It’s safe to say that Allen Lazard has struggled in his first season with the New York Jets after signing a four-year, $44 million deal in the offseason.
Picked to be a strong second option in the passing game with Garrett Wilson, and a familiar face at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, things haven’t gone according to plan for the former Packer. In 11 games played with the Jets, Lazard has totaled just 20 catches for 290 yards and a lone touchdown. His 9.8 drop percentage – something that has been a problem for him throughout his career – is second worst among all receivers with at least 30 targets, per Next Gen Stats.
Lazard’s struggles came to a head in Week 12 when the Jets chose to make the Iowa State product a healthy scratch leading up to their contest against the Miami Dolphins. New York would end up losing the game 34-13 and left their high-priced free agent confused at the healthy scratch.
“I was a little caught off-guard,” Lazard said Wednesday evening. “After talking to him, I could see his reasoning for everything. It is what it is. I’ve got to continue working to get better and keep improving.”
The former Packer later added that he was notified of the potential move on Wednesday before Friday’s contest but was preparing to play leading up to the game.
Head coach Robert Saleh defended the move to make Lazard a healthy scratch following the Jets loss on Friday by saying it was a chance for the veteran wideout to reset after a difficult stretch of games.
“It’s kind of a challenge to see if he can recapture the edge,” Saleh explained. “Who he is and the person that we have a lot of faith in. He’s a good football player. I do believe that. For Allen, he will be back sooner rather than later.”
Part of what made the move such a surprise for the receiver and the fanbase was that Friday was the first start for Tim Boyle in a Jets uniform. Boyle and Lazard had spent time together in Green Bay on the practice squad and had grown a solid friendship.
Not being able to help Boyle as he went 27-38 passing for 179 yards along with a touchdown pass and two interceptions certainly made things harder for the receiver.
“Tim is a big reason I’m here today,” Lazard said “I have a deep strong relationship with Tim. That’s why it hurt even more not being able to be out there last week. Knowing he waited a long time for his opportunity, not being able to be out there to help him succeed, it kind of hurt me a little bit.”
Lazard’s benching was one of a series of moves made by New York’s coaching staff to try and create a spark for a historically struggling offense. New York has not scored over 14 points over the last five games, and is on their third different quarterback of the season. Changes along the offensive line have also affected the entire unit as a whole.
With all that taken into account, Lazard has understood that while he wants to play better, finding a way to fix the struggling offense is the first priority.
“I think everyone would agree that we haven’t reached our expectations or our goals as far as individuals and collectively as a group. There’s always room for improvement.”
Saleh confirmed Wednesday that the former undrafted rookie would be back in the lineup this week when the Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons. That means Boyle and Lazard will finally be on the field together – something the quarterback is very happy about.
“He’s (Lazard) a safety blanket,” Boyle said. “He knows how to read coverage. He knows the offense. He knows the scheme. He’s fun to throw to, and I’m excited to have him out there.”
