Takeaways from New York Jets' 24-10 Loss to Chiefs
Another week, another loss. The New York Jets have managed to make their disastrous season worse, dropping their eighth straight game, this time at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Despite the loss, the Jets did show some life under Michael Vick's leadership. They only scored 10 points, but they were forced to take chances on fourth down in the red zone to make the score appear worse than how it played out in reality. Vick was hardly refined, but he was more composed and accurate than Smith was at the time of his benching.
However, the same problems that have plagued the Jets all season would lead to their demise, once again. The undermanned secondary was picked apart at will by Alex Smith, while an underwhelming defensive line could not make up for the obscene gap in talent.
If it was not obvious enough already, the Jets are now in full-blown resume/job-saving mode, scraping together as many wins as possible before their time is out.
Here are takeaways from the Jets' loss to the Chiefs.
Offense Finds a Spark Under Michael Vick
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The Jets offense was anything but a well-oiled machine, but there was no doubt that starting Michael Vick over Geno Smith gave the Jets a much-needed offensive boost to at least make for a competitive, professional game.
He left the game early in the fourth quarter after suffering what appeared to be a head injury, which limited his unimpressive stat totals (92 yards, one touchdown). Numbers, however, do not tell the entire story of Vick's start, as he was a clear upgrade over Smith in every facet of the game.
Vick did not just bring his added element of mobility to the field; he was more poised, precise and accurate than Smith has been. More importantly, he did not turn the ball over all game, bucking a trend that has followed him throughout his career.
Assuming he is healthy, Vick should remain as the starter for the rest of the season, as Rex Ryan indicated would be the case:
"Rex Ryan: “As long as Vick healthy, he’ll be the starter.” Translation: "I know the GM likes Geno but I got to try to win now."
— Andrew Brandt (@adbrandt) November 2, 2014"
Vick may not be a long-term answer, but he clearly gives the Jets the best chance to squeak out as many wins as possible in a lost season, which is all that matters to a head coach whose job is evaporating.
Percy Harvin Is Making a Difference
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General manager John Idzik has come under fire for the Jets' disastrous season, but acquiring Percy Harvin has been a lone bright spot on his record, as the former Seattle Seahawk has made a noticeable difference in getting the Jets offense off the ground.
He was Vick's favorite target of the afternoon, reeling in 11 catches for 129 yards. While he made plenty of plays over the middle with shorter completions and screens, he proved that he can be effective on the perimeter as a traditional wide receiver with his late catch over Sean Smith on a jump ball.
Harvin also had an impact in the return game, setting the Jets up for a late-half field goal after an explosive 65-yard kickoff return.
Harvin is one of the many decisions the Jets will need to make after the season. If he keeps putting together performances like this, there is no way Idzik can justify not keeping him under contract into 2015.
Antonio Allen's Fall from Grace
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Just two months ago, Antonio Allen was one of the Jets' most valuable members of the secondary, doubling as a cover safety and a starting cornerback to fill multiple holes in the Jets defense.
The constant position changes have had an inverse effect on the young defensive back's development, however, as Allen has become enough of a liability to warrant a benching.
"Josh Thomas in at CB for Antonio Allen. #nyj
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) November 2, 2014"
Allen was beaten repeatedly by Travis Kelce, including on a long touchdown pass to give the Chiefs a lead they would never look back from.
Rex Ryan had no choice but to move Allen around the secondary to fill holes, but short-term fixes may have cost the Jets a chance to develop a talented player. In a matter of weeks, Allen has gone from being indispensable to useless.
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Chris Johnson Shows Life
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After seeing his snap count decline on a weekly basis to give Chris Ivory more carries, Chris Johnson responded with what was clearly his best game of the season.
Johnson (11) had more carries than Ivory (eight), which was well-deserved, as he wound up averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He also made an impact in the passing game, catching a key 26-yard pass on third down.
The Jets have ridden the hot hand when it comes to their running back carry distribution, so look for Johnson to get an uptick in carries next week after this strong performance.
Johnson's revival comes at an irrelevant point in the Jets' lost season, but he is making a strong case not to wind up as a salary-cap casualty after the season with performances like these.
Disappointment in Calvin Pryor Is Confirmed
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Less than two weeks ago, Rex Ryan expressed disappointment in safety Calvin Pryor's performance through the first half of the season. The 2014 first-round pick has not generated a single turnover all season and has been caught out of position more often than he has made impact plays.
With his job on the line, Ryan could no longer stand to start his prized safety prospect simply because of his draft status, sending him to the bench this week:
"Calvin Pryor is playing special teams, so clearly his absence on defense is not injury-related. #nyj
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) November 2, 2014"
It is far too early to judge Pryor as a player after just one season, but the Jets are obviously disappointed that their top draft pick is covering punts for them at this point in his career. The Jets had to anticipate some growing pains in the secondary, but they proved to be far too reliant on a young rookie to play like a starter.
Jace Amaro Disappears
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In a disastrous season, Jace Amaro was a faint beacon of hope as a young offensive talent on the rise. As he continued to move chains and make plays, Amaro saw his role increase on a weekly basis.
Against the Chiefs, however, Amaro was nonexistent. The Jets did not go his way once, as he finished with zero catches on the afternoon. Meanwhile, his tight end counterpart, Jeff Cumberland, got a handful of targets without reeling in any of them.
Amaro has had his share of drops, but his elimination from gameplay entirely is impossible to justify. The addition of Harvin does take away some targets from everyone, but it does not explain why he was essentially reverted to the bench in favor of Cumberland.
The Jets missed Amaro's size in the red zone, where they blew a goal-to-go opportunity to score and make the game a one-score affair.
The second-round rookie may be prone to mistakes, but at this point, the Jets need to roll the dice on Amaro making more plays than he leaves on the field at 1-8.
Defensive Line Underwhelms
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The Jets don't have much on their roster they can depend on, but they were at least supposed to have a dominant defensive line that would throw a wrench into any offense's plans to help offset the weaknesses in their secondary.
However, the Jets' vaunted defensive line never got off the bus against the Chiefs, looking not much better than average in any aspect of the game. It allowed 4.7 yards per rush (113 total). It was not until late in the fourth quarter that Jason Babin finally recorded a sack on Alex Smith.
Allowing those types of numbers to Jamaal Charles may be acceptable for most defenses, but the Jets have built their team around dominating on the defensive line after spending three consecutive first-round picks on the position. If the Jets do not dominate in this area, they have nothing else to count on to carry them through games.
With Muhammad Wilkerson and Damon Harrison in contract years, motivation should not be an issue regardless of what the Jets' record is. If the Jets are going to start winning at some point this season, their defensive line needs to be exponentially better than it was against the Chiefs.
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