Full New York Jets Report Card Heading into Week 11 Bye
It's been a disastrous season for the New York Jets.
Coming off an 8-8 2013, the Jets were a sleeper pick to contend for a playoff spot in the AFC East. Many thought that Geno Smith would develop into a franchise quarterback in his second year and that the additions of Eric Decker and Chris Johnson would pay dividends.
However, that's been far from the case, as the Jets have been doomed by poor quarterback and secondary play.
New York enters the bye coming off a surprising win, but hopes to contend are all but over, and Rex Ryan and John Idzik might both be in the unemployment line at season's end.
Click through for complete grades for each of Gang Green's positional units in what's been a forgettable season.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Geno Smith's days as a franchise quarterback are all but over.
The West Virginia product was supposed to improve in his sophomore season, but he shockingly regressed.
Under Smith's direction, the Jets limped to a 1-7 record, as they were doomed by the quarterback's mistakes and inconsistencies.
Smith threw just seven touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions in the first half of the season, while also fumbling three times and averaging under six yards per pass attempt.
The former second-round pick showcased flashes, but he made too many dumb decisions to be counted on in the future.
To put it simply, the Geno Smith experiment failed after just one-and-a-half seasons.
Michael Vick has been much better than Smith in his two starts, flashing his speed and agility, while also looking poised and confident in the pocket.
Vick will continue to lead the offense after the bye, and there's a good chance the Jets can pick up a few victories under his direction.
However, Vick is 34 years old and is signed to a one-year deal. He's certainly not the answer at the game's most important position.
New York will enter the offseason in search of a new franchise signal-caller.
Grade: D-
Running Back
2 of 10
The Jets currently rank third in the NFL with over 140 rushing yards per game.
However, the running game has been up and down throughout the season.
Chris Ivory has been tremendous in most weeks, and he currently leads the backfield in yards per carry (4.5), rushing yards (548) and touchdowns (five).
Ivory's ferocious rushing style has worn down defenses and opened up the offense. However, Ivory is showing signs of slowing down, as he's topped 3.6 yards per carry just once in the last five weeks.
Chris Johnson hasn't been the impact player many fans and experts predicted him to be when he was signed by the Jets this offseason.
The former Pro Bowler hasn't broken 70 yards in any game this season, and he's only gotten into the end zone twice.
Johnson's taken a back seat to Ivory in the running game, and his carries (85) reflect that.
Grade: B
Wide Receiver/Tight End
3 of 10
The receiving corps is another unit that's been doomed by inconsistency. Poor quarterback play hasn't helped, but much of the receiving corps has disappointed in 2014.
Jeremy Kerley and Jeff Cumberland have underachieved greatly, as they have combined for under 400 yards on the season.
Kerley and Cumberland were supposed to be the team's No. 3 and 4 options heading into the season, but they've been far from that.
Rookie Jace Amaro has been predictably inconsistent. He's had big weeks where he plays a major role in the passing game, while also having games in which he's nonexistent.
As for the Jets' two pricey additions—Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley—they've been mainly solid in green and white.
Decker dealt with a nagging hamstring injury early, but he's emerged as the offense's best wideout, leading the team in every major receiving stat.
Percy Harvin, meanwhile, already has one 120-yard receiving game in just three appearances, while also playing a major role in the running game.
The polarizing wideout has done some nice things already, and he should continue to make more of an impact as he gets a better grasp on the system.
Grade: C
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
On a team full of up-and-down performers, the offensive line has been the most inconsistent.
The line's had some great performances, such as against the Patriots in New England, and some awful ones, such as against Buffalo in Week 8.
The group has been so inconsistent that it'll go from dominant on one drive to awful on the next.
Geno Smith and Michael Vick didn't receive much protection from the line, especially against good defensive fronts. The pair's mobility significantly lowered the sack count in the season's first half.
However, the offensive line did a nice job opening up holes for the running backs, and it's a big reason why New York ranks third in the league in rushing.
This unit has talent and experience, but it's struggled to string together solid performances. Hopefully that can change following the bye.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line has been the Jets' best unit once again in 2014, and it's not that close.
Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison continue to have their way with opposing offensive lines, and their pass-rushing skills have improved tremendously.
The "Sons of Anarchy" are the main reason why New York possesses a top-five run defense, and if not for a midseason slump against the Chargers and Broncos, it would likely be in the top two in rush defense.
Wilkerson and Richardson have been the two standouts on defense all year long, and the two behemoths have combined for 96 tackles, eight sacks, 15 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and four pass deflections.
Harrison hasn't made the impact of the two defensive ends, but he's been a viable run-stopper all year long.
The defensive line should continue to dominate as the season goes along, and it will be one of the team's top units for years to come.
Grade: A-
Linebacker
6 of 10
The linebacker corps has been a close second to the defensive line in terms of production all season long.
Demario Davis and David Harris have become one of the most productive inside linebacker duos in the NFL, and the two currently rank first and second on the team in tackles.
Davis and Harris have combined for 148 tackles, four sacks, four tackles for loss and four pass deflections through 10 games, and they continue to make an impact all over the field every single week.
Production from the outside linebackers has been harder to come by, but it has still been pretty decent.
Calvin Pace has followed up a double-digit sack campaign with a solid season, in which he's recorded four sacks and three tackles for loss to date.
Quinton Coples has continued to be an up-and-down performer, but he does have 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss.
The Jets linebackers will never blow you away, but they form a strong unit in the middle of the defense.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
Despite a great performance this past Sunday against Pittsburgh, the Jets secondary has been indescribably bad this season.
The unit has allowed over 25 touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks this season, as it's been consistently dominated by opposing passing attacks.
The cornerbacks have been especially bad, and Rex Ryan has been forced to start upward of a half-dozen cover men this season.
Calvin Pryor and Antonio Allen have also been disappointing, as both players have been exposed in coverage and have a wide range of critical errors.
Injuries sure haven't helped this unit, but there's no excuse for its horrendously poor play this season.
One must hope that the secondary can build upon its performance against the Steelers, but it's a lot to ask from this talent-starved unit.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 10
Despite a missed field goal against the Steelers, Nick Folk has lived up to his long-term extension and continued to be one of the more reliable kickers in football.
Folk is 17-of-19 for the season, with three makes from beyond 50 yards.
Ryan Quigley has also been solid, as he ranks in the top 10 in gross and net punt average.
The return game has been mostly stagnant, however, but it should receive a boost in the second half of the season with Percy Harvin returning kickoffs.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
The Jets are 2-8, which is simply inexcusable for an NFL team that entered the year with playoff expectations.
However, much of the blame can't be placed on Rex Ryan, as he is working with a roster barren of top-level talent.
Vince Lombardi would have a tough time winning 10 games with the quarterback and secondary play Ryan has received this season.
Nonetheless, Ryan has to be held partly responsible. He did wait too long to pull the trigger on benching Geno Smith, and his lack of offensive expertise has cost the team dearly.
Ryan probably doesn't deserve to be fired, but following a fourth consecutive non-playoff season, he will be almost undoubtedly gone.
Marty Mornhinweg had a rough start to the season in terms of play-calling, but he's improved drastically in recent weeks.
Mornhinweg's done a nice job getting Percy Harvin involved, and he's consistently mixed the pass and run game perfectly.
However, the offensive coordinator has to be held responsible for New York's ineptitude in the red zone. He needs to change his schemes inside opponents' 20, or the offense will continue to struggle in the red zone.
Grade: C-
Cumulative Grade
10 of 10
It's become clear that the Jets overachieved greatly in last year's eight-win season, as this team simply doesn't possess the talent necessary to consistently beat good opponents.
The defensive front seven and the running game have been productive this year, but the whole team has been brought down by the poor play of the game's two most important positional units: quarterback and secondary.
The struggles of Geno Smith are a big reason why the Jets are in line for a top-five pick in next year's draft, and it's become apparent that he's not the answer at quarterback.
The problems in the secondary are John Idzik's blame, as he failed to upgrade the unit this offseason, and the team has paid the price.
Idzik and Rex Ryan will probably pay the price as well, as it wouldn't been surprising if the Jets completely revamped their franchise heading into 2015.
This year will be looked back upon as one of the worst seasons of the last couple decades, as a team many projected to make a step forward took six steps back.
Grade: F
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
