Grading the Jets: Two Fs and a D-minus? Ouch

OFFENSE: The Jets’ first offensive play was a penalty, a bad start that set the tone for the day. The Jets never really got anything going offensively. Their one touchdown was a 5-yard drive set up by a fumble recovery from their defense, which had an even worse day than the offense. The Jets’ total net offense was 178 yards — 144 yards passing and 34 yards rushing. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has had a few rough weeks consecutively. Sam Darnold looked like a rookie against a stout Jaguars defense. He was just 17-for-34 for 167 yards. He overthrew a few receivers and probably should have been picked off three times. The Jets wanted to establish a run game, but they couldn’t with Jacksonville dominating the time of possession and scoreboard. There were also some questionable play calls, including a no-backfield set on third-and-1. The Jets passed and didn’t convert. They can’t blame the headsets for this game. The only reason they didn’t get an F was they weren’t as bad as the defense, which couldn’t get a lower grade than F.

GRADE: D-

DEFENSE: They didn’t show up until the second half, and they barely did then. The Jets allowed 503 yards of total offense. Todd Bowles is supposed to be a defensive coach, so this had to hurt him. But he said he has no intentions of taking the play calling away from coordinator Kacy Rodgers. Still, this performance was a major indictment on everyone involved on that side of the ball. Inside linebackers Avery Williamson and Darron Lee took the blame for the Jets not being able to stop the Jaguars’ short underneath routes. But there was plenty of blame to go around on this day. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was burned on a 67-yard touchdown by Donte Moncrief in the second half. The Jets also allowed Blake Bortles to throw a career-high 388 yards. Williamson said, “We made him look amazing because we didn’t do our job.” The Jaguars were without star running back Leonard Fournette for nearly half the game with a hamstring injury.

GRADE: F

SPECIAL TEAMS: This was the strongest part of a weak day for the Jets. Former Jaguars kicker Jason Myers, who was booed each time he attempted a field goal, converted his two attempts. Three of his kickoffs were touchbacks, and his other two were returned for just 21 yards. Lachlan Edwards had a 61-yard punt. The Jets didn’t get much from their return game, as Andre Roberts totaled 47 yards in four returns. The biggest special teams play was by the Jaguars, who downed a punt at the Jets’ 2-yard line early in the third. Isaiah Crowell was tackled for a safety on the next play.

GRADE: B-

COACHING: That’s three losses in a row and the fact that the Jets didn’t come out ready to play is a poor reflection on Bowles and the rest of the staff. The Jaguars scored on their first four possessions of the game. Bowles and the players said they knew what was coming, that Jacksonville didn’t run anything the Jets hadn’t prepared for, yet they couldn’t stop it. So there were problems with communication, execution and effort. Penalties once again hurt the Jets. But this was a poor performance on both sides of the ball after a 10-day break. The offensive play-calling left a lot to be desired. The players deserve blame, but the coaches do, too.

GRADE: F

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.