New England Patriots: The Jets’ safeties can matchup with Rob Gronkowski
New York Jets’ rookie safeties will pose a threat to New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
After sitting out Week 5, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will be eager to get back on the field versus the New York Jets.
Gronkowski has 54 catches for 655 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games versus New York, but Sunday’s bout may go a little different.
The Jets doubled down on safeties in the 2017 NFL Draft, selecting LSU’s Jamal Adams sixth overall and Florida’s Marcus Maye in the second round.
Together, Adams and Maye have already combined to become one of the league’s top safety tandems, and one capable of silencing a player of Gronkowski’s caliber.
Jamal Adams and Malik Hooker have been as advertised so far pic.twitter.com/BdWHTwfuA9
— PFF (@PFF) October 4, 2017
Last week, Pro Football Focus shared a graphic of their highest grading rookie safeties. Jamal Adams ranked atop the list with a grade of 81.7, 15th among all safeties in the league.
"“Adams has been deployed as a versatile weapon all over the Jets defense, with significant snaps at linebacker, strong safety, free safety, slot corner and even lined up split wide as a boundary cornerback on a few occasions,” wrote PFF’s Sam Monson."
In five games, the rookie has collected 18 tackles, two pass breakups, and one sack, as well as playing over 96 percent of the Jets’ defensive snaps.
But, Adams isn’t the only rookie safety turning heads in New York. Marcus Maye has also stood out in his first season.
Maye allowed one catch in 28 coverage snaps in Week 2 followed by no targets in 46 coverage snaps in Week 3. On Sunday, he played 38 coverage snaps, hauling in his first career interception on only one target.
.@alldayMAYE's all over it. #NYJvsCLE pic.twitter.com/9C9CpJuc2J
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 8, 2017
In addition, Maye’s being graded well by Pro Football Focus, so far, as a rookie. He earned an 81.4 player grade versus the Raiders and a 76.7 against the Dolphins.
Todd Bowles will have multiple options for deploying the duo on Sunday. He could task Adams with manning Gronk one-on-one while Maye covers centerfield. Or, he could use Adams in the box while Maye drops into coverage.
Next: Stephon Gilmore happy to bounce back
Two weeks removed from the last time he took the field, Gronkowski will be well rested and back to full health. He’s feasted on the Jets in past meetings, but New York may finally have the personnel to defend the Patriots’ star tight end.