Grading the Jets
Mandatory Credit: Photo by TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (9947064l) New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (R) hands the ball off to New York Jets running back Isaiah Crowell in their NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA, 28 October 2018. New York Jets at Chicago Bears, USA - 19 Oct 2018 Credit: TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutter/TANNEN MAURY/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
OFFENSE: The Jets’ offense seems to be regressing as the season continues. Of course, Sam Darnold was without his top two receiving targets – Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson – and starting running back Bilal Powell. But the Bears were without Khalil Mack and the Jets got very little going. They had 98 yards of total offense heading into the fourth quarter. Darnold completed 14-of-29 passes for a career-low 153 yards. It was the second straight game and third time in four games that Darnold completed less than 50 percent of his passes. What about the Jets’ run game? They totaled 54 yards. The Jets also had five false starts. GRADE: F
DEFENSE: The Bears had been lighting teams up lately, so the Jets did a good job of limiting them. But they didn’t put enough – any? – pressure on Mitchell Trubisky, didn’t get a takeaway for the second straight game and allowed 179 yards rushing and gave up big plays. Tarik Cohen scored a 70-yard touchdown on a short dumpoff because of a blown assignment by Avery Williamson in the first quarter. The Jets gave up a key 10-yard scramble by Trubisky on third-and-10 on another Bears’ scoring drive that also featured a defensive offsides on Leonard Williams on third-and-goal from the 9. On the next play, Trubisky threw a 4-yard TD. When the Jets absolutely needed a defensive stand - with the score at 17-10 - the Bears marched 79 yards to put the game away. GRADE: C-
SPECIAL TEAMS: Tarik Cohen didn’t hurt the Jets in the return game. The wind inside of Soldier Field had something to do with where the ball was going. But the fact that Cohen only totaled 36 yards on four punts is one of the few positives for the Jets in this game. Two of Lachlan Edwards' other punts went out of bounds and two more were downed. Kicker Jason Myers kicked a 42-yard field goal, which was impressive since it was into the wind. GRADE: B
COACHING: The Jets were preparing for Mack to play, but they should have been able to come up with something that was effective when they learned he was out. The running game was atrocious. Darnold had the longest run for the Jets – 13 yards. Left tackle Kelvin Beachum said they did not expect Chicago to use its base defense on the Jets' running plays. Bowles also made a questionable decision to decline a Bears offensive pass interference penalty to keep them at third-and-10. They converted and ultimately scored on that drive. GRADE: D
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
