The Jets cut Sam Ficken into a surprising move on Saturday.
Ficken, in nine games this season for the Jets, made 13 of his 15 field goal attempts and scored 12-of-15 on extra points. He missed two kicks last week against the Browns, one goal-scoring and one point-after-attempt. Ficken missed five games with a groin injury this year after kicking in 15 games for the Jets in 2019.
Chase McLaughlin will be the kicker in New England on Sunday. The Jets claimed McLaughlin from the Jaguars remission last month, but he has yet to appear in a game for them. McLaughlin has appeared in three games for Jacksonville this season, putting 4-for-5 on field goals and 3-for-4 on extra points. He will be the third kicker the Jets have used this season.
The Jets blocked two kicks last week, something that angered Brant Boyer, special teams coordinator. Ficken had an extra point effort and blocked a field goal try.
“It’s a rating program for kids, so I’ll try to temper what I’m saying here,” Boyer said. “It was a collaboration of things. We gave up a little too much pressure inside, kicked a little low, and then we had to subject a guy in the last second to get him there on the second one. I think we can definitely do better work. ”
Even if it’s to stop the internal pressure. They didn’t get that much pressure, and that’s the thing, not enough to usually stop a kick. So it definitely needs to be fixed before this week. That, of course, can never happen, and it has happened twice in one game. So I do not have to say that I am not happy about it, that’s for sure. ”
Greg van Roten, the Jets, activated the injured reserve on Saturday. He is expected to start on the right guard, where he started for the first 12 games of the Jets season. He sustained an injury to the turf that put him in an injured reserve on Dec. 12. Lamar Jackson is expected to start in his place.
The Jets also signed DL Tanzel Smart and LB Sharif Finch to the active team of the training group. They raised LBs Noah Dawkins and Brady Sheldon from the training group.
The Jets rookie, WR Denzel Mims, had a quiet game against the Browns last week, which was held for the first time in a game without a catch this season.
Mims had an up-and-coming rookie year that was hampered early on by thigh muscle injuries. He flashed the skill the Jets had to get him out of Baylor in the second round, but he has yet to have a monster game. Can it come against the Patriots on Sunday?
According to the Jets, there were reasons he was detained by Cleveland without a catch.
“I think there were a few things that determine coverage where the ball is going,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. ‘Of course the guys had a bigger game [Jamison] Crowder, [Braxton] Berries in [TE Chris] Herndon. I think we had eight targets for the guys and were 0-for-8. There were some contested balls, some rides thrown. Sometimes a game turns like this and if the ball goes outside to your guys, they should be disputed. And if you do not make the plays, your statistics will sometimes not be so good. ‘
Mims has 22 catches for 342 yards in eight games this season. He is still looking for his first touch.