Jets could use Antonio Cromartie to cover Jimmy Graham
By Josh Sanchez
The New York Jets have a tough match up against the New Orleans Saints in Week 9, and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham should be 100 percent and able to take advantage of a weaker Jets secondary. New York has to find a way to limit the best tight end in the game, so they are looking at all options.
One option for head coach Rex Ryan would be to put their top cornerback, Antonio Cromartie, on Graham all day.
“It’s a thought,” Ryan said, via the New York Daily News. “I think from a size and skill-wise (standpoint), yeah I think he could handle it. But that guy is a unique cat now. Graham has the speed of a receiver (and) the size of an offensive tackle.”
Jets linebacker Calvin Pace also pointed to the speed and size of Graham as the biggest mismatch.
“Graham’s basically a wide receiver. . . . It’s a tough matchup,” Pace said. “It’s like who do you put on him? I don’t want to guard him. You put a safety on him, he’s got a height advantage on him. They do a good job of putting him in space, so it’s going to be a person that has got to get (his) hands on him. Just know where he is.”
All of the things that play in to Jimmy Graham’s favor seem to point towards Antonio Cromartie being the man the Jets need to call on to shut down the Saints top pass catching target.
It’s not going to be easy for the Jets to slow down the passing game of New Orleans, let alone shut it down, but they are obviously planning on making Graham their focus and then letting Brees beat them with the rest of his targets — which he should be able to do.