The New York Jets made a terrible call moving Joe Tippmann from center to right guard last season, and the run game is now paying the price. Breece Hall rushed for just 61 yards on 29 carries over the last two games, a pace that will kill any hope of a balanced attack. This offensive line mess is getting lost in the noise of a bad loss to the Lions, but it is the real story. The team signed Josh Myers to replace the college center they moved, yet the run game remains stuck in neutral. Should the current rate continue, the Jets face failing to keep up positive plays and danger of turning one-dimensional shortly.
The Center Problem
Reinstating Tippmann at center would help fix the mess, but the front office seems stuck. A poor center plagues the Jets, one likely to be equally ineffective at guard even swapping with Tippmann. Any alteration must originate within the line’s middle section where failures occur most frequently. Two yards per carry won’t cut it for a team trying to win.
Sadiq’s Breakout Moment
While the line struggles, rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq is finally showing why he was a great pick. Head coach Aaron Glenn gave a loud message after Sadiq’s breakout performance against Detroit on Sunday, September 27. Glenn declared that it was time to throw a lot at him, and he gets every possible repetition to enable that capability. Sadiq finished with career highs in every major category, proving he is ready to play. Posting on X, Rookie Watch claimed, “The Jets haven’t seen an elite TE talent like this in MULTIPLE DECADES.”
Rich Cimini of ESPN reports that Sadiq is the 2nd-youngest player in Jets history to record a 100-yard receiving game. He did it at 21 years and 207 days old, trailing only Breece Hall, who reached the mark at 21 years, 131 days. Jordan Schultz, an NFL Insider, noted, “The #Jets have a budding star in rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq,” which matters greatly since Sadiq missed critical offseason reps due to surgery on a sports hernia injury he had in college. The coaching staff said he would be fine, but he suffered a setback after three practices that forced him to miss even more training camp time.
Despite the missed time, Sadiq is a quick study and ready to contribute more. Shawn Syed, Football Integration Lead, noted, “Kenyon Sadiq’s Week 3 performance along with percentiles for a tight end, per @SumerSports 7 catches (93rd percentile) 105 receiving yards (98th) 46 yards after catch (96th) 0.308 targets per route run (91st).” Jets analyst Harrison Glaser wrote, “Kenyon Sadiq stock WAY UP!” The #Jets possess a genuine TE threat once more, appearing as a GREAT pick by Darren Mougey.
The offensive line blunder is a major problem, but Sadiq’s rise offers a clear path forward. The Jets need to fix the middle of the line to let runners like Hall get going again.
