Jeff Cumberland not practicing today
New York Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland (87) bobbles and drops a pass while being covered by New England Patriots strong safety Steve Gregory (28) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets won the game 30-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
New York Jets starting TE Jeff Cumberland had an extremely rough game last week against the New England Patriots, and the only positive for him was the fact that the Jets were able to upset their bitter rivals to the north. Cumberland had a pair of rough drops, and he also sustained a minor hamstring injury. Cumberland is a decent- if unspectacular- tight end in this league, and he’s a key safety valve option in the middle of the field and in the red zone for rookie passer Geno Smith. With Kellen Winslow Jr. out due to PEDs, Cumberland is the focal point and helps move the chains for the Jets offense. He had an off game against the Patriots and will be hoping to bounce back this week against another tough opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals.
ESPN New York’s Rich Cimini reports that Cumberland will not practice for a second straight day due to a hamstring injury, as Cimini saw Cumberland walk toward the “rehab area”. Rex Ryan said yesterday that he expects that Jeff Cumberland will be able to play this week against the Bengals.
I wouldn’t deviate from that expectation at this point despite another day without practice, and hopefully another rehab session with the trainers will help Cumberland progress forward. He should play this week, but he definitely won’t be 100% due to the hamstring issue. It’s difficult to expect much out of Cumberland this week due to the circumstances, and he has never caught five passes in a game this season. His best performance came in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, when he caught three passes for 79 yards and a TD.
You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe. Be sure to like us on Facebook here and follow our site on Twitter as well.