New York Jets: 3 Players with rising stock after Week 6

1. Jeremy Kerley

The TCU product is in his second tour of duty with Gang Green and posted a season-high 61 yards receiving, including a 31-yard touchdown reception from Josh McCown early in the second quarter to give New York a short-lived 14-0 advantage over the Pats. Kerley added another 30-yard reception in the first half. Too bad the Jets could not hold on to the lead.

It’s a little concerning that the 28-year old wideout did not have a catch in the second half but Kerley started to draw more attention from New England’s secondary at that point. The most important thing is that seven-year veteran is an incredibly reliable receiver for McCown when targeted.

Check out these numbers: Kerley has caught 19 of 20 passes thrown his way, an outstanding catch percentage of 95 percent. He is also averaging 10.2 yards per reception so he is more than capable on moving the chains, especially on third down.

There is another positive attribute that Hutto, TX native brings to the table. While he will never remind anyone of Devin Hester, Kerley provides the Jets with a reliable punt returner, someone who won’t fumble the ball in a tight window or in a big spot. Remember what happened to Kalif Raymond when he fumbled a punt at a key point in the game against the Raiders in Week 2? He was waived the next day. Kerley adds a layer of security and confidence on special teams with his great hands and wealth of experience. He won’t take any unnecessary chances as well.

Next: NFL: 5 Teams on upset alert in Week 7

The Jets are delighted to have 5-9, 188-pounder back in the fold. He brings a lot of veteran leadership to a team that can learn a great deal from him.