The Jets pulled off an improbable comeback win against the Buffalo Bills on the road in a game that saw quarterback Sam Darnold engineer his first ever game-winning drive in a 27-23 win, bringing an end to their six-game losing streak and bringing their record to 4-9 on the season. How’d they grade out? Let’s take a look.
Quarterback: B+
It wasn’t an incredible statistical day for Sam Darnold as he went 16-24 for 170 yards to go along with a touchdown and an interception, but that doesn’t come close to telling the whole story. Darnold made some phenomenal throws in big spots with temps in the teens against one of the best defenses in the NFL after trailing big early on.
Running Backs: B
Again, the stats weren’t incredible (24 carries for 68 yards), but there wasn’t much running room provided by the offensive line. However, when there was room, Eli McGuire took advantage of it as both he and Trenton Cannon scored touchdowns with McGuire’s being the game winner.
Wide Receivers: C-
Robby Anderson hauled in Darnold’s only touchdown pass and had a huge grab down the right sideline on the Jets’ game winning drive as he finished the day with 4 catches for 76 yards. Outside of that, it was a quiet day for the receivers as the rest of the group combined for just five receptions for 38 yards.
Tight Ends: D
Chris Herndon and Jordan Leggett each caught one pass for a total of only 27 yards.
Offensive Line: C-
Darnold was kept clean against one of the top defenses in the league which was very impressive, but the run blocking was poor once again.
Defensive Line: B
The Jets D-line pressured Josh Allen consistently while shutting down Chris Ivory on the ground (12 carries, 42 yards). They did allow Allen to rush for 101 yards, but much of that was a product of Allen reading Gang Green’s man coverage and taking off when Jets linebackers had their backs to him.
Linebackers: B
Jets Linebackers combined for 2.5 sacks as Brandon Copeland (1), Kevin Pierre-Louis (1) and Neville Hewitt (.5) made the stat sheet. Pierre-Louis had a strip sack on a play that saw Jamal Adams recover a fumble and the ‘backers also played a big role in limiting Ivory to just 42 yards.
Secondary: B+
Two more interceptions for Trumaine Johnson, including a game clincher on the Bills’ final offensive play of the day. Jamal Adams recovered a fumble and Darryl Roberts had a strong day at safety. In all, the Jets secondary held the Bills offense to just 206 yards and no touchdowns.
Special Teams: A-
Another stellar day for Brant Boyer’s unit as Henry Anderson blocked a field goal and Andre Roberts had a season-long 86-yard punt return.
Coaching: C
The Jets kept the handcuffs on Sam Darnold for much of the day but still did enough to get the win. Their inability to figure out a way to keep Josh Allen under 100 yards on the ground is also alarming. Outcome aside, this staff has three games left before getting their walking papers.