Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets: New York Grades, Notes and Quotes
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ryan Fitzpatrick lined up in the shotgun and scanned the field. He knew the situation. He knew the play call. On 4th-and-2 late in the fourth quarter trailing the Buffalo Bills by five, he couldn't afford not to.
If he could just get the New York Jets seven yards, all of the struggles in the 3.5 previous quarters would be forgotten. All he needed was one touchdown.
So Fitzpatrick got the snap, looked right and floated the ball in the direction of tight end Kellen Davis.
The pass landed two yards away from his oblivious target.
And thus ended the Jets' best chance of a comeback victory in Thursday night's 22-17 loss to the Bills.
"It was just like a flag route to the back of the end zone," Fitzpatrick said. "I don't know if he got bumped or caught up or what happened there."
While the Jets had a chance to win the game late, the way the game began, that situation never seemed all that realistic early on. In the first half, the Jets offense couldn't get out of its own way. The running game, led by Chris Ivory, again struggled. Fitzpatrick was just 5-of-17 passing, and the Bills were taking advantage of each Jets miscue.
A Jets field goal off the leg of Randy Bullock got things started, but Buffalo quickly answered with a field goal of its own. On the ensuing kickoff, Jets receiver Devin Smith fumbled, and the Bills' Duke Williams picked it up and ran into the end zone for a touchdown. When the Jets got the ball back, Fitzpatrick threw an interception. That set up another Dan Carpenter field goal with time winding down in the first half. When the Bills ran into the locker room, they were up 12-3.
"We didn't play situational football," Jets coach Todd Bowles said. "We didn't execute in the red zone. We turned the ball over on our end of the field."
In the third quarter, the Bills wasted little time building a lead. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor connected with running back Karlos Williams out of the backfield for a 26-yard score. One possession later, after an Ivory fumble, another Carpenter kick put Buffalo up 22-3.
Needing something, the Jets offense finally began to click.
Fitzpatrick found receiver Brandon Marshall for 11 yards and Eric Decker on gains of 20 and nine, and Ivory broke off runs of five and 17 yards to bring the Jets to the Buffalo 14. Once there, Fitzpatrick again found Marshall, who skipped into the end zone for the Jets' first touchdown of the day.
After both teams exchanged punts and the Jets turned the ball over on downs at the Bills 20, the Jets got things going again. Ivory, who finished with 98 yards on the ground and 36 through the air, ripped off a run of nine yards, and Fitzpatrick hit Decker deep for a gain of 19. Following an Ivory three-yard run to the Bills 31, Fitzpatrick hooked up with Decker for a touchdown down the seam.
"We couldn't get much going on offense (in the first half)," Fitzpatrick said. "But we knew we'd start clicking and so there was still confidence. You saw that in the second half. You saw the fight and all that.
"But we have to win the game."
On the Bills' ensuing possession, the Jets defense forced a three-and-out. When Colton Schmidt lined up to punt, things got interesting.
The snap was bad, and by the time Schmidt got a hold of it, he was surrounded by multiple Jets, who tackled him at the 13-yard line.
The opportunity was a golden one, but the Jets couldn't capitalize. An Ivory first-down run picked up eight yards, but New York went backward on the next two. On fourth down, Fitzpatrick's pass missed Davis to end the team's final legitimate comeback attempt.
"I mean, we had millions of chances today in the second half," Fitzpatrick, who threw two touchdowns and two interceptions, said. "We had some big plays on offense, we got some momentum, we got things to go.
"You sit back and you look at the opportunities. It's just very frustrating."
The loss drops the Jets' record to 5-4. The Buffalo Bills improve to 5-4. New York will face the Houston Texans next week.
Position Grades for New York
1 of 7
| Position | Grade |
| QB | D |
| RB | C+ |
| WR | C |
| TE | F |
| OL | B |
| DL | A |
| LB | C |
| DB | C |
| ST | F |
| Coaching | C |
Quarterbacks: Don't let the two touchdown drives fool you—for the majority of Thursday's game, Ryan Fitzpatrick was horrid for the Jets. The quarterback missed passes constantly, tossed two interceptions, nearly threw three more and made bad reads time and time again. It wasn't pretty. Not at all. D
Running Backs: It was good to see Chris Ivory get going again with 98 yards on the ground, but his fumble in the second half drops his grade a bit. C+
Receivers: Brandon Marshall (three receptions, 23 yards, touchdown) and Eric Decker (six receptions, 85 yards, touchdown) weren't all-world but certainly not scrubs. Still though, it took until the second half for the group to start making plays. One of the biggest things hurting this grade was Marshall's drop that led to a Fitzpatrick interception—and a second that would have been a big gainer late in the game up the right sideline. C
Tight Ends: Kellen Davis lost the 4th-and-2 pass in the lights; that's understandable and happens. But on the replay, Davis looks completely oblivious to the fact he's even playing football. He doesn't seem to know he's an eligible receiver, let alone the fact that the ball might actually come his way. It was just another bad day from a group that has had a bad season. F
Offensive Line: The O-line struggled in the first half but improved its run-blocking in the second. Fitzpatrick was sacked just once. The return of center Nick Mangold likely keyed the improvement. B
Defensive Line: This is the only "A" given out, and it really should just be given to Muhammad Wilkerson. The Jets defensive end played out of his mind on Thursday, registering six tackles, two sacks, two tackles for a loss and three quarterback hurries. A
Linebackers: With all the criticism given to Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie, the poor play of Demario Davis has flown a bit under the radar. Against the Bills, Davis continued to struggle. He missed tackle after tackle, and Karlos Williams burned him on a 26-yard touchdown. The grade for the unit was saved by a solid day from both David Harris and Lorenzo Mauldin. C
Defensive Backs: Overall, it was a good day. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed just 17 of 27 passes and threw for only 158 yards. But the grade is hurt by one play in particular. After the Jets turned it over on downs on Fitzpatrick's incomplete pass to Davis, the defense forced the Bills into a 3rd-and-2 at their own 15. Instead of running the ball, Taylor dropped back. He threw it to the Bills' best offensive player, Sammy Watkins. He beat the Jets' best defensive player, Darrelle Revis. Of note here, safety Rontez Miles, who started the first game of his career, had quite the showing and was all over the field. C
Special Teams: Another game, more special teams blunders for the Jets. This time, receiver Devin Smith fumbled the ball on a kickoff, which the Bills scooped up and ran into the end zone for a touchdown. F.
Coaching: There were not many questionable calls, but again the Jets were plagued by what Todd Bowles described as mental errors. That falls on the head coach's shoulders. Also, the continued passing of the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage on 3rd-and-short was puzzling. D.
Fourth-Down Pass to Kellen Davis
2 of 7
It didn't make sense. Not at all.
Not when the ball was snapped, not when Ryan Fitzpatrick's eyes wandered over to Kellen Davis and certainly not when the ball left the quarterback's hands in the direction of his tight end.
On the game's biggest play, facing 4th-and-2 down five late in the fourth, the Jets didn't go to Brandon Marshall or Eric Decker or to running back Chris Ivory. Instead, Fitzpatrick chose to throw to a player who has just one reception all year.
The ball floated high, and Davis spun around aimlessly looking for it before watching it bounce just a few yards away.
"I didn't see the ball until it was already passed me," Davis said after the game.
The Jets offense walked off the field and didn't return to it until the game was all but decided.
"I count on all of our guys," Fitzpatrick said after the game. "I know that all of our guys can make plays. I would have loved to throw to Brandon, I would have loved to throw to Deck, but, the wise decision there with them doubling them guys, or whatever it was, I don't regret my read at all."
The questionable call on a crucial play was one of several made by the Jets Thursday night. Just before the pass to Davis, on 3rd-and-2, Fitzpatrick chose to throw a quick out to Decker that went for no gain. On a 3rd-and-4 near midfield earlier, Fitzpatrick threw a pass to Kenbrell Thompkins for just two yards. On a 4th-and-2 late in the fourth, Fitzpatrick threw a screen pass to Marshall, who was tackled right away.
It seemed anytime the Jets got within a yard or two of the first-down marker, the team chose to run plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.
None of those plays worked.
Ryan Fitzpatrick to Have Surgery on Friday
3 of 7
In all likelihood, the decision was made quite a few days ago, maybe even a week. With torn ligaments in Ryan Fitzpatrick's thumb, the quarterback was going to require surgery. That surgery could occur during the season or after it.
The issue with waiting, Fitzpatrick said earlier this week, was the torn ligaments ran the risk of "shrinking" and "shriveling." With the Jets having 10 days off before their next game against the Houston Texans, having surgery on Friday made sense, since he will have 10 days to rest.
Earlier, Fitzpatrick had hinted at that surgery taking place but wouldn't confirm it. After the loss to the Buffalo Bills, Todd Bowles finally set things straight. Fitzpatrick will in fact have surgery on Friday.
"Yes," Bowles said. "Yes he will."
The hope is for Fitzpatrick to get the surgery and then heal up in time to not miss a beat as New York's starting quarterback. While nothing is set in stone, and any minor complication could keep him sidelined, if all goes well, Fitzpatrick should be able to play against the Texans.
"We'll see how it goes," Fitzpatrick said, "but that's the intention."
Against the Bills, Fitzpatrick completed 15 of 34 passes for 193 yards with a pair of touchdowns and two interceptions. This season, he has thrown 15 touchdowns. That's the most touchdowns thrown by a Jets quarterback since Mark Sanchez tossed 26 in 2011.
.jpg?w=256 "Cowboys Giants Football")
Slumping Jets Have Suddenly Dropped Three OfFour
4 of 7
When the Jets walked off the football field a little less than a month ago, they were on top of the world. Fresh off a rout of the Washington Redskins, New York was sitting pretty at 4-1 and one game out of first place in the AFC East. The team had fans not only talking playoffs but just how far the team could go.
But oh, what a difference four weeks makes.
Since that victory over the Redskins, the team has dropped three of its last four games. The New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders and now Buffalo Bills have taken the Jets from a game out of first to completely out of the playoff picture.
Things are spiraling, and the Jets are desperately looking for a way to right the ship.
"I have a level of concern when we lose," Bowles said. "I don't have a level of concern of where the team's at. I know we fight hard. I know we're going to fight hard every game. We have to execute better."
According to Bowles, the Jets' biggest issues right now stem from too many turnovers, missed assignments and more mental errors than physical mistakes. There's no doubt in the coach's mind his team can compete with anyone between the lines, but mishaps inside the helmet are now adding mark after mark to the "L" column.
Fitzpatrick seemed to echo the coach's same message.
"Each game is different," Fitzpatrick said. "It's hard to even think back to the other ones right now. We have a good group, I think we've got the right group of guys. We just have to get back on track."
New York has games against the Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants up next and desperately needs a victory in each one. As things stand right now, the Jets are in third place in the AFC East but have just a one-game lead on the last-place Miami Dolphins.
Todd Bowles on Decision to Not Kick Field Goal
5 of 7
"We were down two scores," Jets coach Todd Bowles said about his decision to pass on a field goal in the fourth quarter. "If we had kicked a field goal there, we'd have still been down two scores and had to score again. We tried to go for the touchdown and then the win."
It was really a case of being praised or cursed. If Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had connected with Kellen Davis on 4th-and-2, no one in the world would question the coach's decision to go for it while trailing by five late in the fourth quarter.
But Fitzpatrick didn't connect. So, Bowles now needs to answer questions on why he didn't kick the field goal.
In his mind, whether the Jets scored a touchdown or not, the team was still going to need its defense to make a stop. The issue for the Jets was that, while that stop did eventually come, when New York's offense got the ball back, there were just 24 seconds left on the clock.
It's easier to kick a field goal than score a touchdown with 24 seconds left. But a touchdown on that 4th-and-2 all but ices a Jets victory.
It was a win-lose situation for Bowles. In this situation, he came out on the low end of things.
Eric Decker on Jets' Missed Opportunities
6 of 7
"It's frustrating," Decker said. "We turned the ball over three times and we still had multiple chances at the end and we didn't do enough. I give credit to them, but it's frustrating."
In the second half of Thursday's game, the Jets were given chance, after chance, after chance to take command. And time and time again, they continually failed to do so.
With the defense standing on its head, the Jets offense couldn't get out of its own way with the exception of two touchdown drives. Even after a botched punt gave the Jets the ball at the Bills 13-yard line late in the fourth, the team did nothing more than turn it back over on downs four plays later.
It was an ugly performance from the Jets offense.
Rex Ryan on Victory Against Former Team
7 of 7
“I look at it this way: It’s like being dumped by some girl that you had the hots for and all that stuff," Bills coach Rex Ryan said about his victory over the Jets. "Like, you know, every guy in the room has been dumped by some girl before. That’s really what it feels like.
"You know, hey, you move on. And, every now and then they call you back. And they can’t get you back."
All week long, Bills coach Rex Ryan had said the right things and did the right things, aside from naming I.K. Enemkpali captain. Ryan had kept himself out of the headlines for the most part.
But after the Bills finished off the Jets in Ryan's first matchup against his former team, he couldn't hold it in any longer. How did it feel to get the victory? Ryan answered with the Rexiest Rex quote of them all.
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).
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Giants Football")
.jpg?w=480 "STEELERS-RODGERS")
.jpg?w=600 "Battery Charges Against Arike Dropped")
.jpg?w=600 "AEW Dynamite Results & Grades")
