Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates: Jets didn't play hard enough against Bears
Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates looks on during the first half of a preseason game against the Falcons on Aug. 10. Credit: AP/Bill Kostroun
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates says the Jets took a step backward in the running game and didn’t play hard enough last week against Chicago.
“They played harder than us,” Bates said Thursday. “When you go into a game like that in those conditions and you want to major in running the ball, it’s all about attitude. I think we kind of took a step back in the run game last Sunday. Our guys are professional, they take it seriously, and look forward to coming back on Sunday.”
It was the second week in a row that the Jets couldn’t get their ground game going. They had 57 yards on 24 carries against a defense without Khalil Mack.
Their next opponent can help the Jets get better quickly, though. The Dolphins are tied for the third-worst rushing defense in the league at 143.1 yards allowed per game.
Bates doesn’t think not playing as hard as the opponent will be an issue again. “Our guys fought,” he said. “They were playing hard. They just weren’t playing sound. The Bears really played more physical than us.”
Todd Bowles agreed. “They were rough,” he said. “They won the physical battle. We played physical and we played hard. They just made more plays than we did.”
Defending his picks
General manager Mike Maccagnan defended his sketchy draft record. Only one player from his first draft in 2015 — Leonard Williams — remains on the roster. Some notable Maccagnan picks in the last four years who are gone include Christian Hackenberg, Bryce Petty, Lorenzo Mauldin, Dylan Donahue and ArDarius Stewart.
“For the most part, I feel pretty good,” Maccagnan said. “There’s definitely picks that haven’t worked out. That’s part of this business. If you look at our roster, there’s a lot of good young players we have that we’ve drafted. We’ve also gone in college free agency and found some good young players.”
Injury updates
CB Trumaine Johnson, who missed the last four games with a quadriceps injury, was a limited participant while practicing for the first time in nearly a month . . . C Spencer Long was a full participant. He missed last week’s game with knee and finger injuries . . . WRs Quincy Enunwa (ankle) and Robby Anderson (ankle), TE Neal Sterling (concussion), DL Steve McLendon (ankle) and LBs Frankie Luvu (neck) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (foot) did not practice.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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