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New York Jets: 5 Ways they can upset Colts

By Kevin Parvizi

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Sep 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker (87) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

5. Four-wide sets provide advantage

The Colts have one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in Vontae Davis, and there’s no doubt that he’s firmly entrenched himself as a top-five player at the position after two sensational seasons. Davis completely took the dynamic Sammy Watkins, who was repeatedly called the Bills best player at training camp, out of the game, and yet the Bills were still able to move the ball through the air in Week 1.

On Thursday, the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder tweeted that No. 2 corner Greg Toler is still considered week-to-week by the team, and Holder opined that he “would not be too optimistic” on the chances of Toler playing this week. He, Darius Butler, and D’Joun Smith are all dealing with injuries, so the Colts are woefully thin at the cornerback position.

Butler, in particular, struggled mightily last week, as Percy Harvin had no issues burning him on that highlight-reel 51-yard touchdown reception. The Colts need to be worried about their lack of depth at corner behind Davis this week, because the Jets ran four-wide sets more often than any other team, as per NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling, in Week 1.

That’s the Chan Gailey way. He’s going to generate mis-matches by throwing Eric Decker in the slot and doing whatever he can to maximize the talent around game manager Ryan Fitzpatrick. The run-heavy approach combined with the four-wide sets put a lot of stress on a Colts defense that isn’t deep or physical, so good decision-making from Fitzpatrick could be enough to put the Jets in a position to win, assuming Luck doesn’t have a monster day against an elite defense.

Next: Where Does Fitzpatrick Rank Among QBs Right Now?

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