The Jets possess one of the NFL's top receiving pairs in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. While Marshall continues to do most of his damage from the outside, Decker has been a revelation inside the numbers.
"He's got a great feel for the game inside especially in the red zone. He and Fitz kind of read each other pretty well to know what we're trying to get done," said offensive coordinator Chan Gailey today. "We didn't come up with it. It just sort of evolved over a course of time. It's not like we had some kind of epiphany or something. You just kind of keep moving guys around and massaging the system until you see where guys fit the best. He's still a good outside receiver – I don't want anybody not to think that. But he's done a great job inside."
Decker, whose 46 TDs since 2010 are fourth most in the NFL among WRs, registered his first 100-yard game of the season against the Giants.
"Obviously he can make somebody miss in a short area because he has a lot of guys right on top of him," Gailey said. "And when they go to zone, he understands where the holes are in the zone. He and Fitz have a great feel for each other about where the hole is and how he's going to get there. Those two things are a pretty good combination for a guy."
Without the services of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Marcus Williams for the majority of the past two weeks, the Jets have won consecutive games. Antonio Cromartie has stepped up his game on the outside as the Green & White have shuffled the deck in the defensive backfield.
"I'm really happy for the guy," said defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers of Cromartie. "He came up to me the other day in practice (and said), 'I'm feeling really good.' You can kind of see the way he's playing, his confidence is back where it should be. We think he's playing at a high level right now."
The Jets' rush defense continues to perform at a high level, ranking No. 1 in terms of yards per game (83.5) and T4 in yards per carry (3.7).
"Our linebackers are doing a really good job with David (Harris), Demario (Davis) and Erin (Henderson) coming in, those guys are really coming downhill and getting double teams off of our front guys leaving them one-on-ones and they're doing a pretty good job of winning their one-on-ones," Rodgers said. "From this standpoint right now, we feel pretty good about where they are, (we) just have to keep improving."
After surrendering an 80-yard punt return touchdown against the Giants, special teams coordinator Bobby April was asked whether there could be any changes to the coverage units.
"We're working some different guys," April said. "I don't know if there will absolutely be a change, but we're prepared to play some different guys."
