Week 9: New Orleans Saints @ New York Jets
Quarterback: C+
Smith: 8/19, 115 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 6 rushes for 18 yards, 1 TD
Backs: A
Ivory: 18 rushes for 139 yards, 1 TD
Powell: 9 rushes for 29 yards
Bohannon: 1 reception for 11 yards
The Saints run defense has been rather porous all season. Nevertheless, what you saw out of Ivory today has to impress you. He runs with tremendous vision and power and even has a decent burst downfield. Bohannon was a very solid 7th round selection and he continues to make small but positive contributions.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: D+
Salas: 2 receptions for 57 yards
Sudfeld: 2 receptions for 46 yards
Cribbs: 2 receptions for 6 yards, 1/1 passing for 25 yards, 3 rushes for 12 yards
Kerley: 1 reception for 1 yard
Nelson: 1 reception for 19 yards
Is Stephen Hill anything more than a decoy at this point? Losing Kerley hurts, we’ll have to hold our breath as we wait for that injury report. Former Patriots TE Zach Sudfeld had a good game as he filled in for Jeff Cumberland and Kellen Winslow. Joshua Cribbs completed his first pass as a Jet, the versatility he brings on offense and special teams is welcome.
Offensive Line: A-
The Jets dominated the line of scrimmage on offense, rushing for 200 yards. The offensive line kept Geno Smith upright throughout most of the game, allowing 2 sacks on the day.
Defensive Line: A
You probably already know everything that you need to know about Wilkerson, Richardson and Harrison. Yeah, it was more of the same. Though the Jets finished the game with only 2 sacks, it wasn’t for lack of pressure. Drew Brees is one of the best in the business as far as escaping the pocket and looking to make a play downfield, but the disruption by the Jets defensive line still managed to take him out of the game.
Linebackers: A
This was easily the best game of the season for converted linebacker Quinton Coples, as he made more than one game-changing play. DeMario Davis had an interception, Calvin Pace had a sack and a forced fumble and David Harris’ tackling technique is top notch. As a unit, this group truly impressed today.
Secondary: D+
Brees threw for a whopping 382 yards on the day, but he needed 51 attempts to get there. This was a far from inspiring performance for the Jets secondary, but they were going up against one of the best and we saw some improved play from Antonio Allen and first round pick Dee Milliner. After getting burned earlier in the game, Cromartie bounced back with a momentum-swinging interception.
Special Teams: A
Joshua Cribbs had a nice 42 yard kickoff return and Ryan Quigley punted effectively. Nick Folk was 4/4 on field goal attempts and remains perfect on the season.
Coaching: A
Ryan and Thurman devised a defensive gameplan that had Drew Brees flustered at times, forcing the Saints to burn all 3 of their 1st half timeouts in the 1st quarter. Against his better judgment, Mornhinweg devised an offensive gameplan that all but abandoned the pass in favor of the run. Many will nitpick, claiming he was too conservative late in the 4th quarter, but at the end of the day, the Jets still managed to hang 26 points on a much improved Saints defense. On the downside, the penalties still need to get cleaned up.
