New York Jets Report Card: Week 17

New York Jets Report Card: Week 17

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills

Quarterback: D-

Fitzpatrick: 16/37, 181 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 2 rushes for 12 yards

It was among Fitzpatrick’s worst games of the year, and it came when they needed him the most. He was certainly let down by his receivers time and time again, but the interceptions, the inaccuracy (throwing behind, in front, whatever) and the inability to make up for it on the ground cost him.

Running Backs: B-

Ivory: 6/81/0

Ridley: 9/29/0, 2 receptions for 0 yards

Ivory put up a valiant effort in the absence of Powell, including a long dash for 58 yards on a drive in which the Jets would not score. Yup, it was that kind of day for the Jets.  Ridley ran with some tenacity, but more often than not found himself struggling to get back to the line of scrimmage.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: C-

Marshall: 8/126/1

Decker: 5/50/1

Enunwa: 1/5/0
The dynamic duo of Marshall and Decker did their damage, except Decker took far too long to get involved in the action. They were undermined by the Jets secondary weapons, who dropped pass after pass in big spots. Enunwa made several such errors and Thompkins couldn’t snag what could have been a game winning TD late in the 4th. The Jets lacked for a third receiving threat all season. That concern was alleviated for some time by the emergence of Bilal Powell as a threat out of the backfield. But with Powell sidelined with an injury, the Jets couldn’t find another release valve to take pressure off of the big two. The disappearance of Jeremy Kerley should be a major storyline heading into this off-season.

Offensive Line: D

Fitzpatrick was under considerable pressure from a tenacious pass rush. He was only sacked once but the Bills did a great job at getting their hands up on the defensive line and disrupting lines of sight.

Defensive Line: B-

The Bills counteracted the Jets strength on the d-line by going with quick passes and misdirection plays. Unfortunately, it worked. Wilkerson had to be helped off the field with a leg/foot injury.
Linebackers: B+

David Harris posted 2 sacks and the Bills leading rusher (other than Taylor at QB) was held to just 28 yards on 24 attempts. Jets all out blitzes struggled to reach the QB, so speed rusher remains an area of concern for this team heading into the off-season.

Secondary: C-

While Taylor threw for just 182 yards, the Jets secondary was beaten too often in the worst possible spots: 3rd down and 4th down conversions.

Special Teams: D

Bullock missed another field goal, and Quigley shanked another punt from the Jets end zone, leading to an early Bills scoring chance. Same ol’, same ol’ with the special teams unit, which should look drastically different on opening day 2016.

Coaching: D

Heading into week 17, the only thing standing in the way of a Jets playoff berth was New York’s ex-coach Rex Ryan and his Buffalo Bills squad. Bowles & co. showed up small in the biggest game of the year. The offense struggled to get things going early, and never really hit full stride until the 2nd half. Players were undisciplined against the least disciplined team in the NFL. The Jets wasted 2 timeouts in each half.