Jets Mailbag: Will Elijah Moore be more involved down the stretch?

The smile spread across D.J. Reed’s face. The Jets weren’t an hour removed from their victory over the Buffalo Bills, a bye-week vacation awaited the corner, but he knew exactly what awaited the Jets after.

A rematch with the Patriots. And boy, did Reed and all of his teammates want that rematch with the Patriots.

The chance for revenge is this Sunday. It’s among the biggest games the Jets have played since the 2015 season. A victory, and New York will hold sole possession of first place in the AFC East.

The magnitude of that cannot be overstated, so we figured this would be a good time to open the mailbag and address your concerns on the Jets.

Let’s get to it.

@jasonoki: In the past, the Johnson ownership was a big part of the failures of this organization. Are they doing anything different other than finally hiring the right general manager?

HUGHES: They’re staying out of the way. This is more of a criticism of Woody Johnson, who can be impatient, than it is a criticism of Christopher. Before he went to the UK, he’d step on the feet of his coach or general manager to make splash additions. Johnson always chased the flashy new toy (Brett Favre, Tim Tebow, re-signing an aging Darrelle Revis).

That wasn’t the case when Christopher took over. Granted, his problem was that he put his trust in the wrong people (Adam Gase, Mike Maccagnan). I was curious to see if Woody Johnson’s return would disrupt the hands-off approach taken by Christopher. To Woody Johnson’s credit, while back, he hasn’t rocked the boat.

I genuinely thought you’d see the Jets overpay a few free agents this year, or give up absurd compensation in a trade, to add some high-profile player to appease the masses and earn favorable headlines. That would have happened in the past. That didn’t happen this offseason — a sign Johnson is letting both Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh do the jobs they were hired to do.

That, to me, is among the biggest reasons for the Jets success this year and could play a major role in them becoming perennial contenders.

@KTBigDaddy: What are the roles of George Fant, Max Mitchell when both are healthy?

HUGHES: Fant not practicing, but Mitchell returning, is interesting. Just before the trade deadline I was led to believe Fant was actually further along than Mitchell. The Jets have played this one close to the vest and will continue to do so. They’re not tipping their cap, potentially because of their rocky relationship with Fant at the moment. Remember: They told him he was their left tackle, then moved him to right when they signed Brown, only to then move him back to left when Brown got hurt. They have not given him a new contract — something he covets. He’s not exactly happy with the team at the moment.

So, Fant might not like this, but, in my opinion, Mitchell should have the job — even if/when both are healthy.

The Jets view Mitchell as a long-term mainstay on the offensive line. They were surprised he was already playing like a starter before his injury. As long as that continues to be the case, he shouldn’t come off the field. Every snap Mitchell plays benefits him in the long run in that it furthers his development.

It’s hard to imagine Fant returning to New York next year, so playing Mitchell over him, as long as he’s not a liability, benefits the Jets 2023 and beyond.

@SpriggsyFresh: Will Elijah Moore be more involved in the Jets offense down the stretch?

HUGHES: It’s been a minute since I’ve experienced a player slump like Moore. This guy looked like a budding superstar a year ago. Now, the Jets don’t even target him in the passing game. Wilson has thrown his way just once in the last three games.

The Jets envisioned the Rams when they pieced together their receiving trio. Corey Davis was going to be their physical version of Robert Woods. Rookie Garrett Wilson was their Cooper Kupp, just with more outside flexibility. Then there was Moore, whom the Jets saw as a similar player to Brandin Cooks. It worked that way, too. The way the Rams used Cooks is exactly how the Jets used Moore last year when he experienced success (43 catches, 538 yards, five touchdowns).

So … what the heck has happened? I’ve dug. Not even the Jets know.

Some of Moore’s lack-of involvement is Zach Wilson-related in that the quarterback just isn’t throwing the ball much. He’s thrown more than 26 times just twice since returning to the lineup. It’s hard to give Moore six-to-eight touches with those few of attempts, considering the other weapons on offense. But the last couple of games something just seems off. Again: The Jets aren’t even looking his way.

The Jets admitted this week they’re going to give Moore additional time in the slot. The hope is that it sparks something. I have my doubts. This issue feels deeper than just where he’s lining up.

@AccountGotBanned: Will the Jets make the playoffs?

It would be a massive disappointment if they didn’t. The beginning portion of the Jets’ schedule — those nine games before the bye — was considered to be the most challenging. Not just because of the opponents the Jets faced (AFC North, AFC East, Broncos and Packers), but because of how many young players they planned to start. The Jets figured they’d endure quite a steep learning curve during that time, which could lead to losses.

The hope internally was to steal four wins. The Jets liked their chances to feast on a much-easier second half if they could do that. The fact they sit 6-3 absolutely speeds up the developmental trajectory and changes the expectations for this year. Meaningful football isn’t enough. Get to the dance.

The Jets can now start playing the numbers game. You figure 10 wins gets them in. So, find four more wins.

You like their chances against the Patriots this week, assuming Wilson avoids the turnovers. The Jets also have very winnable games against the Bears, Lions, Jaguars and Seahawks (no, they’re not as good as some think). There are enough games there to get to 10.