Robby Anderson‘s development this season is a big reason why 2017 has been a success for the New York Jets.
Going into the 2017 season, the New York Jets had many unanswered questions about their young wide receivers. The season-ending injury to Quincy Enunwa in training camp made the picture that much more bleak for Jets fans. However, out of the darkness has come a brilliant light.
Last season Robby Anderson was mostly an afterthought. The 2016 Jets were already pretty much set at wide receiver with veterans Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Enunwa was the unknown then, and his development was a wonderful surprise.
Another surprise was developing as well, as Anderson came upon the scene thanks to injuries to both Decker and inconsistency from Marshall. His 587 receiving yards and 42 receptions were both third on the team for wide receivers. His 14.0 yards per catch were second on the team to Enunwa.
The Jets were counting on Anderson to take the next step this season. After Enunwa’s injury, Mike Maccagnan helped out their young receiving core with the addition of Jermaine Kearse and former Jet Jeremy Kerley. That took a lot of the pressure off Anderson.
Despite the addition of both those receivers, Anderson has not missed a beat. His average yards per reception is up from 2016 from 14.0 to 16.2. He leads the team with five touchdown catches, including one in each of the last four games.
With each game that goes by, Anderson seems more and more comfortable with his role. Josh McCown is definitely a lot more comfortable going to him now than he was early on this season, and he has become one of his favorite targets. He has 11 receptions on third down and one on fourth down this season.
This to Robby Anderson is literally THERE 80 percent of the time. D's DISRESPECT #Jets with 8 in the box too often.pic.twitter.com/bZcHDGhTKA
— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 3, 2017
Anderson also is a game breaker, having the ability to get behind the defense for a big score. Anderson’s five touchdowns average 34.8 yards, as he only has one TD inside the red zone.
When Enunwa returns next season, he and Anderson will make a very formidable pair of receivers for AFC East defenses to worry about. Anderson’s development is just another reason why the 2017 season has been a very successful one for the Jets so far.
