Duke’s stars in the Big Apple were both in action during Week 4. A star wide receiver finally returned from a two-week hiatus due to injury and a quarterback is still struggling to lead his winless team. On the winning side, an offensive lineman propelled his team to victory.
Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets
Jamison. Is. Back. Seven catches for another 104 yards. The five-foot-nine slot receiver on the Jets made his presence felt in a much more competitive game by New York on Thursday night against Denver, but the Jets fell 37-28.
Crowder’s return to the offense is a sign of positive things to come—in just two games this year, he has posted 14 catches with 219 yards, which both lead his team despite his limited playing time. Crowder missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury and was limited in practice prior to the primetime matchup.
The sixth-year pro has provided a much needed option for quarterback Sam Darnold on an otherwise lackluster offensive unit that counted on Braxton Berrios and Chris Hogan to catch passes in Crowder’s absence. The North Carolina native is demonstrating again that he is an extremely effective slot receiver who can get open on both short and deep routes.
The most notable play from his last outing was on a slightly underthrown pass toward the Jets’ sideline for which Crowder made a leaping grab over Denver cornerback Kareem Jackson and his outstretched arm.
The former Blue Devil came down with the football while pulling Jackson down, allowing the Jets to convert one of their biggest plays of the game. His contributions have opened up the NFL-worst offense to some new possibilities as the Darnold-led New York squad hopes to avoid a fifth straight loss Sunday against Arizona.
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
The story is getting a little repetitive with Jones. The Giants’ offense cannot produce anything, and Jones may be a reason why. After posting a meager four wins in 2019, the 2020 Giants look all but hopeless in their ability to consistently drive downfield, make plays and win football games.
Sunday’s outing against the Rams was the same story as the previous week, and the week before that, and so on. Although their defense held Los Angeles to 17 points, the Giants offense, captained by Jones, produced no more than three field goals. Jones’ final statline exemplified the worst three week stretch of his young career: 190 yards and an interception, while once again leading the ground game just by scrambling for 45 yards.
The 23-year-old’s latest outing also gave him a four-week total of two touchdowns compared to seven turnovers, numbers that would make any coach squirm. Despite his poor statline a quarter through the 2020 campaign, Giants’ head coach Joe Judge declared that “Daniel Jones is our quarterback” and the organization “has faith” in him.
A notable part of Jones’ performance Sunday was his decision-making in crunchtime after making several clutch throws and escaping a should-have-been sack with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Instead of taking off on his feet down the middle of the field for a potential game tying 18-yard score, he threw the ball off his back foot into the arms of the Rams’ Darious Williams. While Jones still has room to improve, he cannot continue making these mistakes and blowing red zone chances if he wants to win games and retain his starting spot for years to come.
Lucas Patrick, G, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay took a commanding win against the Atlanta Falcons in a quiet Lambeau Field Monday. Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of his 33 pass attempts and tossed four touchdowns, partially due to the excellent time and protection his offensive line afforded him. However, it was not as sharp a rushing game for the Packers as previous weeks, only gaining 88 yards on 26 attempts.
Prior to their Week 4 win, which propelled Green Bay to a 4-0 record, center Corey Linsley praised the hard work Patrick has done to improve his game. “Lucas has done a phenomenal job,” Linsley said in a video the Packers tweeted Saturday.
Patrick has worked his way from the practice squad to the starting lineup in his five seasons in Green Bay, and he has clearly become an integral piece of their offensive unit in 2020.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Micah Hurewitz is a Trinity senior and was previously a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume.