Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Jets received some good news today, as wide receiver Stephen Hill passed his concussion tests and will be active Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, there was some bad news as well, as rookie cornerback Dee Milliner will miss his second straight game with a pulled hamstring.
The Jets were concerned that they would be without their top two receiving threats Monday, as Santonio Holmes definitely will not play Monday. However, Hill’s presence will be a big boost to the offense and rookie quarterback Geno Smith. Hill is the Jets’ top deep threat, and he is tied with Holmes for the team lead in targets.
The Falcons have the 27th ranked pass defense in the NFL, and the Jets have to be able to attack them through the air. They will take several shots deep to Hill, and they hope to be able to stretch the defense and create some room for the run game underneath.
On the other side things, Milliner’s absence is a blow for the Jets. Antonio Cromartie will have his hands full with Julio Jones, so Darrin Walls and Kyle Wilson will have to figure out a way to cover Roddy White. Walls struggled last week, and the Jets prefer to leave Wilson on the slot receiver. Milliner has gotten his career off to a rocky start, but the Jets would prefer to have him in the lineup instead of Walls.
The Jets are going to have a very difficult time slowing Atlanta’s 3rd ranked passing attack, and Milliner’s absence makes a huge challenge that much harder. The Jets are hoping that another week of rest will have him ready to go for the rest of the season, and they believe that a healthy Milliner will very quickly develop into a solid NFL corner.
When it comes to injury news there is usually some good and some bad, and the Jets got a little bit of both today. Hill’s presence is a huge boost to the offense, but Milliner’s absence is a big blow to the defense.
Greg Sulik is a New York Jets writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GregSulik or add him to your network on Google
