Don't expect cut blocks from Jets in rematch with Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- A look at what's happening around the New York Jets:

1. Cut it out: The blocking technique that caused a firestorm in the aftermath ofAaron Rodgers'left Achilles injury appears to be history. That's right, the Jets have cut the cut block from their game plans.

The offensive line hasn't executed any designed cut blocks since the game where their starting quarterback was injured in Week 1 on "Monday Night Football," a person familiar with the situation told ESPN, which confirmed it with a video review of every pass play.

On the infamous play, the fourth snap of the season, tackle Duane Brown tried to cut-block Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd -- a perfectly legal play. But it didn't work, Rodgers was sacked by Floyd and suffered the injury.

"We didn't really do much of that before [this season], and so that was something that they wanted to implement," Brown, speaking to ESPN, said of the cut-blocking technique. "It didn't go quite as planned, obviously. I wasn't in any meetings where they discussed not doing it, but I guess it's something they decided not to do."

The magnitude of the injury shined an immediate light on the mechanics of the play. One report stated Rodgers isn't a fan of cut blocking because it hampers his ability to improvise. A cut block is sometimes used on a quick pass because it's supposed to force the defensive lineman to drop his hands, giving the quarterback a throwing lane to the inside. Some offensive linemen don't like cut blocks because they'd rather stay on their feet in pass protection.

On the play, Rodgers didn't throw quickly, giving Floyd enough time to run around Brown, who was sprawled on the turf. Moments earlier, on the second play, Brown and right tackle Mekhi Becton both tried to cut-block their man, resulting in a jailbreak. Under heavy pressure, Rodgers threw the ball away.

So, on two of the first four snaps of the season, the Jets' linemen used the cut block with no success.

"And that was it," Brown said, referring to further cut-block usage.

"It just didn't pan out those first two plays," he said. "I think it's obviously something [the coaches] probably kept in the back of their mind."

The Jets installed a new offensive system this season, with a new coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and a new line coach Keith Carter. After the game, Hackett defended the playcall, saying every play in the game plan was discussed to "the finest detail." He said it was just "a very unfortunate incident."

2. Lineup tweaks: The offense held a players-only meeting to clear the air on the issues plaguing their unit. Now we'll find out how the coaching staff will attack the problem. Earlier in the week, coach Robert Saleh suggested there will be "personnel changes" on Sunday against the Bills (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). The big move was to release running back Michael Carter. Any other moves will be more subtle. Possibilities:

• Rookie running backIsrael Abanikanda, inactive for nine games, is expected to make his NFL debut. He will replace Carter as the RB3, behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. The hope is that the fifth-round pick from Pitt can spark the moribund offense with his speed. The third-down job, previously held by Carter, is demanding for a rookie, so look for Abanikanda on first and second down.


• Hall could be a factor on third down. He took over the job last Sunday night when Carter was benched early in the third quarter. It's another way to get the ball in Hall's hands, which means big-play potential. Cook, who appears to have regained his burst, could see more carries than usual.


• There could be a change at TE2. Jeremy Ruckert "deserves to get more action, and it's something we're looking at," Saleh said. Ruckert could take snaps from C.J. Uzomah, who committed two costly penalties last week. Uzomah (eight catches for 58 yards) has mostly been a nonfactor in the passing game. His role on special teams probably will keep him on the active roster -- for now.


• A shift in the wide receiver rotation is possible. Allen Lazard, playing with a knee injury, has only three catches for 35 yards in the past two games. Truth be told, he wasn't producing much before the injury (17 for 255 in seven games). But if they reduce his snaps, who steps in? There are no obvious answers. Maybe rookie Jason Brownlee, a training camp star, finally gets a shot.

3. Cryptic comment: Carter, claimed by the Arizona Cardinals, told reporters in Arizona that "there's a lot that went on behind the scenes that led me to not be surprised" by his ouster. He declined to say whether he requested his release. It sounds like Carter and the Jets agreed to a mutual parting once he was demoted behind Abanikanda. Carter had been unhappy with his role since last season, but his release still blindsided the locker room.

4. Too many flags: The Jets have a penalty problem. They've been flagged 55 times since Week 4 -- an average of 9.2 per game, including declined penalties. Only five teams, including the Bills (58), have more over that span.

How does a team correct this sort of thing? The Jets are studying their penalties on tape, emphasizing proper technique (head and hand placement, footwork, etc.) and checking play design. As always, they have officials at practice, calling penalties.

A few factoids: Tackle Mekhi Becton leads the team with five accepted penalties. The Jets' most frequently called penalty is the false start (14). Like the Bills, the Jets have been flagged for having too many men on the field. Fortunately for the Jets, it didn't cost them a game in the final seconds, like it did last week for the Bills against the Broncos.

5. Zebras: The Jets can't blame the epidemic on flag-happy officiating crews. In fact, they've had only one game with a crew currently ranked in the top 5 in penalties called. Against the Bills, it will be referee Alan Eck and his crew, ranked 10th out of 17 on the penalty list, according to NFLpenalties.com.

6. QB curse: The past two games against the Bills were season-altering because of quarterback injuries. Eleven months ago, it was Mike White with a shot to the midsection by linebacker Matt Milano, causing five rib fractures. Two months ago, it was Rodgers and his torn Achilles. Oh, what might have been.

7. Quick(er) game: It might not seem like it to the naked eye, but quarterback Zach Wilson is delivering the ball quicker than he did early in the season. His average time to throw has averaged under 3.0 seconds in six straight games, per NFL Next Gen Stats. In the first three games, it was 3.22.

8. Slip of the tongue? In the afterglow of last month's upset of the Philadelphia Eagles, Saleh said the Jets' defense had "embarrassed" some of the NFL's top quarterbacks. He was alluding, in part, to the Bills' Josh Allen, who had four turnovers in the season opener, which the Jets won in overtime. Saleh seemingly tried to walk it back. Now Allen has a chance to throw it back in his face.

"He's damn-near Superman on the football field," Saleh said Friday of Allen.

9. Deep dive: Teams will go to great lengths to dig up tendencies on a playcaller. The Jets watched tape of the 2020 and 2021 Carolina Panthers to get a feel for Joe Brady, who was elevated this week to Bills interim offensive coordinator. Carolina was his previous gig, where he was coordinator for two seasons.

10. The last word: "It's not a secret sauce. I mean, you turn on our tape and compared to most teams -- if not every other team -- we just play the hardest. We don't relent. I think it's just four quarters of just running with effort, violence and passion. I don't think anybody does it like us." -- defensive end John Franklin-Myers, explaining their success against Allen (five interceptions in the last three meetings).