New York Jets: Will Robby Anderson reach 1,000 yards this season?

Despite not having much to play for other than personal pride in their final two games, Robby Anderson is within reach of 1,000 receiving yards.

This Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to MetLife Stadium, barely breathing for their playoff lives.

While Philip Rivers has been selected to the Pro Bowl for the 7th time in his career and is 162 yards shy of his 5th straight 4,000 yard season, the Chargers have more than personal milestones to ponder.

San Diego can still win the AFC West providing they win their final two games and the Chiefs lose their last two games. The options for the Chargers as a Wild Card are a bit more detailed, but they are still alive.

As far as the New York Jets go, outside of personal pride and making a lasting impression for a roster spot next season, the only thing they have to play for is helping some teammates reach personal milestones.

After totaling 821 in his first 12 games, Robby Anderson looked like a virtual lock to reach 1,000 yards receiving. While Anderson had a unique chemistry with Josh McCown, he has yet to show that same magic with Bryce Petty. Anderson averaged just under 69 yards per game with McCown but has combined for only 67 yards in losses at Denver and New Orleans.

Fellow wideout Jermaine Kearse looked like an outside chance to reach 1,000 receiving yards as he totaled 677 yards after 12 games. However, like Anderson, his production has gone down drastically without McCown, recording just 32 combined receiving yards in the Jets last two games.

How rare is it for the Jets to have a 1,000-yard receiver? Since the 2000 season, the franchise has only produced six total (Santana Moss, Laveranues Coles (2), Jerricho Cotchery, Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall). Going back to the start of the franchise in 1960, only 14 players have reached that number of receiving yards in a season.

Only the Bears, who have produced just five 1,000-yard seasons, have reached that total fewer times since the Jets since 2000.

While Anderson has been consistent overall with catching passes and gaining yards in his second NFL season, he has excelled at scoring touchdowns from a distance. Anderson’s seven receiving touchdowns this season have averaged 37.3 yards, with only one coming inside the red zone.

Outside of Robby Anderson reaching the 1,000-yard receiving mark, no other Jets player has any significant milestone within reach other than the Kearse. If those two both reach 1,000 yards, it will mark just the fifth time in team history that they could have accomplished that.

While it is a long shot for both receivers to reach that total, the opponents the Jets face the final two weeks make it almost impossible.

The Chargers have the fourth-ranked defense against the pass this season. Los Angeles has allowed just 250 passing yards or more only twice so far this season. Seven times, they have held their opponent to under 200 yards passing.

While the Jets’ final opponent, the Patriots, started out like a sieve against the pass (allowed 300 or more passing yards in five of their first six games), they have tightened up their coverage big time over the last eight games. Over that span, New England has allowed just 202 passing yards per game.

Just in case you needed more things to pay attention to while watching the Jets the next two games, observing Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse’s quest for history is something to look out for.