Coming off a humiliating loss to the previously winless Dolphins last Sunday, the Jets are in a familiar position once again as they appear to be on their way toward another lost season in Gotham.
There is no denying this was a rock-bottom performance against a Dolphins team that hadn't led in a single game coming into Week 7, before they immediately set the tone with an opening-drive touchdown. If there was a silver lining, though, second-year tight end Mason Taylor had a career performance, bringing in five catches for 62 yards and two of New York's three TDs.
As disappointing as it was that the Jets dropped a winnable game and fell to 0-8 against divisional opponents in head coach Aaron Glenn's tenure, Taylor has clearly become one of quarterback Geno Smith's top targets with an uptick in receptions in each of his last three games since returning from a thumb injury.
One assumes Taylor's hot streak is not beneficial for rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq, who has been quiet with just four combined catches in his last four games since he went off for seven catches, 105 yards, and a TD in the Week 3 loss to the Lions. However, additional attention on Taylor could open the door for more favorable matchups for Sadiq and allow him to fully take advantage of his elite athleticism.
It seems like forever ago since Sadiq arrived on the NFL scene with a vengeance. As Taylor struggled to get off to a good start and dealt with a thumb injury, Sadiq showcased his versatility with a rushing TD in the season-opening win over the Titans and made this sensational diving catch for his first career NFL TD reception (h/t NFL) two weeks later.
Since then, he has taken a backseat to Taylor and rarely been involved in the offensive game plan. Granted, that shouldn't be a huge surprise considering the coaching malpractice from offensive coordinator Frank Reich and his inability to get the ball to WR1 Garrett Wilson.
If he can botch his top receiver's usage, there is no reason to expect anything different regarding Sadiq's touches. After all, his overall grade from Pro Football Focus (64) ranks 23rd out of 30 qualified TEs . That said, he's also credited with 102 yards after the catch and has proven to be someone who can make plays in the open field when he receives the ball.
Just because Taylor was a stud and has shown he can be versatile himself as a talented receiver who can also make a positive impact as a blocker, there is no reason Sadiq should be ignored in the passing attack and not take on a larger role with his skill set.
With the athleticism and raw receiving ability, Sadiq is easily someone who could see more snaps at WR and still make just as much of an impact, while Taylor commands the majority of the TE duties. Aside from rookie Omar Cooper Jr., who has returned from a high ankle sprain with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games and two TDs, there has not been much consistency among the wideouts.
Wilson only has a pair of 100-yard games this season and just six combined catches on nine targets in the last two games. Even Adonai Mitchell, whose return from a finger injury last week was expected to boost Wilson's performance by taking some attention away from him, had zero catches on three targets in his return.
Due to the inconsistency behind Cooper on the WR depth chart, combined with his emergence, the Jets have an opportunity to utilize Sadiq more often to provide a little more stability. Throw in the fact that Isaiah Williams has failed to take advantage of his opportunities and has not even been targeted since Week 5, and the door is definitely open for Sadiq if the coaching staff chooses to use him that way.
Not only can Taylor's success take some of the burden off Sadiq as he continues to refine his technique, but it can also allow him to utilize his hybrid pass-catching abilities, while Taylor handles the more physical and standard TE duties.
New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor has seen an uptick in production recently, which isn't terrible news for rookie Kenyon Sadiq. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As bad as Sadiq's recent stretch has looked, especially compared to how the season began, it may not be the worst thing if Taylor primarily assumes the TE role and more favorable matchups are available for Sadiq to exploit as either a TE or WR if that is what the offense sees fit.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/jets/onsi as Mason Taylor's Hot Streak Is Actually a Good Thing for Kenyon Sadiq's Jets Outlook .
