Jets' Dee Milliner says he needs to 'do better' after struggling vs. Jaguars

[Gas2No99]

Jets' Dee Milliner says he needs to 'do better' after struggling vs. Jaguars

 

By Connor Hughes | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

EAST RUTHERFORD — If anyone deserves a little bit of slack, it's Dee Milliner

In the Jets' 17-13 preseason victory over the Jaguars Thursday night, the cornerback saw extensive action for the first time since October of 2014. 

And Milliner looked like a player that hadn't seen extensive action since October of 2014. He allowed two long completions to Jacksonville receiver Allen Robinson, then missed a tackle on Tony Washington that resulted in a long gain. 

He looked rusty. No one blamed him. But Milliner wasn't accepting any excuses. 

"I can't give up those explosive plays," he said by his locker after the game. "I need to go out there and do better." 

Since the Jets selected Milliner in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, it has been one injured after another for the cornerback. As a rookie, he was slowed by a high ankle sprain. His second year, he tore his Achilles tendon. His third, he tore a ligament in his wrist. 

Setback, after setback, after setback. Milliner has played in just 21 of a potential 48 games since being drafted. This year, he's finally healthy. But that doesn't mean he's back to 100 percent. 

"It felt good to be back out there," Milliner said. " I don't know if I would call it rust. I just need to get back in the groove of things."

During organized team activities, minicamp and the first two weeks of training camp, Milliner saw the majority of first-team reps at outside cornerback. While Darrelle Revis rehabbed from offseason wrist surgery, Milliner was thrown in with the nickel defense.

He hasn't looked out of place, either. Milliner has been one of the more impressive players in training camp. He usually makes a play or two each practice. The coaches have taken notice. 

"We'll be running a ball disruption drill, and [Milliner] will be in there every time you look up," Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said this week. "He's stripping the ball, tipping one, getting an interception. He's making a lot of big plays."

And that's one of the reasons Milliner's struggles Thursday shouldn't raise concern. As long as he's healthy, Milliner shouldn't have an issue making a difference on the field. 

Once he gets comfortable, that is. 

"I still should have been able to make those plays," Milliner said. "But as things go on, you try to get better, work on them, and then go make them next time." 

Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com.

[Scoop24]

He will be fine once the rust comes off .. First real competitive game in almost a year . Ill be more concerned if in week 3 preseason the same mistakes are happening .

[joewilly12]

9 minutes ago, Scoop24 said:

He will be fine once the rust comes off .. First real competitive game in almost a year . Ill be more concerned if in week 3 preseason the same mistakes are happening .

Agree lets see if he progresses or regresses by the end of pre season before making a decision. 

[32EBoozer]

Man, if he can find his game..... I will feel much better about our CB situation.

This would move Skrine back to slot, Williams back to come in on nickel packages and lets Burris/McDougle fight it out for dime duties/ST

Pryor and Gilchrist patrolling the outfield and I feel much better.

[joewilly12]

Just now, 32EBoozer said:

Man, if he can find his game..... I will feel much better about our CB situation.

This would move Skrine back to slot, Williams back to come in on nickel packages and lets Burris/McDougle fight it out for dime duties/ST

Pryor and Gilchrist patrolling the outfield and I feel much better.

Skrine,Wiliams,McDougle,Milliner im concerned is Cro in any shape at all. 

[Jets Daily Dosage.]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Skrine,Wiliams,McDougle,Milliner im concerned is Cro in any shape at all. 

I'm all for signin Cromartie on the cheap if he's healthy. Solid depth if nothing else

[C Mart]

2 hours ago, Scoop24 said:

He will be fine once the rust comes off .. First real competitive game in almost a year . Ill be more concerned if in week 3 preseason the same mistakes are happening .

First time playing D in any type of game since October 2014. 

[maury77]

I actually thought he had decent coverage on the 2 Robinson catches, he just didn't play the ball well. 

[Gas2No99]

2 hours ago, maury77 said:

I actually thought he had decent coverage on the 2 Robinson catches, he just didn't play the ball well. 

Agreed. 

He was there on both occasions and, while I don't accept it as an excuse, not having played in nearly 2 years WILL make you rusty. 

Many have already written off the guy, but I think he can STILL develop into a SOLID CB as long as - say it with me now - HE STAYS HEALTHY. For a depth CB - at this point in time - he MORE than fits the bill. He should be stealing the #2 CB, but we'll see how he, as the season itself, shall progress. 

[Fed Hill Jet]

22 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

Agreed. 

He was there on both occasions and, while I don't accept it as an excuse, not having played in nearly 2 years WILL make you rusty. 

Many have already written off the guy, but I think he can STILL develop into a SOLID CB as long as - say it with me now - HE STAYS HEALTHY. For a depth CB - at this point in time - he MORE than fits the bill. He should be stealing the #2 CB, but we'll see how he, as the season itself, shall progress. 

This,  he has always shown flashes in the preseason and early season.  The injury issues are what had been infuriating about him.   I will feel more confident if he makes it through the first quarter of the season.   Even then I will still be keeping my fingers crossed...

[peekskill68]

6 hours ago, Scoop24 said:

He will be fine once the rust comes off .. First real competitive game in almost a year . Ill be more concerned if in week 3 preseason the same mistakes are happening .

Good point. Another that applies to all the players is that as part of the new collective bargaining agreement there is virtually no tackling in training camp.  So missed tackles in preseason games is pretty normal given the players aren't working on their technique during practices...

[RSJ]

That photo shows Millner has his hand in the wrong position. Maybe its timing from not playing since 2014 - but you pretty much learn that technique in high school. I am hoping he plays better this week.

[Gas2No99]

Dee Milliner’s career with Jets in jeopardy after latest debacle

By Mark Cannizzaro

August 12, 2016 | 1:17am

 

Wide receiver Tony Washington breaks away from Dee Millener (27) and Rontez Williams during the Jets' 17-13 win over the Jaguars in Thursday night's preseason opener at MetLife Stadium.

 

 

There were plenty of positives in the Jets’ 17-13 preseason-opener win over the Jaguars Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

Dee Milliner was not one of them.

Freshly signed starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick looked relatively sharp in his first game action of the summer, completing 3 of 4 passes for 72 yards.

Quincy Enunwa, who the Jets hope will become the third receiving threat they desperately need to complement Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, caught consecutive passes for gains of 26 and 43 yards on Fitzpatrick’s lone scoring drive.

Backup quarterback Geno Smith helped lead the Jets to two scores, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Charone Peak to give the Jets a 14-13 lead 46 seconds before halftime.

Even the Jets’ kick-return game, a moribund operation since former special teams coach Mike Westhoff retired, showed signs of explosiveness, with Jeremy Ross returning a kickoff 51 yards and Jalin Marshall delivering an 84-yard kickoff return.

Milliner, the fourth-year cornerback, stood out for all the wrong reasons in that he was the most disappointing element to this preseason opener.

During a first-quarter Jacksonville TD drive that would give the Jaguars a 10-0 lead, it was clear that Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles immediately sought out Milliner once he saw he’d subbed in for starting cornerback Buster Skrine.

Seeing Milliner matched up on the outside against Jaguars top receiver Allen Robinson was simply too tempting to ignore for Bortles, who quickly connected with Robinson for a 16-yard gain. On the next play, Bortles went back to Robinson, who beat Milliner for a 45-yard gain on what amounted to a free play because of a Jets offside penalty.

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Jaguars’ Allen Robinson makes a catch against Dee Milliner in the first quarter.Photo: Bill Kostroun

Two plays later, Milliner, trying to mark Allen Hurns, the Jaguars’ other starting receiver, was buried by a block that sprang Hurns for a 13-yard gain to the Jets’ 1-yard line.

Suffice it to say, it was not a series to remember for Milliner, who’s desperately trying to make something of his disappointing career in Year 4 after the Jets declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.

Milliner, who has played just 21 of the possible 48 NFL games in his career, was victimized again in the second quarter when it appeared he had Jaguars receiver Tony Washington wrapped up at the Jets 42-yard line for a short gain and allowed Washington to shed free and take the ball to the 12-yard line.

Four plays later, the Jaguars took a 13-7 lead on a field goal.

“He gave up an explosive play and missed a tackle that turned into an explosive [play],’’ coach Todd Bowles said. “You can’t have explosion plays. … We’ve got to correct that.’’

Milliner owned up to his mistakes after the game.

“I gave up two explosion plays and I can’t let that happen,’’ Milliner said. “Most definitely I was upset about them because I should have made the plays. I’ve just got to make the plays when it’s my time. On [the 45-yard Robinson catch], I tried to go for the ball and he made a good catch, and then I had the missed tackle [on Washington]. Both of them were critical.’’

It’s a stretch, of course, but the best news out of the night for the injury-prone Milliner was the fact he did not get hurt.

A sprained ankle, torn Achilles tendon and an injured wrist wrecked his 2015 season, limiting him to special teams duty in five games. He has not played a regular-season defensive snap since October 2014.

In a highly fitting scenario on this night, two of the eyes observing Milliner’s struggles were those of John Idzik, the former Jets general manager who made him the ninth overall pick in that 2013 draft and is now in his second year in a nebulous role as a special assistant to the general manager for the Jaguars.

[Gas2No99]

5 minutes ago, Gas2No99 said:

 

In a highly fitting scenario on this night, two of the eyes observing Milliner’s struggles were those of John Idzik, the former Jets general manager who made him the ninth overall pick in that 2013 draft and is now in his second year in a nebulous role as a special assistant to the general manager for the Jaguars.

[Jetdawgg]

No matter who starts at the other CB position they will be picked on by teams. It is the weakest part of this D

[joewilly12]

13 minutes ago, Jetdawgg said:

No matter who starts at the other CB position they will be picked on by teams. It is the weakest part of this D

The position needs to be solidified by someone dont want to see the revolving door at the other CB position all season long. 

 

[Bocajetfan]

In a vanilla D I thought Millner played well, he stuck with his Recievers well just some very good throws and catches against him. He will have over the top help in a more complex scheme also look to make more contact on 50/50 balls. He played a bit soft on those throws and will play tougher. Just stay healthy!!!!

 

[drdetroit]

He's a lost cause time to move on.  Cut

[Rangers9]

If the Jets were to cut Dee and a team claims him how much of his 2016 money would the Jets be responsible for. His base salary is 675. But he gets roster and signing bonuses totaling around 3.5. If the Jets could get rid of that 4 mil they would cut him but I think they probably are responsible for that 3.5. So they might as well keep him for that 675. But in either case he's gone in 2017 even if he has a comeback year.

[Saul Goodman]

The Geno Smith of cornerbacks. But more injury prone. 

[chirorob]

18 hours ago, Scoop24 said:

He will be fine once the rust comes off .. First real competitive game in almost a year . Ill be more concerned if in week 3 preseason the same mistakes are happening .

Some of the completions he gave up were kind of tough.   Receiver is just a stud.

It's just.   Can he be healthy by say, late October?   Dare I hope for November, or even, gasp, December?

[Jetdawgg]

OL, CB and maybe RB could be high level concerns in the next draft 

[rex-n-effect]

20 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

The Geno Smith of cornerbacks. But more injury prone. 

He's never played with a secondary this good. 

[JetsFanatic]

Milliner's coverage on Robinson wasn't bad, he happens to be a great receiver, his worst play was the missed tackle on what should have been a short completion. He hasn't played in almost two years, I'm willing to be patient and see how he progresses in the preseason.

[joewilly12]

19 hours ago, 32EBoozer said:

Man, if he can find his game..... I will feel much better about our CB situation.

This would move Skrine back to slot, Williams back to come in on nickel packages and lets Burris/McDougle fight it out for dime duties/ST

Pryor and Gilchrist patrolling the outfield and I feel much better.

Dont forget about Rontez Miles 

[faba]

Like Geno this is Milliner's last shot to show something like first staying on the field and then proving his worth

[Jetsfan80]

41 minutes ago, faba said:

Like Geno this is Milliner's last shot to show something like first staying on the field and then proving his worth

True, but the chances of Geno returning in 2017 is very low regardless.  Even if he sees the field and plays well, we'll have Petty and Hackenberg under contract in '17, and will likely look to either retain Fitzpatrick or add an alternative 3rd option.  If we carry 4 QB's in '16, that will likely be the last time we ever do that in the Macc era.  Especially when you look around the league and see how many teams only carry two QB's.

Milliner, meanwhile, has a pretty good chance of being retained on the cheap if he shows anything.  It's not like our future at CB is secured.  Revis is 31 and will likely only be here 2 more seasons before it makes financial sense to move on from him.  Skrine is just OK and will likely only be here 2 more years as well unless we decide to extend his contract.  Marcus Williams' rookie deal will expire after '16.  Dexter McDougle's expires after '17.  Juston Burris was a 4th round pick with minimal financial commitment.

It would make sense to have a guy with the upside Milliner has to stick around beyond this season under a team-friendly contract. 

[Joe Jets fan]

Cracks me up that the same posters that scream from the roof tops that poor Geno just needs a chance also scream that Millner needs to be cut.  

 

[Rangers9]

CB is a highly prized and paid position in the NFL. The Giants just paid a fortune for this guy from the Rams with great potential but not a great corner yet. So if Dee kicks it and plays up to his predicted talent level he could get a good contract from somebody. That's how hard it is to get a guy who can consistently cover and make plays. 

[ljr]

Him surviving the night is a plus

i'll see if he can continue to not leave on a stretcher the next couple games & let him cash in his "get out of jail free" card for Thursday's performance ... Need to see improvement in his game next week though

 

[32EBoozer]

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Dont forget about Rontez Miles 

Of course 

[Joe W. Namath]

I just watched the replay of the game and i liked milliners coverage.  He was right there on a few throws but just great ball placement and catch by reciever.  Its not like he got burned or anything.  He will be alright if he stays healthy.

[Bocajetfan]

45 minutes ago, Joe W. Namath said:

I just watched the replay of the game and i liked milliners coverage.  He was right there on a few throws but just great ball placement and catch by reciever.  Its not like he got burned or anything.  He will be alright if he stays healthy.

Totally agree just thought he played all ball not getting a penalty and needed to play several of the catches more physically 

[Jetster]

He didn't use his proper hand to knock the ball down on the deep middle one. He had his last hand up & his right arm down but the ball was to his inside right. Just bad technique by a guy that's still learning the position because his chances are constantly stunted by injuries. I feel he'll play better the next two weeks. Oh, and the other catch was just an awesome play by the receiver. Even Revis loses battles now to top WRs.

[Smashmouth]

Dee Miliner Sucks and I'm as sure of that as I was the first time I saw Gholston play. He's a talented kid but he's a terrible corner and he always seems to be playing catch up he falls for every move in the book and when catching up he always falls short.