Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets: New York Grades, Notes & Quotes
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Jets needed a victory. It didn’t matter how it came, what the score was, if it was a beat-down or nail-biter. Sitting just one game over .500, the team simply needed to win.
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium, it wasn’t always pretty. At times, the Jets looked like a team destined for the playoffs. At other times, the Jets looked like a team that couldn’t get out of their own way.
But bruised, battered and injury-depleted, when the final whistled sounded, New York had squeaked out a 28-23 victory over Jacksonville.
“We won, that’s the biggest thing,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said after the game. “There were some sloppy things that we have to clean up, but we have to move on to Buffalo right now. We have a short week.”
Early on, Sunday’s showdown with Jacksonville had all the makings of one that was going to end in a New York blowout. The Jets took a 14-3 lead (built by a seven-yard touchdown reception by Eric Decker and a one-yard touchdown run by Chris Ivory) into the final minute of the first half. Up to that point, the Jets offense was doing enough, and their defense was dominating.
But with 26 seconds left to play in the half, Bortles orchestrated the Jaguars' first scoring drive. The second-year quarterback hit second-year wideout Allen Hurns on passes of 20 yards and then a 30-yard touchdown. The score brought Jacksonville within four, and a field goal on the Jaguars' second possession of the third quarter cut the New York lead to one.
Needing a response, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished 21-of-34 for 272 yards with a pair of touchdowns, marched the Jets 73 yards on eight plays. Ivory, who struggled, gaining just 26 yards on 23 carries, capped the drive with his second touchdown run of the day to put the Jets up 21-13 after the extra point.
The Jets took the eight-point lead into the fourth quarter, where their defense helped ice the victory. After Jaguars kicker Jason Myers connected on a 35-yard field goal to cut the Jets lead to five points, the defense forced two straight turnovers.
The first came with Jacksonville threatening at the Jets 23-yard line. Scrambling around and looking to buy time, Bortles was sacked by Calvin Pace, who stripped the ball and then recovered it himself. After the Jets went three-and-out on their ensuing possession, tight end Kellen Davis recovered a muffed punt by Nick Marshall, which set up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to receiver Brandon Marshall three plays later.
On the day, the Jets defense recorded six sacks, forced three turnovers and pressured Bortles 14 times.
After Marshall’s score, Jacksonville didn’t exactly roll over and die. Bortles marched the Jaguars 72 yards in three plays before finding Bryan Walters for a 20-yard touchdown to cut the Jets lead again to five.
Jacksonville did get the ball back after a Jets punt with 54 seconds left and a chance to take a lead, but a Marcus Williams interception, his second of the day, on the drive’s first play ended the comeback attempt abruptly.
The victory for the Jets improves the team’s record to 5-3 as they get set for Thursday’s matchup with Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills. The Jaguars fall to 2-6.
Position Grades for New York Jets
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B |
| RB | C |
| WR | B |
| TE | B |
| OL | D- |
| DL | B |
| LB | A |
| DB | C |
| ST | A |
| Coach | B |
Quarterbacks: All things considered, it wasn’t a bad performance for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Dealing with the torn ligaments in his thumb, the quarterback completed 21 of 34 passes for 272 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 106.5, and a completion percentage of 61 percent. He had a few near-interceptions, but that’s the case each week with Fitzpatrick. The grade? B
Running Backs: This is a hard one to grade. For starters, Chris Ivory ran for just 26 yards on 23 carries. But, and this is a big but, there was absolutely nowhere to run. The line was horrid. The reason Ivory gets a C is because he did score two touchdowns, and he made a couple of plays in the receiving game with three catches for 22 yards.
Receivers: A really nice day for Eric Decker as the wideout caught six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Marshall, who was doubled on nearly every play, caught four passes for 40 yards including a 20-yard touchdown to seal the game. Kenbrell Thompkins made a nice leaping grab down the seam, and Jeremy Kerley made an impact with two grabs for 22 yards. The unit was a 100-yard receiver away from getting an A. Instead? B+
Tight Ends: The Jets tight ends made plays! Good ones! Seriously! Jeff Cumberland had a 44-yard catch-and-run up the left sideline, and Kellen Davis recovered a fumble on a muffed punt to set up Brandon Marshall’s game-sealing touchdown. B.
Offensive Line: It was bad. Really, really bad. The Jets ran for just 29 yards on 28 carries, and Fitzpatrick was sacked twice. The only reason this unit doesn’t get an F is for sympathy. The group was without both starting center Nick Mangold and right guard Willie Colon for the majority of the game. D-
Defensive Line: Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams each had half-sacks while the unit as a whole helped limit T.J. Yeldon to just 64 yards on the ground. Not bad. B.
Linebackers: Rookie Lorenzo Mauldin played like a man possessed, recording two sacks. Calvin Pace had a sack-fumble which ended the Jaguars' best chance of taking a late lead. Also, not many missed tackles from Demario Davis or David Harris. A.
Secondary: This is a tough one to grade. Really tough. Yes, Marcus Williams had two interceptions and half a sack, but aside from that, Blake Bortles threw it all over the Jets defense. The quarterback finished 24-of-40 for 381 yards with a pair of touchdowns to complement those two picks. Allen Robinson caught six passes for 121 yards, and Allen Hurns caught five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. It really wasn’t good. But, the game-sealing interception by Williams keeps the grade on the more positive end of things. C
Special teams: Ryan Quigley went 4-of-4 on PATs, which is impressive considering he is a punter (more on Nick Folk's injury to come). The Jets recovered a muffed punt, Quigley had five land inside the 20 and New York even got something out of its return game. Jeremy Kerley averaged 10.5 yards per punt return, and Antonio Cromartie ran a kick back 54 yards. Best outing of the year for the group. A.
Coaching: Not bad for Todd Bowles and Co. It wasn’t always pretty, but it wasn’t always bad, either. A win is a win. B.
Jets Running Game Non-Existent...Again
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The Jets won a game they needed to win on Sunday afternoon. And that’s good.
But all wasn’t fine and dandy on the field at MetLife Stadium for the majority of New York’s four-quarter battle with the Jaguars.
From the game’s first snap to its final, the Jets again struggled to get anything going on the ground. For a team whose offensive philosophy is predicated on pounding the rock and churning out runs of five and six yards at the minimum, the suddenly significant struggles have red flags waving all over the place in northern New Jersey.
Facing eight- and nine-man fronts against the Jaguars, Ivory, otherwise known as the NFL’s “best running back” managed just 26 yards on 23 carries. While he scored two touchdowns on two one-yard runs, the back was bottled up the majority of the game and never had a run for more than nine yards.
As a team? Well, things weren’t any better. The Jets ran 28 times and gained 29 yards on the ground.
“I think (we) did a lot right. It was just tough out there today,” Ivory said. “It’s about staying the course, man. Eventually, we’ll have some of those big runs.”
While early in the season those “big runs” were coming in bulk for Ivory and the Jets, they’ve been much, much harder to come by as of late. In the Jets' last three games, Ivory has not run for more than 50 yards. In his last two games, the big bruising back has managed just 43 yards on 38 carries.
This from the same back who ran for 312 yards in two games prior to the beginning of this slump.
While it’s easy to put most of the blame on Ivory since he’s the one touching the ball, the Jets offensive line has taken significant steps back over the last few weeks. Against the Jaguars, center Nick Mangold left the game early when his neck just wasn’t strong enough to play, and starting right guard Willie Colon didn’t play at all.
Most of Ivory’s carries began with him having to elude a defender nearly as soon as he got the handoff.
“We’re a team that believes in one another,” Ivory said. “We just need to go out there and keep working.”
It’s quite imperative that Ivory and the Jets figure out a way to jump-start their running game, and fast. The team has a short week before Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills defense come to town Thursday night.
Is Nick Folk's Injury Reason for Concern?
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It was quite the “Wait, who?” moment in the MetLife Stadium press box midway through the first quarter.
After Fitzpatrick connected with Decker for a seven-yard touchdown to put the Jets up 7-3, the Jets' point-after-attempt team trotted on the field. On came punter Ryan Quigley, followed by kicker Nick Folk. As most looked away to begin taking notes on the previous scoring play, the PA announcer made the following call after the successful kick:
“The point-after attempt is good by Ryan Quigley…”
That would be the Ryan Quigley, who, as illustrated above, is the Jets punter. Apparently, New York's long-time kicker, Nick Folk, injured his quad when he heard something “pop” after the opening kickoff. Folk went off to the sideline and attempted to kick a few into the net.
He tried one or two before turning to the trainer and telling him something wasn’t right.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Folk said. “I couldn’t finish any of my swings. I couldn’t get power into any kicks. We felt it was best to have me hold and go with (Quigley).”
The crazy part? In pregame warmups, Folk said he felt fine. He even made a 60-yarder. Folk didn’t attempt any kicks after the opening kickoff. He, instead, was the holder on all PATs.
The Jets will send Folk off for an MRI on Monday to judge the extent of the damage which, to this point, is largely unknown. After the game, Folk said he felt “fine” standing around but had no idea how long it would be before he could return to the field.
In Folk’s absence, it wasn’t always pretty, but Quigley performed pretty well. He went 4-for-4 on point-after attempts with three of the four looking good. The fourth was a line-drive kick that bounced off the left crossbar and in.
“(Folk) told me after that one it’s better to be lucky than good,” Quigley said, laughing.
After the game, Bowles wouldn’t comment much on if the Jets planned to add a kicker before Thursday’s game against the Bills, saying just that the team would know more on Monday.
So, as is the case with the majority of the Jets' walking wounded, it’s time to play the waiting game.
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Is It Time for Antonio Cromartie to Be Benched, Injury or Not?
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After the Jets' defensive debacle versus the Oakland Raiders a week ago, Antonio Cromartie stood by his locker and told reporters he had played like (insert expletive here).
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cromartie was given a chance to bounce back, put last week’s horrid outing behind him and show all of those affiliated with the Jets he can still be a top-notch cornerback in the NFL.
Cromartie didn’t do that. Not at all.
The cornerback was beat for, unofficially (tallies kept in the press box), four long completions, including back-to-back on the Jaguars' 50-yard scoring drive at the end of the first half. It started when Bortles connected with Hurns on a deep out for 20 yards. Then, one play later, Bortles and Hurns again connected for a 30-yard touchdown, with the wideout simply running by Cromartie.
That score was the sixth touchdown allowed by Cromartie this year.
In the second half, Cromartie, who was pulling double-duty as Jets kick returner, left the game with a leg injury. He didn’t return and spent the majority of the game sitting on the bench with his leg wrapped. After the game, Cromartie was in the locker room without his leg wrapped but didn’t speak to the media.
With Cromartie out of the lineup, second-year cornerback Marcus Williams filled in admirably. Williams had been filling in at safety on passing downs for the Jets due to the absence of safety Calvin Pryor, but he looked right at home back at his natural corner position.
Williams finished with two interceptions and now has four on the year.
“I’m getting more comfortable with the game,” Williams said. “Definitely having the vets in here that I can learn from has helped, too. That’s been great. Learning from those guys, it’s been a great pleasure for me.
“I’m trying to improve each week and just keep getting better.”
While it may be difficult for Bowles to pull the trigger and bench Cromartie, especially considering the fact that he was key in bringing him back to the Jets, if things keep going the way they are, the Jets head coach may not have a choice.
Jets Rookie Lorenzo Mauldin on Breakout Performance
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“I’ve always been told, once you get one sack, more are going to come after that.” – Jets rookie linebacker Lorenzo Maudlin
There’s always been that one missing aspect of the Jets defense, really, for the last few years. While the team has always had a good defensive line, and an even better secondary, New York has never really had an elite pass-rusher.
When the Jets selected Louisville outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin, general manager Mike Maccagnan hoped he’d be that piece. Against the Jaguars, Mauldin showed he’s getting closer.
The rookie was involved in three sacks (two half-sacks, one full sack) and was constantly disrupting Bortles.
After the game, Mauldin was asked about his breakout performance. So, he weighed in.
Ryan Fitzpatrick on Report He'll Have Surgery Friday
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“Somebody reported that? I don’t know. It’s still kind of up in the air.” – Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
During CBS’ broadcast of Sunday’s game, it was reported that Fitzpatrick would undergo surgery on his thumb this coming Friday. Fitzpatrick, as has been well documented, tore ligaments in his thumb during last Sunday’s loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Apparently, that report isn’t entirely accurate.
After the game, a Jets spokesperson clarified the report. Fitzpatrick said in a production meeting with CBS that he would need to, at some point, get surgery. That’s been known and was already stated by both Fitzpatrick and Bowles this past week. What the report then continued to say was the reporter's speculation, that it would make sense for Fitzpatrick to get surgery on Friday because he’d have 10 days off before the Jets' next game.
Long story short, there is no scheduled surgery for Fitzpatrick. Could he have it Friday? Sure. But nothing is set in stone yet.
Brandon Marshall on Playing on Short Week
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“I love short weeks because I love playing football.” – Jets receiver Brandon Marshall
For the first time this season, the Jets will try their hands at Thursday Night Football as the team faces off against the Buffalo Bills.
Brandon Marshall, in a very Brandon Marshall way, offered his take on playing another game of football in four days. Not surprisingly, he loves the idea.
Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for the Journal Inquirer and Scout.com. All quotes, practice observations and advanced stats referenced are gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Connor can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes) or via email (Connor_j_hughes@yahoo.com)
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