Denzel Mims had a chance to prove himself to the Jets on Sunday, when Gang Green was missing its top two receivers.
Instead, Mims committed consecutive penalties to stall a promising drive to end the first half, and wound up on the bench, providing another unfortunate landmark in what has been a disappointing sophomore season.
But the former second-round pick, who declined to comment on whether he felt his benching was justified, is focused on the last four games of the season, and his opportunity to “show the world” what he can do.
“I think I’m a very good player,” Mims said Thursday. “I don’t think there’s too many people just like me. It will be shown. I just need to keep moving forward and keep staying positive.”
Mims dealt with illness in training camp that held back his progress early in the season, then contracted COVID-19, missing three straight games after back-to-back starts. Last weekend was a chance to show glimpses of the promise he displayed as a rookie, but instead, Mims flopped, and played just one snap in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Saints.
“It’s about taking those tools that he has in his body, and being able to put them on the field every single day,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “That full talent that he has in that body is just shown, and the way you can do that is by having a full grasp of what’s going on. And he does, he just haven’t been able to play as much.”
LaFleur believes Mims’ illnesses have been particularly disruptive as the wide receiver also tries to learn the new coaching staff’s offensive system, and is confident that Mims will eventually click in that system. But so far, he has just eight receptions for 133 yards on the season.
“I think he’s a confident guy,” LaFleur said. “This is a very different offense than what they ran a year ago. It’s very different to what he was accustomed to in college as well. He hasn’t played inside the numbers as much as we do.”
The wonder now will be whether Mims is entering the home stretch of his Jets tenure, which has quickly soured after a promising debut. If Mims has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff, he is choosing not to focus on what that entails for his future in New York.
“I’m not worried about that,” Mims said. “My focus is on right now. I can’t worry about the future. I gotta do what I can right now. We’re in the present, not the future.”
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