On Sunday the New York Jets beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 32-3 at MetLife stadium. The victory moves Gang Green to 2-0 on the season and tied for first place in the AFC East.
Offense
Mangold injured- New York Jets center Nick Mangold left the game with what is being reported as an ankle injury. There is no timetable for Mangold’s return and as of now Colin Baxter will be his replacement.
Offensive line struggles- Once again the New York Jets offensive line struggled as they failed to establish the running game and consistently protect quarterback Mark Sanchez. This was an alarming performance as the Jaguars are not considered to be one of the better defenses in the NFL. Wayne Hunter was flagged several times and missed several crucial blocks that forced Sanchez out of the pocket. The offensive line as a unit has to improve their protection as Sanchez cannot continue to take these kinds of hits. This will be a bigger challenge if Mangold is out for any period of time.
Ridiculous playcalling- The New York Jets have a variety of weapons on offense and for whatever reason offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer does not know how to use them. The Jaguars are an inferior defense and the Jets struggled to run the ball and get the passing game going. Some of the formations just make no sense, like the 1 wide receiver set, and some of the personnel groupings are even worse (Mason and Burress both off of the field). Sometimes it appears that Schotty is overthinking the game or trying to get too cute with the playcalling. Find out what works and keep using it until the defense stops it. When the Jets go three wide, especially against a weak secondary, there are mismatches all over the place. Why not take advantage? Why not try running the ball out of formations that are not so predictable? Why not a fade pass to Plaxico while in the redzone? The questions are endless at this point and it is a huge concern.
Keller shines- Tight end Dustin Keller had a great day with 6 catches for 101 yards. Keller displayed great hands and toughness after the catch and could be poised for a Pro-Bowl caliber season.
Defense
Downright dominant- The New York Jets defense completely manhandled a pedestrian Jaguars offense. Gang Green’s D forced 4 interceptions, tallied 2 sacks, a safety, and completely rattled quarterbacks Luke McCown and Blaine Gabbert. This is exactly the type of performance you want to see from the Jets defense: dominate inferior opponents.
Cromartie explodes- Antonio Cromartie had an excellent game on Sunday picking off two passes and making plays all over the field. It was great to see AC bounce back after a rough week one performance.
Bart bringing it- Linebacker Bart Scott had a tremendous game adding a sack along with several big hits at the line of scrimmage. It definitely appears that the Jets are using the Madbacker differently this season as Scott is getting into the backfield a lot more often.
Wilkerson making plays- Rookie defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson continues to improve and tallied a safety on Sunday. The young lineman is definitely learning the ropes of the NFL and will help the Jets pass rush as the season plays out.
Overall
The Jets took care of business on Sunday and blew out an inferior Jacksonville team. The defense was awesome, but the offense left a lot to be desired. In all honesty the game should have been a blowout by halftime but for whatever reason the Jets offense could not get on track from the coordinator down to the offensive line. To see Mark Sanchez running for his life is never a good sign, especially against the Jaguars defense. All in all a win is a win, especially when it is at home against a conference opponent.
Game Balls: Nick Folk, Antonio Cromartie, Dustin Keller