Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets: Full Report-Card Grades for New York
Another week, another tough, one-touchdown defeat to an NFC North opponent for the New York Jets.
After a decent start on offense, the unit was completely shut down for the majority of the game by a solid Lions defense. At one point, it was forced into three consecutive three-and-outs.
When the offense finally did get going in the second half, Geno Smith committed two critical turnovers and the defense failed to stop Detroit's offense.
The loss drops the Jets to 1-3, and the schedule often toughens up from here. In the next three weeks, Rex Ryan and his troops will face three of the AFC's four divisional round participants from a year ago.
Click through for grades for each of New York's positional units in the Week 4 loss.
Quarterback
1 of 10
I've always been a fervent supporter of Geno Smith, but my belief in him is dwindling following another poor outing.
Yes, Smith was hamstrung by poor play-calling by Marty Mornhinweg, but his execution was awful.
The offense couldn't buy a first down throughout the first half, as Smith consistently missed his receivers and the opportunity to gain control of the game.
The second-year quarterback was better for the most part in the second half, but his two crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter cost the Jets important possessions and ultimately the victory.
Smith continues to make poor decisions, some of which result in back-breaking turnovers. He's undoubtedly improved from a year ago, but at times he still seems to be doing the team more harm than good.
Unless the former West Virginia standout can improve tremendously in the coming weeks, the Jets may be forced to turn to Michael Vick.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
The Jets running game is usually the strength of the offense, and that was the case once again on Sunday.
Chris Ivory rushed for 84 yards and 17 carries (a 4.9 yards-per-carry average), while Chris Johnson added 44 yards and touchdown on just six carries.
Johnson's touchdown run was extremely impressive, as he broke multiple tackles in a 35-yard scamper to the end zone. The score also got the Jets back in the game in the fourth quarter.
However, it's worth noting that Gang Green's running game was mostly unsuccessful following a terrific start.
Ivory ran for 51 yards on the team's first possession but just 33 thereafter.
The rushing game was mostly limited by Detroit stacking the box in anticipation for the run, as Geno Smith and the passing attack weren't posing any threat to the secondary.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
The receiving corps was extremely mediocre once again.
Greg Salas and Jace Amaro were the two standouts. Salas caught just two shorts passes, but he turned them into huge gains that sparked the offense.
Amaro caught all five of his targets for 58 yards, as he provided a terrific security blanket for Smith, especially in the second half.
The rest of the receivers were all disappointing, however.
Eric Decker caught four passes for 48 yards and a score, but he was targeted 10 times and was responsible for a couple key drops.
Jeremy Kerley, who was phenomenal last week, also came crashing back down to earth, as he caught just one pass for three yards.
The receiving corps is usually a product of their quarterback, but they certainly aren't giving Smith much help on a week-to-week basis.
Grade: C
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line has been inconsistent throughout the young season. That trend continued against Detroit.
The line started off well, getting consistent push up front and creating running room for Chris Ivory to explode through.
However, for several possessions thereafter, the offensive line struggled to control the line of scrimmage, and the offense was halted as a result.
The unit did do a nice job containing Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, limiting the two behemoths to just four tackles and a sack.
It's difficult to know how the offensive line will perform on a game-to-game, let alone a play-to-play basis.
Nonetheless, it was mostly solid against an aggressive Detroit defensive front.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Ho-hum.
The defensive line was its typical dominant self on Sunday, but once again, it was not enough for the victory.
The unit controlled the line of scrimmage, got consistent pressure on Matthew Stafford from just three- or four-man rushes, and shut down Detroit's rushing attack throughout the contest.
The line recorded 2.5 of New York's four sacks and four of its seven quarterback hits, while also limiting the Lions rushing game to just 88 yards on 27 carries (a 3.3 average).
Muhammad Wilkerson was outstanding for the second consecutive week, and he's making his case as one of the game's best defensive players.
The fourth-year defensive end will be paid handsomely this offseason.
Grade: A-
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker corps wasn't as good as it was in the previous two weeks, but it was solid nonetheless.
The unit was also responsible for Detroit's lack of a rushing attack, and standout inside linebackers Demario Davis and David Harris combined for an impressive 20 tackles.
The pass rush, however, could have been better. Quinton Coples and Jason Babin have been disappointing at their primary roles thus far, and they need to improve down the stretch if the pass rush is to continue to be disruptive.
Detroit also did a nice job creating mismatches by aligning Golden Tate in the slot, matching him against linebackers.
Tate's speed was too much for the unit to handle, and his big day was critical to Detroit's success.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
To no one's surprise, the secondary was the root of all the Jets' defensive problems.
Even without Calvin Johnson at 100 percent, Stafford completed 24 of his 34 passes for 293 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, while registering a sky-high 116.4 passer rating.
New York's defensive back end was beaten in a variety of ways. The Lions moved the chains with both short curl and crossing routes, as well by deep throws.
Miscommunication continued to be an issue. On a 59-yard touchdown to Jeremy Ross in the first half, it looked as if Antonio Allen thought Calvin Pryor would have his back over the top. However, Pryor didn't move over quick enough and Ross got wide-open.
The secondary will be the team's weak point throughout the season, and it will only continue to intensify as Jets face more Pro Bowl quarterbacks over the coming weeks.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Nick Folk nailed his only attempt and Ryan Quigley was mostly terrific, as he managed to turn around field position despite the offense's constant three-and-outs.
However, Walt Powell, returning in favor of Jalen Saunders, made some unnecessary risks. Even though none of them resulted in disaster, it was not a good showing.
The special teams isn't the reason this team is losing, but it isn't why it's winning either.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
The discipline has improved significantly of late, but everything else has gone downhill in recent weeks.
The play-calling by Marty Mornhinweg has been awful, as he can never seem to find a good combination of rushing and passing the ball.
At times, Mornhinweg doesn't allow Smith to put his talents to use, while in others, he puts too much on the young quarterback.
The offensive coordinator needs to improve his play-calling immediately or his job could become vacant.
Rex Ryan did a nice job pressuring Stafford, but the miscommunication by the secondary has to be put on his shoulders. The players need to know what plays are being run or the advanced packages are worthless.
Grade: C-
Cumulative Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| Quarterback | D |
| Running Back | B+ |
| Wide Receiver/Tight End | C |
| Offensive Line | B- |
| Defensive Line | A- |
| Linebacker | B |
| Secondary | D+ |
| Special Teams | B+ |
| Coaching | C- |
Cumulative Grade: C-
The Jets are 1-3. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it.
The team has made each game close, and it's competed against some of the better teams in the league through the month of September.
However, mistakes are killing any chance of victory, and they continue to plague Gang Green on a week-to-week basis.
Geno Smith has to limit his turnovers, Marty Mornhinweg has to improve his play-calling and Rex Ryan has to get something better out of his secondary.
If none of this happens, it'll be another long year in New York.
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