Jets grades: Offense gets an F
Jamison Crowder had 14 catches on 17 targets, but the rest of the Jets' receivers only had 11 total targets. Credit: Jim McIsaac
OFFENSE: F
It wasn’t what it was made out to be. Sam Darnold said the offense would be electric. Instead, the unit had the ball 11 times and produced just one touchdown. The defense gave the Jets the ball three times on turnovers, and the offense did nothing with it. It took seven possessions before the offense put points on the board. Le’Veon Bell showed little rust, and was responsible for all eight points the offense scored — a touchdown reception and two-point conversion catch. But Darnold wasn’t sharp. He threw 41 times, completing 28 of them, for 175 yards. He missed Robby Anderson a couple of times. Darnold also was sacked four times and pressured many other times as the new revamped offensive line struggled. It’s hard to lose a game when you’re plus-3 in the turnover department.
DEFENSE: C
They did their job for three quarters. But they fell apart late. The defense scored the first eight points of the game. Linebacker C.J. Mosley returned an interception 17 yards for a touchdown and the defense recorded a safety. The Jets forced four turnovers — all in the first half — and nearly had five but a defensive holding penalty negated it. They also almost had a fifth turnover later in the game, but Marcus Maye dropped an interception on a Bills’ field goal drive. Several plays earlier, with the Bills out of field goal range, end Henry Anderson had a roughing the passer call that extended the drive. After Mosley left in the second half, the Jets started giving up big plays. They were outscored 17-0 overall, and 14-0 in the fourth quarter. The Jets gave up six plays of at least 12 yards on those two crucial drives, showing they still have trouble finishing games.
SPECIAL TEAMS: D-
The Jets could be in the market for another new kicker — again. Kaare Vedvick, playing in his first NFL regular season game, doinked an extra point off the right goalpost in the first quarter. He also badly missed a 45-yard field goal late in the first half. It was wide right and not even close. Every point matters, but especially in a 17-16 game. It wasn’t that it was windy. Vedvik just missed badly. Lachlan Edwards had a good game punting. Five of his seven punts resulted in the Bills getting the ball inside the 20. One pinned them at the 2 and the Jets’ defense turned it into two points.
COACHING: D
After all the talk about Gase being an offensive mastermind and genius, he did nothing to back up that talk. The offense sputtered most of the game. The Jets didn’t spread the ball around — Jamison Crowder was targeted 17 times, catching 14 of them. The other three receivers were targeted 11 times total. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was supposed to cover up weaknesses. But his defense produced only one sack, couldn’t withstand the loss of Mosley and melted down with the game on the line.
