Grading the Jets: Offense, coaching staff fail in loss to Jaguars
Head coach Robert Saleh of the Jets looks on in the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
OFFENSE: F
When the only drive that results in points goes for minus-3 yards, it’s an awful night. The Jets couldn’t do anything right when they had the ball: run, pass, catch, block. Even their one reliable playmaker of late, Garrett Wilson, coughed up a fumble in the fourth quarter. But the result came down to two big lacking elements. The Jets could not run the ball; they had 4 rushing yards in the first half, their fewest in a half in 20 years, and wound up with just 11 rushing yards from their running backs in the game. And they had no consistent quarterback play between Zach Wilson and Chris Streveler.
DEFENSE: D
Things started out great as Quinnen Williams, back after a calf injury, made an immediate impact with a strip sack that set up a field goal for a 3-0 lead. After that, though, the Jaguars were able to move the ball pretty handily against them and even targeted Pro Bowl rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner (several times with former Giants tight end Evan Engram, who caught 7 passes for 113 yards in his return to MetLife Stadium). The Jets only allowed one offensive touchdown but it was on an exhausting 16-play, 96-yard drive that lasted over 8 minutes. The Jaguars faced only one third down in that entire possession, converting a third-and-goal on the last play as Trevor Lawrence stretched the ball over the goal line.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
There weren’t many opportunities to make big plays but one of them was the start of the second half when the game was still within reach. Braxton Berrios fielded that kickoff but only managed to get to the 17. Berrios did make a smart play on another kickoff when he fielded it with a foot out of bounds resulting in a penalty and a start at the 40. Braden Mann punted five times and two were downed inside the 20 with none returned for more than 4 yards. Greg Zuerlein connected on his 37 yard field goal in the first quarter through some challenging weather.
COACHING: F
Robert Saleh has been left scratching his head unable to figure out what is wrong with Zach Wilson. The coach admitted as much in his postgame interview: “There is a lot of stuff we need to talk about,” he said. The coaching staff had no answers for any of the ills that manifested themselves throughout the game on either side of the ball. They have 10 days before their next game to figure things out, but by then they may be eliminated from playoff contention.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
