Tyrod Taylor starting could finally unleash controversial Jets rookie

With Justin Fields officially ruled out for Sunday's Week 3 matchup, veteran backup Tyrod Taylor will be under center for the New York Jets as they take on the Tampa Buccaneers on the road at Raymond James Stadium.

Taylor provided a spark during garbage time against the Bills in what was otherwise a complete debacle, and the Jets will be fortunate to have a steady veteran to turn to in their first trip on the road this season.

With many problems that need to be addressed on offense, the 15-year veteran will have his work cut out for him. One major issue facing the team is finding a wide receiver other than Garrett Wilson who can consistently get open and make plays.

Josh Reynolds caught two passes for 18 yards in the opener before missing the Bills game with a hamstring injury. Allen Lazard was a surprise healthy scratch in Week 1, only to return to active duty and fail to record a single target in Week 2. Divisive rookie Arian Smith has negative two yards from scrimmage on the year.

Tyrod Taylor's unique skills could lead to a breakout for Jets rookie WR Arian Smith

The Jets' selection of Arian Smith in the fourth round raised more than a few eyebrows around the league. The University of Georgia product was something of a one-year wonder, who possessed blazing 4.36 speed, but questionable hands and an underdeveloped route tree, and was expected to go much later in the draft.

In his final year of SEC action, Smith did show off one tantalizing NFL trait — the propensity to make the big play via the deep ball. With 48 catches for 817 yards, Smith averaged an explosive 17 yards per reception, which piqued the Jets' interest.

With New York's offense looking for answers, the Taylor-to-Smith connection could provide them in a big way on Sunday, thanks to Taylor's exceptional ability to throw the deep ball.

As noted by The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt on X (formerly Twitter), the last time Taylor got consistent playing time was 2023 with the New York Giants, when he made five starts and ranked among the top of the league in a variety of deep passing metrics.

Taylor ranked 21st in Pro Football Focus' "big time throws" metric, which is defined as "a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window," per the website.

Taylor also ranked first in the percentage of his throws that graded in the "big time" category at 8.9%, while also airing the ball out often with the third-highest percent of throws that were 20+ yards downfield.

Despite consistently taking big shots, even in tightly contested situations, Taylor did an excellent job avoiding turnovers with only 1.2% of his throws graded out as "turnover-worthy" per PFF.

That plays right into Smith's strengths as the young receiver excels when he is put in track meet-type situations down the field, and if he's given the benefit of exceptional accuracy and ball placement, it's likely he comes down with a few of these deep shots and could potentially break the game open.

Further strengthening the chance at a breakout is the fact that Taylor and Smith got to work together extensively during training camp and the preseason on the second team, giving the pair ample opportunity to develop chemistry.

As low as the offense's stock is after Week 2, the optimism could shoot right back up again if Taylor steps up and delivers a solid performance, and things will look even better if his strengths allow Smith to break out as well. A credible wide receiver alongside Wilson would be a game-changer for Gang Green moving forward.

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