, the interesting problem we face here is whether preparing for the possible injury of Cotchery with signing a guy like Matt Jones is a “panic move” or whether its an absolute necessity. The same could be said of a veteran, versatile backup OL.
The talent is decent at WR, and very good on the OL, but Cotch or a starting OL getting hurt and we are in a world of trouble.
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Jets Rock says:
I like Stuckey as a number 2 / 3. Meaning, use him in the slot when you set up three WR, and use Clowney in the number two slot in that situation. Otherwise have him in their switching off with Clowney. I don’t understand how teams don’t play guys who have great camps year after year (e.g. Stuckey, Clowney). Did anyone notice how Harris was all over the ball against the Giants? VG keep trucking, you’ll get there.
The fact that Stuckey is a 6th rounder makes it all sweeter.