Robby Anderson continues to emerge as an impact player
New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, center, celebrates his touchdown with his teammates in the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Dec.18, 2016. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
There are not many bright spots at this stage for the 4-10 Jets, but one continues to be the emergence of undrafted rookie receiver Robby Anderson.
He again showed his chemistry with quarterback Bryce Petty not four minutes into Saturday night’s 34-13 loss to the Dolphins when he broke away for a 40-yard touchdown pass that put the Jets ahead.
“They brought pressure and the coverage worked out well because they rolled the safety over to try and double Brandon [Marshall],” Anderson explained later. “I was one-on-one and the nickel was playing low on me, so it was over the top and I came wide open.”
Later in the game, Anderson caught a 28-yard pass on the play in which Petty was knocked out of the game when he was sandwiched by the Dolphins’ Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake.
Anderson finished with four catches for 80 yards. The four highest receiving yardage totals in his career have come in the four games in which Petty has seen significant action.
“I’ve shown that I can contribute and that I belong,” said Anderson, who played at Temple. “I know coming in, a lot of people slated me out and didn’t have a lot of faith in me, but that’s just motivation for me. I showed that I belong and I’m going to continue to work hard so I can stay here as long as I can.”
Anderson said his touchdown catch illustrated what he can do. “It’s setting up guys like I did on that touchdown,” he said. “I gave him a quick hesitation and got him to slow down for a second and I gave him a burst, and it makes it hard for him to compete with that.”
