The New York Jets don’t exactly have a clean history when it comes to handling elite tight ends, which makes Sunday’s matchup with Sam LaPorta worth watching. Still, there’s a little more reason for optimism here than usual after what the Jets did to Tucker Kraft a week ago.
LaPorta is the kind of tight end who can wreck a defense if he’s left alone. He’s a major threat every time he steps on the field, and his production backs that up.
Even while injuries held him to nine games last season, he still finished with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games this year, he’s already up to 11 receptions for 100 yards.
But the Jets just showed they can at least shrink that kind of impact. Kraft came into the game after ranking third among tight ends last year in yards per reception at 15.3 and opening Green Bay’s season with three catches for 65 yards. Against the Jets, though, he was barely a factor, finishing with two receptions for 14 yards on three targets.
Jamien Sherwood was part of that effort. He was targeted twice against Kraft and allowed one four-yard catch, while Dane Belton gave up the other reception for 10 yards.
Kraft was still in the mix, but he wasn’t the Packers’ answer when they needed a big play. That’s the model the Jets will try to use again against LaPorta.
Sherwood figures to handle a lot of the work underneath and in the middle of the field, where the goal will be to get hands on the route early or bring LaPorta down right away after a short completion. Belton and the other Jets defensive backs will have to help when LaPorta works deeper.
It’s a meaningful test for Sherwood, too. In 2025, he had a rough year in coverage after a strong 2024 season, allowing 578 yards, four touchdowns, and a 125.1 passer rating when targeted. His 578 yards allowed ranked 11th among linebackers last season, and his four touchdowns allowed tied for seventh most.
Through two games, though, Sherwood has looked much sharper in coverage. Demario Davis may deserve some of that credit after taking over as the green-dot linebacker for the Jets. With Davis handling that responsibility, Sherwood can play with a little more freedom instead of worrying about lining everyone up.
Of course, the Jets can’t spend the whole afternoon chasing LaPorta and forget about the rest of Detroit’s offense. Jared Goff still has Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs, who remains one of the league’s most dangerous dual-threat backs.
That’s the balancing act Aaron Glenn has in front of him this week. He knows Detroit’s offense better than almost anyone, having served as the Lions’ defensive coordinator from 2021-24, and that familiarity could help. But it doesn’t make the Lions any less loaded.
Detroit has scored 31 points in each of its first two games, with Goff throwing six touchdowns and no interceptions. Gibbs has been a big part of that machine. In 2025, he caught 77 passes for 616 yards, and this season he already ranks second among running backs with 91 receiving yards, behind only Bijan Robinson’s 118.
LaPorta is still likely to get his catches on Sunday. The Jets’ job is to make sure those catches don’t turn into a game-breaking afternoon, just like they managed with Kraft last week.
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