New York Jets vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Full Report Card Grades for New York
The New York Jets dropped their eighth game in as many weeks on Sunday, continuing an epic free fall that has placed the team in the AFC cellar.
The Jets didn't play nearly as poorly as they did a week ago, but they were outclassed by the Kansas City Chiefs throughout the contest.
Gang Green simply couldn't make big plays on either side of the ball, and it's clear they lack the roster talent to compete with good teams.
New York is a lost team, and the light at the end of the tunnel is nowhere to be seen.
Click through for grades for each Jets positional unit in the Week 9 loss.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Michael Vick was far from terrible in his first start of the year. In fact, he was mostly solid.
Vick completed 21 of 28 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown, while adding 18 yards on four carries.
The veteran quarterback led several time-consuming, successful drives, and he didn't force any throws or commit any crucial turnovers.
Vick also did a nice job eluding Kansas City's elite pass rush, and he bounced back nicely after suffering what appeared to be a serious head injury late in the game.
However, the Virginia Tech product led the offense to only 10 points, and he didn't attempt to stretch the field vertically for most of the game.
Grade: B
Running Back
2 of 10
Chris Johnson finally lived up to his billing on Sunday, as he emerged as the lifeblood of the offense on most possessions.
Johnson surpassed 100 total yards on just 13 touches, as he averaged 6.3 yards per carry and 16 yards a catch.
The former 2,000-yard back exploded through tight holes and picked up chunks of yardage on a combination of inside and outside runs.
If Johnson can consistently play like he did against the Chiefs, he could get upward of a dozen touches a game.
Chris Ivory, on the other hand, was mostly slowed by Kansas City's front. His physical running style was matched by the defense, and he didn't have the explosiveness to take advantage of tight holes.
Ivory averaged just 2.8 yards per carry on the day, while failing to contribute in the passing game.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
New York brought in high-priced receivers Eric Decker and Percy Harvin to lead a previously unimpressive receiving corps, and they did just that on Sunday.
In fact, Decker and Harvin were literally the only receivers to make any sort of impact in the game.
The two combined for 20 catches, 194 yards and a touchdown, as they consistently got open in the secondary and made life easy for Vick.
Harvin was especially good. He used his speed and elusiveness to elude would-be tacklers and make big plays downfield, and he was a matchup nightmare for a very good Chiefs secondary.
Everyone else in the receiving corps was invisible, though. Jeremy Kerley registered just 11 yards, while Jace Amaro, Jeff Cumberland and Greg Salas didn't make it on the stat sheet.
Harvin and Decker make a great receiving pair, but the other receivers need to step up their games for the offense to be successful.
Grade: C+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line faced perhaps its toughest test of the season in a ferocious Chiefs front, but it played decently well for most of the day.
The unit did give up three sacks and five quarterback hits, but it mostly contained Kansas City's elite pass rush.
The line gave Vick some time in the pocket to find open receivers, and it gave the Jets runners some good rushing lanes throughout the contest.
There were plays where the offensive line was flat out dominated by the Chiefs front, but it was a surprisingly effective game for the unit.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line was unspectacular throughout the day, as it failed to get any sort of pass rush and allowed several big runs to Jamaal Charles.
The unit was sliced and diced by Charles for the entirety of the first quarter, and its inability to slow down the Pro Bowl running back led to a 14-point deficit early on.
The line picked up its run defense as the game went on, but its lack of pass rush was startling.
Alex Smith had endless time in the pocket every time he dropped back, and he was sacked just once on the day.
Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison each finished with four tackles, but none made the kind of impact Jets fan have come to expect.
Grade: C-
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker corps is in the same boat as the defensive line, as its inability to generate a pass rush contributed to Alex Smith's efficient day.
Quinton Coples and Calvin Pace failed to make any impact after an effective couple of weeks, as they combined for zero tackles and didn't generate any pressure.
Jason Babin, playing in limited snaps, was the only player to record a sack in the game.
Demario Davis and David Harrison, usually tackling machines, were also disappointing, combining for just five tackles.
It was far from a great day for the middle of the defense.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
The secondary was made up of a group of no-name players, and Marcus Williams ended up playing the majority of snaps at cornerback.
It was far from the unit's worst game, but it still allowed Alex Smith to post some incredibly efficient numbers.
Smith completed over two-thirds of his pass attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns, as he found a variety of different receivers throughout the game.
Kansas City's tight ends were especially dominant, as they combined for seven catches, 91 yards and two touchdowns. The secondary has done an awful job with tight ends all year long, and Sunday was no different.
Antonio Allen and Calvin Pryor were so bad that they were benched in favor of players with little to no NFL experience, which is an indictment of the pair's performance this year.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
8 of 10
Nick Folk was as consistent as ever, drilling his lone field-goal attempt, and Ryan Quigley had himself a nice game, as he averaged close to 50 yards per punt.
The rest of the special teams was a mixed bag, however.
Percy Harvin did return a kickoff 65 yards to set up the field goal, but that came shortly after a Chiefs touchdown that was the result of a 78-yard return from De'Anthony Thomas.
Thomas' return was a turning point in the game, and it virtually wiped out the great offensive drive that preceded it.
Grade: C
Coaching
9 of 10
Rex Ryan is fighting a losing battle, but it's not even close to entirely his fault.
Ryan is working with a roster that is deprived of talent at seemingly every positional unit, and he got the most out of his players in several games against superior opponents.
There's really nothing Ryan can do when his players fail to execute, but it's often startling how unprepared the team seems at the beginning of each game.
Marty Mornhinweg called a good game on the offensive end, as he got Percy Harvin involved in a variety of ways and used Chris Johnson to a greater extent.
Grade: C+
Cumulative Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Grade |
| Quarterback | B |
| Running Back | B+ |
| Wide Receiver/Tight End | C+ |
| Offensive Line | B- |
| Defensive Line | C- |
| Linebacker | C- |
| Secondary | D+ |
| Special Teams | C |
| Coaching | C+ |
Cumulative Grade: C
The Jets didn't play poorly in this game, but they were doomed by a slow start that handed the Chiefs a 14-point advantage.
Michael Vick led some decent drives, and there were some bright spots, but it's clear that New York can't compete with the NFL's best teams with the current roster.
This franchise is on the verge of a dramatic makeover from top to bottom, but there are still seven more games to be played, and the Jets won't be favored in any of them.
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