Kerry Rhodes said he is glad Antonio Gates was the Jets’ opponent last week.
Gates, the Chargers’ all-world tight end, caught eight passes for 93 yards in the Jets’ 17-14 upset win Sunday in San Diego. It was Gates’ backup, Kris Wilson, who caught the Chargers’ first touchdown pass.
It was good prep work for this week’s test — Colts star tight end Dallas Clark.
“I think it was a good thing that we got to see Gates last week,” Rhodes said. “And we just know that you can’t just play zone against those type of guys. They’re going to find openings. And when you have a quarterback like [Philip] Rivers or [Peyton] Manning, they’re going to get the ball to him.
“So seeing him, it helps us to change up some things and fix up some things for this week.”
Clark had a great season, tying Reggie Wayne for the Colts lead with 100 catches, scoring 10 touchdowns and racking up 1,106 yards. In last week’s 20-3 win over the Ravens, Clark hauled in seven grabs for 59 yards.
A few fixes aside, Rhodes said the Jets’ coverage of Clark will share similarities with their coverage of Gates. The Jets figure to have multiple players cover Clark at times, ranging from Rhodes to fellow safety Eric Smith. The Jets didn’t fare so well when they faced Clark in their 29-15 Week 16 win. Clark had four catches for 57 yards in just 2½ quarters.
“We’re going to have our hands full as a secondary,” Jim Leonhard said.
Rhodes said Clark almost acts as the Colts’ slot receiver. Is that dangerous for the Jets? Maybe. On Nov. 22, the sport’s best slot receiver — the Patriots’ Wes Welker — caught 15 passes for 192 yards against the Jets. Welker was one of just four players in the league to catch more passes during the regular season than Clark.
Rhodes might not be facing this challenge at full strength. He hurt his knee when he collided with a receiver at practice Thursday. He called the accident “freakish.”
“It was OK,” Rhodes said after practice. “Running around a little bit today, it felt good.”
Rhodes said he wouldn’t be restricted tomorrow, though he sounded as if he wouldn’t say otherwise.
“There ain’t going to be no excuses Sunday, so I’ll be ready,” he said.