New York Jets vs. San Diego Chargers: Full Report Grades for New York
The New York Jets suffered a fourth consecutive disheartening defeat on Sunday, but this game was far from close like the previous three.
The Jets were run out of Qualcomm Stadium bÿ the San Diego Chargers, as theÿ were dominated in all three phases for 60 straight minutes.
Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates burned Gang Green's secondary, and the run defense was surprisingly ineffective against the Chargers rushing attack.
On offense, the Jets didn't cross midfield until halfway through the fourth quarter. The unit was stagnant all game long, and the coaching staff made the switch from Geno Smith to Michael Vick at halftime to no avail.
With the loss, Rex Ryan's troops drop to 1-4 on the season, and with the Denver Broncos on deck, there's no sign of a turnaround coming soon.
Click through for game grades for each Jets positional unit in the disastrous defeat.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Geno Smith continued his struggles throughout the first half, and it ultimately led to his benching.
Smith couldn't get the offense going in any way, and the team failed to cross midfield under his direction. The second-year signal-caller completed just four of his 12 passes for 27 yards and an interception.
And while Michael Vick did lead some decent drives toward the end of the game, the offense failed to do much with him under center as well. Vick completed just eight of 19 passes for 47 yards.
Neither quarterback is capable of carrying an offense, as they are more likely to perform up to the talent around them.
Today, the quarterbacks didn't have any explosive skill position players at their disposal, and the protection around them was poor.
It's anyone's guess what the future of the quarterback position is, but right now, it's not looking too bright.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
The running game was the best part of the offense, and yet it was still pretty ordinary.
Chris Ivory was efficient in a limited number of touches, rushing for 44 yards on nine carries. However, Chris Johnson failed to replicate his success, running for just 24 yards on seven carries.
Johnson also had a critical fumble inside the Jets' 20-yard line that shifted the momentum of the game in the second quarter.
In all, New York rushed for just 91 yards on 21 carries, a season low.
The offense was forced to abandon the run in the second half due to the lopsided score and the offensive line being horrid, but Johnson's fumble was a game-changer.
Grade: C-
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
With Eric Decker out with hamstring injury, the receiving corps was abysmal.
No wideout could consistently get open, and they were responsible for several key drops that stalled drives.
Jeremy Kerley was the team's top receiver, and he recorded just three catches for 24 yards.
Kerley wasn't great, though, and Jeff Cumberland continued to disappoint. Greg Salas also failed to contribute much following two consecutive productive weeks.
The problem is still the same for New York, and that issue is magnified when it is without its best wideout. The Jets need better skill position players, or the offense—and the quarterback running it—is doomed.
Grade: D
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line has been up and down throughout the season, but Sunday was definitely its lowest point.
The unit was horrendous from start to finish, allowing consistent pressure on Geno Smith and Michael Vick, not creating running lanes for Ivory and Johnson and committing several boneheaded penalties that backed up the offense.
The stat sheet says the line only allowed two sacks and five quarterback hits, but that's far from the full story. Smith and Vick had mere seconds to pass the ball on every other snap, and they were forced to just chuck it out of bounds on several occasions.
Brian Winters continues to be the biggest liability, as his pass-protection skills are horrendous. New York needs an upgrade at left guard if it is going to contend in the future.
It wasn't just Winters on Sunday, though. The whole offensive line, ranging from D'Brickashaw Ferguson to Willie Colon, was awful.
Grade: D-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line was absolutely dominant through the first month of the season, but it took a major step back against the Chargers.
The line did manage to get some decent pressure on Philip Rivers throughout the contest, but it was burned by San Diego's running attack.
Most people wouldn't have picked this game as the day when the run defense was outclassed by an opposing offense.
The Chargers came into the game ranked 31st in the league in rushing, averaging just 69.5 yards per game. The Jets, meanwhile, entered the contest as the best run defense in football, giving up just 63.3 yards a game.
However, fourth-string running back Brandon Oliver had the best game of his life, as he rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on just 19 carries. In all, San Diego's backs combined for 162 rushing yards.
Yes, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison did suffer injuries in the contest, but it was still an unacceptable showing from what many people consider the best defensive front in the NFL.
Grade: D+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker corps was also responsible for San Diego's dominant rushing attack, as the unit missed tackles and failed to attack the line of scrimmage.
The linebackers were also burned in coverage on several occasions, including by Brandon Oliver. He was left wide-open for a 53-yard gain in the third quarter, and he finished the game with four catches for 68 yards and a receiving score.
And while Calvin Pace did have two sacks, Demario Davis and Quinton Coples failed to make much of an impact.
To make matters worse, David Harris was forced to leave in the fourth quarter after suffering a shoulder injury. Harris is the leader of the defense and one of the unit's best players.
His absence could doom the defense once and for all.
Grade: D
Secondary
7 of 10
Reserve Philip Adams made a tremendous interception in the end zone for New York's first pick of the year.
That's about all the good the secondary did on Sunday.
The unit has always been a liability, but its performance in San Diego was just plain embarrassing.
Despite being under consistent pressure, Philip Rivers had a field day picking apart the Jets secondary. The Pro Bowl quarterback completed 20 of his 28 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns.
Rivers had 244 of those yards in the first half alone—and probably could have neared 500 if he had the desire.
Darrin Walls was burnt for a 50-yard gain in the first quarter, Antonio Allen was dominated in the red zone by Antonio Gates, and Calvin Pryor couldn't tackle if his life depended on it.
This has to be the worst defensive back end in football, and I don't even think it's close.
John Idzik needs to be blamed for the porous secondary New York sends out there every week, as he had the money to upgrade the unit in the offseason and failed to do so.
That decision couldn't have been a bigger mistake.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Jets' most consistent player, Nick Folk, didn't have the chance to make an appearance because of the offense's ineptitude.
Punter Ryan Quigley, however, was very busy. He punted eight times in the game, netting a nice average of 51.1 yards.
Quigley did benefit from several lucky bounces, though, and his last few points weren't good.
The return game continued to be a non-factor for Gang Green. Saalim Hakim was nailed behind the 20 on a couple different kickoffs, and Walt Powell did very little returning punts for the second straight week.
The Jets offense needs good field position if it is going to score points, but the special teams hasn't provided them that thus far.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
The Jets were outplayed and outcoached on Sunday by a better team. It's that simple.
Rex Ryan tried to bother Philip Rivers with consistent blitzes, but the star quarterback just used them to exploit New York's awful secondary.
Despite consistently being burned by blitzing, especially on third down, Ryan continued to send the house at Rivers, and he continually paid for it.
The Jets head coach is a defensive genius, but he often gets too blitz-happy in situations that don't call for it. And that's exactly what happened today.
Marty Mornhinweg was subpar in his play-calling role yet again.
The Chargers tried to disrupt Smith's poise early by constantly sending blitzers, and Mornhinweg responded to this by doing absolutely nothing.
Instead of calling some screen passes and short routes to neutralize the blitzes and give Smith some confidence, the offensive coordinator stuck to his game plan and attempted several deep throws and inside runs.
Right now, you have to say Mornhinweg is on the much hotter seat than Ryan.
Coaching: D
Cumulative Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| QB | D |
| RB | C- |
| WR/TE | D |
| OL | D- |
| DL | D+ |
| LB | D |
| Secondary | F |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | D |
Cumulative Grade: D-
It doesn't get much worse than the performance the Jets put together on Sunday.
Every unit, from quarterback to the defensive line to the special teams, was subpar.
It's clear that Gang Green is not a viable playoff contender, even in a relatively weak and open AFC. At this point, the Jets have to take a long look at the franchise, both on the roster and front-office levels.
A lot needs to change for New York to re-emerge as a contender in the near future.
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