The Headline That Makes No Sense
You read that right. According to a recent article, Brandon Stephens provides Jets supporters with a motive to overlook Sauce Gardner. The math behind that claim is so wild it feels like a joke. Gang Green Nation points out the absurdity of this hype right away. It suggests a 28-year-old journeyman is outperforming a two-time All-Pro.
Stephens is a player who probably should not even be starting in the NFL. Yet some writers want us to believe he is the new face of the defense. The reality involves a passer rating that breaks the scale. Last year, Stephens allowed an ungodly 134+ passer rating. That was the worst mark of his entire career.
Gang Green Nation notes that no quarterback in history has a 105+ career passer rating. Throwing at Stephens makes the average NFL quarterback look like the greatest player ever. That is the exact opposite of what a good defense should do. Throwing at him yields results superior to those achieved by the best QB in history.
What the Numbers Actually Show
Compare that mess to the real star on the team. Sauce Gardner has allowed a passer rating of 76.7 for his career. That is a number that keeps opposing teams from scoring. Joe Flacco held the 32nd ranked NFL passer spot last season, posting a 79.2 passer rating. Throwing at Gardner essentially turns an average starting quarterback into worse than the worst starter in the league.
The gap between these two players is massive. One allows a rating that makes everyone look like a legend. The other makes everyone look like they cannot throw a ball. Gang Green Nation reports that Stephens is a journeyman while Gardner is a two-time All Pro. The article author admits he does not even believe his own headline. He just wanted clicks and did not care about misleading the fans.
This is not about a few good practices in August. The data from last year proves Stephens struggles in coverage. The writer knows better than to make the case his headline implies. It is just clickbait designed to get people to read a story about a bad situation.
Why Fans Should Ignore the Noise
It is easy to get excited when training camp starts. The hype can make you forget how the team actually played last year. But the stats do not lie. You cannot ignore a 134 passer rating allowed by a single defender. That is a recipe for disaster if he gets the ball more often.
Sauce Gardner is the one who keeps the defense safe. He forces quarterbacks to make terrible throws. The idea that fans should forget him is silly. A few decent practices do not erase a career of bad stats. The irony is that the writer knows his own headline is wrong. He just wants to sell the story.
Jets fans know the difference between a real star and a lucky break. Do not let a clickbait title change your mind about who the best player is. The numbers show who you should trust when the pads come on.
The team has other things to worry about this week. Links to other stories mention standout players from the first week of camp. They also discuss a new partnership to extend the fan experience beyond MetLife Stadium. Demario Davis talked about payback after the pads came on. These are the real stories that matter to the team.
