Biggest Takeaways from New York Jets' Week 9 Win
There are cracks in the foundation.
The New York Jets snapped a two-game losing streak in less-than-convincing fashion, eking out a 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. With injuries at quarterback, kicker, offensive line and in the secondary, to even get the win should be enough.
After a hot start that beset playoff expectations for the New York Jets, "enough" isn't enough. The Jets dominated the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins to beat each team by at least double digits, but at 5-3, the Jets still have yet to beat anyone of significance.
The crazy thing is, the Jets can make the playoffs despite failing to register one quality win over an opponent with a winning record. Their remaining schedule is against teams with a combined record of 31-34, and only the New York Giants and New England Patriots have a winning record.
The Jets don't have much time to think about this win, with the Buffalo Bills up next on the schedule in just two days, but as we move ahead, let's look back at some of the biggest takeaways from the game.
Calvin Pace Saves the Day
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The Jets still need a young, dynamic pass-rusher to complete their defense, but outside linebacker Calvin Pace proved on Sunday that not all nice things come in shiny, young packages.
With the game hanging in the balance, holding onto a five-point lead, the Jets needed a defensive stop. Pace gave it to them in the form of a sack-fumble, which he then recovered to give the Jets offense the ball back. The play was part of a series of events (three-and-out for Jets offense, muffed punt by Jaguars returner Nick Marshall, touchdown by Jets offense) that led to a 28-16 lead.
Of course, the Jaguars were able to draw within five points once again but without the big play from Pace, who knows how this game would have ended.
If the Jets are able to turn around their season after the two-game skid and stay on track for the playoffs, this will be one of the key plays that we'll look back on as keeping their season alive.
Eric Decker Is a Great Receiver, Even Without Peyton Manning
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When the Jets signed Eric Decker away from the Denver Broncos during the 2014 offseason, there was a lot of concern that the wide receiver was a product of the greatness of Peyton Manning and the lack of attention he received as a No. 2 to Demaryius Thomas' No. 1.
He did well in his first year with the Jets, all things considered (poor performance from the quarterback position, nagging injuries), and he turned in 74 receptions for 962 yards and five scores. Decker is building off that performance, though, and he is already on pace to crush most of those numbers.
He has tallied 36 receptions for 472 yards and six touchdowns through seven games, putting him on pace for 77 receptions, 1,011 yards and 13 scores. On Sunday against the Jaguars, Decker hauled in six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown. He has scored a touchdown in six of his seven games this year.
Week after week, Decker continues to prove why the Jets made the right move in signing him.
Lorenzo Mauldin Could Be a Pass-Rushing Star for the Future
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As mentioned in the first slide, Calvin Pace is the elder statesman of the pass-rushing group, but the Jets found an unlikely hero in outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin on Sunday.
The rookie notched two of the Jets' five sacks of quarterback Blake Bortles, but Mauldin reached the quarterback three times total (two half-sacks, one full sack). His sacks were all well-timed, too, as each one came on third down to force a punt.
The Jets drafted Mauldin in the third round in hopes that he would develop into a valuable pass-rusher down the line, but Mauldin isn't making the Jets wait very long to start reaping the rewards on their selection. According to Pro Football Focus, Mauldin played 19 snaps compared to eight snaps for veteran pass-rusher Quinton Coples, so Mauldin may be ascending up the depth chart at his position.
At some point, the Jets will have to replace Pace in their defense. On Sunday, Mauldin showed the first flashes of potential that he might be the man for the job.
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Running Game Is Vanishing
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Jets running back Chris Ivory had a decent day in the box score thanks to his two touchdowns, but those were about the only bright spots of his day against the Jaguars.
Ivory rushed for 26 yards on 23 carries (1.1 yards per carry), marking the second straight week he's been held below 25 rushing yards. In the past three weeks, Ivory has 84 rushing yards on 55 carries (1.5 yards per carry) and the two touchdowns he scored against the Jaguars are the only touchdowns he's scored in that time frame.
The Jets took a lot of pride in their running game under head coach Rex Ryan, and that mentality appeared to still be prevalent with their offense at the beginning of the season (100 rushing yards or more in four of their first five games, average of 146 rushing yards per game).
Ivory is still feeling the ill effects of a hamstring injury he suffered earlier in the season, as well. Maybe the running game will return to form when Ivory is back to full health.
Jets Playoff Hopes Indelibly Tied to Ryan Fitzpatrick's Health
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What a gutsy performance by Jets quarterback Fitzpatrick.
There were reports circulating before the game, via STATS, that Fitzpatrick will undergo surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left thumb on Friday. Granted, it would probably be a different story if it was the thumb on his right hand, but for him to go out there and compete in that condition is a true mark of toughness, and surely inspires his teammates to play harder for the quarterback.
Fitzpatrick went 21-of-34 passing (61.8 percent) for 272 yards, threw two touchdowns and had no turnovers on Sunday, despite little to no production from the running game. Who knows what to expect from Geno Smith if he's the one who takes over after Fitzpatrick has surgery—if anyone has to take over at all—but the Jets need to be able to expect efficiency and not the turnover machine they came to know in Smith's first two years in the NFL.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics obtained via ProFootballFocus.com and all quotes obtained via team news release.
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