Week 17: New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Quarterback: B
Smith: 17/27, 190 yards, 10 rushes for 44 yards, 1 TD
Geno Smith has bounced back in recent weeks, showing the same kind of flashes as he did early on in the season. The numbers don’t scream “Aaron Rodgers” by any means, but it’s great to see how much Geno has improved his ball security, and he remains a dual-threat QB that can shred you on the ground both in designed runs and in improvised ones as well.
Backs: B+
Ivory: 5 rushes for 19 yards
Bohannon: 2 rushes for 12 yards
Powell: 21 rushes for 76 yards, 1 reception for -4 yards, 1/1 passing for 30 yards
Green: 1 rush for 0 yards
Powell received the majority of the carries on the day, and for good reason. Though the numbers aren’t exactly pretty, he was downright unstoppable at times. Doing his best impersonation of fellow teammate Chris Ivory, Powell bounced and slid out of tackles over and over again, racking up massive amounts of yards after contact. He was integral late in the game when he picked up 2 straight first downs on long runs, and he made a nice 30 yard pass to Cumberland out of the wildcat. At fullback, Bohannon has been (and remains) a great 7th round draft pick.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B-
Kerley: 5 receptions for 40 yards, 1 rush for 1 yard
Nelson: 5 receptions for 66 yards
Winslow: 1 reception for 34 yards
Sudfeld: 1 reception for 7 yards
Salas: 1 reception for 6 yards
Cumberland: 1 reception for 30 yards
Holmes: 3 receptions for 41 yards
Geno did a solid job of spreading the ball around, and the receivers and tight ends picked up yardage through penalties as well. Nelson recently received an extension, and that’s good news.
Offensive Line: A
The offensive line did a tremendous job of keeping Geno upright as well as blocking for the run.
Defensive Line: C
The defensive line did a good job against the run, but once again failed to provide consistent pressure against a weak Miami offensive line. Sheldon Richardson had his 2nd rushing touchdown of the season.
Linebackers: B-
The linebackers did not get to Tannehill today, but they did do a better job against Miami’s rushing attack than they did in the previous meeting. Miami was held to under 100 yards rushing on the day.
Secondary: A-
For a secondary that struggled mightily this season, 3 interceptions (2 by Milliner, 1 by Reed) was a refreshing sight. Tannehill completed just 50% of his passes on the day.
Special Teams: C
A solid all-around job by special teams today. Nick Folk did miss a field goal that would normally be a “gimee” for him, but he hit on his 2 other attempts.
Coaching: A
It’s always nice to get a win vs. a division rival on the road, but that’s especially true when that win knocks that rival out of playoff contention. The team came out fired up and though they struggled in the 1st quarter, from the 2nd quarter onwards it was clear there was no quit in them.
