New York Jets Report Card: Week 10
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Quarterback: D+
Fitzpatrick: 15/34, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 3 rushes for 30 yards
Fitzpatrick played better than the stat line would indicate, but the stat line is indeed quite nasty. It was nice to see Fitzy getting rookie Devin Smith involved for a big gainer but that’s about where the good news ends. He got hit with a delay of game, and that just shouldn’t happen at home. Ryan struggled with his vision and communication, missing several open receivers—or going to a man in double coverage when another was running loose below the coverage.
Running Backs: B+
Ivory: 18/99/0, 2 receptions for 36 yards
Ridley: 3/-1/0
Bohanon: 1 reception for 18 yards
The night started out rough for Ivory, but overall it was his best game since the first quarter of the season. He ran with more muscle tonight, more determination, and followed his blocks quite well. He continues to surprise in the passing game. The problem with the Jets backs, of course, is the fact that they’re so one dimensional. As usual, they got next to nothing from anyone not named Chris Ivory.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C
Marshall: 3/23/1
Decker: 6/85/1
Smith: 1/22/0
Kerley: 1/7/0
Thompkins 1/2/0
A ball bounced off Marshall’s hands, leading to a pick. He fought through his injuries valiantly, but he wasn’t able to contribute. Decker had a very solid game, but dropped what would have been a key 4th & 2 conversion late in the game.
Offensive Line: B
Fitzpatrick was only sacked once. He deserves part of the credit there, but so does this offensive line who faced a stiff test against an excellent Buffalo front 7. Mangold, another guy battling through injury, held up well enough. The ground game was established, but the holes were inconsistent. With Colon out for the season, the Jets will be looking to develop alternative methods to create space for the backs. And by ‘the backs,’ I mean Chris Ivory.
Defensive Line: A-
Wilkerson tallied two sacks in one of his best performances of the year. The defensive line was one of the few bright spots for the Jets, as they ate up blocks and did a solid job of chasing down or at least containing Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor when given the chance.
Linebackers: C-
McCoy went for 116 on the ground and 47 in the air, while TE Clay put up 52 yards. Jets linebackers struggled in finishing tackles, but it wasn’t quite as embarrassing as it’s been in the past. Coverage, though? That’s not their thing.
Secondary: C+
Called up from the practice squad this week to help an ailing secondary, safety Rontez Miles flashed on some plays early, especially at or around the line of scrimmage. Revis has lost a step and was burned in one situation where the Bills failed to convert, but he still held Sammy Watkins to 14 yards on 3 receptions.
Special Teams:F
This is an absolute abomination. The Jets did take advantage of a miscue by the Bills punting team, wrapping up their man on a botched punt. The Jets new kicker Randy Bullock only had one FG opportunity but did convert from 29 yards out. That said, the Jets opponent once again claimed a special teams turnover and that turnover led to a touchdown.
Coaching: D
Time management and play-calling were both very weak yet again this time around. Why does the Jets offense take so long to start playing with urgency? Why are they losing sight of the context of a drive (e.g. down 3 scores in the 4th)? Why don’t the Jets try to run twice on 3rd & 2 when they know they’re in 4th down territory. Why turn away an easy field goal with plenty of time left on the clock? Why doesn’t Bowles’ ever get the team up to the line to run a play before a challenge flag comes out? Why has this team come out flat to start nearly half of its games? These are all questions that Todd Bowles will have to address in the days to come.