At the end of Saturday’s practice, which featured scrimmage-like conditions, rookie QB Cade Klubnik did not have favorable odds during the two-minute drill. Facing a third-and-21 from deep inside their own territory, Klubnik and the offense remained confident.
“Here’s what I heard from the offense guys, ‘Man, let’s go score,’ ” HC Aaron Glenn said. “It doesn’t matter what the score is, it doesn’t matter who we play, it doesn’t matter where we play, guys we always got to have that mentality and I love it. And that tells me a lot about where we’re going as a team.”
WR Isaiah Williams ran a deep route down the middle of the field, and Klubnik’s pass found him streaking pass two defenders. The 66-yard connection was not the only explosive play delivered by Williams.
The Jets started practice with the offense on its own 35-yard line. After moving the ball to the plus-36, QB Geno Smith took a shot toward the end zone. Williams ran up the middle, with CB Brandon Stephens and S Minkah Fitzpatrick closing in. Fitzpatrick got a hand on the ball, but Williams was still able to haul it in for the TD.
“Players like that demand respect, they demand reps,” Glenn said about Williams. “It’s no surprise to anybody, coaches, players that he operates the way he operates. I think what makes him such a special player, because I guess from the outside in, everybody looks at him as a special teams player. But man, there’s room for him in our offense.”