Trent Green doesn’t say much of anything during NFL broadcasts. That is, unless the Jets are stinking it up.
The usually vapid and verbose analyst was once again on the call for this week’s Patriots game, a 22-6 drubbing of the Jets. If the Patriots play more games like that, they’ll no longer be relegated to CBS’ No. 3 team, and can welcome back Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to Foxborough. What a glorious moment that would be.
But for now, the Patriots are in the middle tier, and middle-tier teams get Kevin Harlan and Trent Green. For most of the afternoon, Green babbled without much direction or any kind of point. His most memorable take from the first half was worrying about the Patriots burning their timeouts on fourth down with 17 seconds left.
Somehow, they were able to survive.
With that insight in mind, it looked like it was going to be another ho-hum broadcast for Green. Then Zach Wilson unfurled his worst of four interceptions: a desperate toss over to the opposite side of the field, where there wasn’t an open receiver in sight.
Devin McCourty easily came down with the INT. Green proceeded to lay into the rookie QB.
“I can’t even explain who he was throwing this to,” Green said. “The pressure was coming after him, so he was drifting back. There were two receivers in the area, but four defenders in the area. [Elijah] Moore is only 5-foot-10, so it’s not like he’s going to win a job ball battle…I’m not sure if he thought Corey Davis was going to continue to the outside, but that’s a ball that Zach Wilson can’t throw.”
So there you go. For the first time in two games, we heard Green give an emphatic opinion about something that happened on the field. All it took was some wretched quarterback play.
As an 11-year vet, Green was seemingly offended.
He also appeared to be annoyed at Jets fans who couldn’t, in his words, do math. Faced with a 4-and-9 from New England’s 17-yard lines and down 19 points with 6:14 left, the Jets opted to kick a field goal — much to the chagrin at the sad suckers still stuck at MetLife Stadium.
Green didn’t want to hear their booing.
“You need two touchdowns, two two-point conversions, and a field goal,” he said. “So you need three scores one way or another. I’d take the points. I know the fans don’t like it, but it’s math. What are the percentages you’re going to make a 4th-and-9, and then get in the end zone, and then get the 2-point conversion? Go ahead and take the points.”
Hear that, Jets fan? Take the points.
With more rants like that, we’ll happily take Green, especially if it means more wretched quarterback play against the Patriots.