Mason Taylor’s Week 1 line was ugly on paper: two catches for minus-2 yards, plus a first-quarter drop that had some Titans fans arguing it should have been ruled a fumble after linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. punched the ball out of the 22-year-old’s hands. For a second-year tight end trying to make a case in New York, that’s the kind of opener that can stick to a player fast.
But the Jets didn’t come away from Sunday with just the bad stuff on Taylor’s resume. Buried under the quiet night as a receiver was a real positive: he was a force as a blocker in the run game. New York rolled up 152 yards on the ground, and Taylor earned the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade among all tight ends at 76.2.
That matters for a player whose blocking had been one of the bigger question marks coming out of LSU. The scouting report on Taylor said he wasn’t a strong blocker, especially in-line, and last season he backed that up with a 63.1 grade.
With Kenyon Sadiq now on the roster as the better move tight end, Taylor’s job in 12 personnel is going to hinge on whether he can handle the dirty work up front. Week 1 suggested he can.
The role is especially important now because Frank Reich made clear in the opener that the run game is going to be a foundation of this offense. The Jets also appear set to lean on 12 personnel as a major part of that plan.
Reich’s version isn’t about shrinking the playbook the way Ground and Pound 1.0 did once the offensive line talent faded with Geno Smith in the picture. This is about stressing defenses, creating matchup problems, and keeping opponents guessing.
If Taylor keeps bringing that kind of run-blocking value, the Jets can use those two-tight-end looks to do exactly that. The formation can help force the defense into uncomfortable choices and, in turn, open up the passing game.
That’s the bigger picture here. Tight end tandems have caused problems all over the league when both players can threaten defenses. Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert did it for years in Philadelphia, and the most famous example is still Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in New England.
Taylor still has to respond as a receiver for that vision to fully take hold, but one rough outing doesn’t erase the possibility that he settles in quickly. If he does, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, and Smith should all benefit from the chaos those athletic tight ends can create.
In Other News...
Robert Saleh Is Bringing Back A Jets Debate In Tennessee
Robert Salehs return to the sideline in Tennessee brought an old Jets conversation back with him, this time in a different uniform and against his former team. His first game as Titans coach ended in a 23-10 loss to New York, but the more familiar part for Jets followers came before and during the game, when Titans players were seen wearing 60% T-shirts, a nod to the mantra Saleh once used in New York to push players to bring more energy and urgency.
The game itself only sharpened the sense that the same debates travel with a coach as much as the results do. Salehs decision-making drew attention, including a punt on fourth-and-9 while Tennessee was trailing, a choice that fit into a broader conversation about how aggressive he wants to be in key moments. For Jets fans, it was a reminder that even after Saleh moved on, some of the old arguments about his style are still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Got An Unexpected Week 1 Boost Up Front
David Onyemata gave the Jets a useful spark up front in Week 1, and it came from a place the team probably did not have pegged as a major source of pressure. The veteran defensive tackle finished with three total pressures, leading New Yorks interior defensive line and showing a pass-rush presence that stood out on a unit still sorting out its rotation.
For Onyemata, the takeaway was less about volume than role. He was brought in largely as a run defender, but his pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus was strong enough to place him near the top of the position group, and it came while Jowon Briggs logged only limited snaps. If the Jets are going to squeeze more disruption out of the middle as the season settles in, Onyematas early work gives them at least one encouraging piece to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Frank Reich Set A Tone The Jets Offense Has Been Missing
After the Jets put together a dominant offensive showing against the Titans, offensive coordinator Frank Reich struck the kind of measured, accountable tone that can matter as much as any play call. He acknowledged what went well, but he also pointed out the areas that still need work, which is a different kind of postgame message than the Jets have often heard in recent years.
Reichs approach seems aimed at something bigger than one strong outing. His emphasis on honesty and steady improvement lines up with what quarterback Geno Smith echoed afterward, and it gives the offense a chance to build around responsibility rather than empty praise. For a unit trying to establish a new identity, that kind of leadership may end up being the real takeaway. [Read more 🡒]