When the Jets signed safety LaRon Landry as a free agent, they hoped that he’d be healthy enough to make an impact at safety after the team got dreadful play at the position in 2011.
Landry showed some signs of that on Saturday night with an interception and a big hit on Giants receiver Victor Cruz after Cruz made a catch coming over the middle. Cruz held onto the ball and got up with a demonstrative first down celebration after a hit that Landry told him to expect when they were jawing at one another earlier in the contest.
“Once they called that route, I was kind of trying to stay away from him as much as possible,” Cruz said, via the New York Daily News. “He got a pretty good lick on me.”
It looked like Landry might have led with his helmet on the hit, which wasn’t flagged, but Cruz called it a “very legal” hit. We’ll find out soon enough if the NFL agrees with Cruz’s assessment.
It wasn’t a good night for the Jets offense, but Landry’s performance was something to feel good about when the game came to a close. It looks like any chance the Jets have for success this season is going to start with defense and they’ll need Landry on the field to make that happen.