It is all hands on deck for the New York Jets as they prepare to face their rivals, the New England Patriots, on Thursday Night Football. The Jets have not exactly been having an ideal season which is resulting in plenty of rumors surrounding Rex Ryan's job security and Geno Smith's starting position. However, a win against the Patriots could easily change that meaning injuries cannot be an issue.
According to Ryan, the Jets will be getting wide receiver Eric Decker back into the lineup on Thursday. The receiver has been struggling with a hamstring injury that has been lingering since training camp. Decker has been on and off the field, missing one game of action However, he has been practJicing on a limited basis and Ryan is confident that Decker returns for the big matchup.
While Decker's injury has not caused him to miss too many games, it has kept him from being consistent on the field. The receiver admits he has been restricted in his play due to the injury which is hurting the flow of the offense. Decker is currently the best wide receiver the Jets have, putting up 258 yards and three touchdowns off 20 catches. He is the safety blanket for Smith so having him healthy on the field is critical.
The Jets are having injury issues across the board. Ryan confirmed that receiver Greg Salas would miss the game due to a wrist and ankle injury. That leaves Decker and Jeremy Kerley has the two best options for Smith in this game. Tight end Jace Amaro will also need to step up. He has emerged as a real sleeper this season, putting up 212 yards and one touchdown on the season.
The Jets are sitting at 1-5 right now, making this rivalry game a must-win for the team. A lot has been made about their struggling team and Smith blames the media for misprinting their issues. Right now the quarterback ranks last in passer ratings amongst quarterbacks, but he believes the media coverage around him has been unfair.
"For me, it hasn't been," Smith said, via the New York Post. "I think, obviously with everything that goes on with the media, a lot of things are, I would say, miscommunicated, and then it just gets misprinted and then misunderstood. I don't have any quarrels with anything. The main thing is that we just have to find a way to get a win. The hardest part about it all is losing. With the effort, the time that we put in, the preparation that we put in throughout the week, coming up with game plans - we always have a really good game plan going in - and then obviously we haven't executed as well as we'd like. Those things are tougher than I guess what can be said and what is portrayed out there in the media."
