Lichtenstein: Jets May Have Ended Slide, But They Still Can't Be Trusted
By Steve Lichtenstein
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Do not get pulled back in.
I'm warning you, fellow Jets fans. If you get sucked in again, there won't be any reward at the end of this football season.
Don't be tempted by the Jets' 24-16 victory in their virtual war of attrition with the visiting Ravens Sunday. Though the win snapped Gang Green's four-game skid and upped their record to 2-5, I'm telling you it was not a harbinger of better days ahead.
Don't get big eyes when you look ahead at the Jets' schedule, which features three consecutive tilts versus sub-.500 clubs, starting next Sunday at winless Cleveland. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the Jets to stub their toe during one of those trap games. Those old wounds haven't even healed -- no need to set yourself up to be inflicted with new ones.
Don't assume that a light bulb went on in the Jets' locker room at halftime on Sunday, after which the secondary figured out how the game is played. Cornerback Buster Skrine may have turned the game around with his third-quarter interception of Baltimore's Joe Flacco, but he and his backfield mates need more than the decent 30 minutes they played to undo all the harm they caused previously.
In the first half alone, Skrine was beaten badly by Mike Wallace on a 53-yard bomb to set up a Ravens field goal that put them ahead, 10-0. It was the ninth pass play of over 40 yards surrendered by coach Todd Bowles' vaunted defense this season.
The Jets later extended their bad habit of allowing scores right before intermission, as Flacco led an eight-play drive over the final 1:45 that the Ravens turned into a 16-14 lead at the break.
There are several theories as to why Flacco and the Ravens managed only 42 second-half yards:
1.) Flacco's injured rotator cuff was barking, hindering his accuracy,
2.) Other injuries (six Ravens starters, five of whom made at least one Pro Bowl, were inactive for Sunday's game) exposed Baltimore's lack of depth.
3.) Flacco was auditioning for the role of Paul Crewe in another "The Longest Yard" remake -- in addition to numerous misses on throws to wide-open targets, he tripped at least three times, once with no one near him, and had trouble holding onto the ball cleanly.
4.) The Jets' ferocity on defense in the second half was a fluke.
I'm going with the last one.
And, finally, don't think for a minute that the Jets' quarterback conundrum is solved.
After a tumultuous practice week that saw $12 million starter Ryan Fitzpatrick demoted for poor play, Geno Smith took over the reins against Baltimore.
Smith made a few nice throws outside the numbers, a couple of which were dropped, and had a six-yard pass to Quincy Enunwa turn into a 69-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown that cut the Ravens lead to 10-7 near the end of the first quarter.
But, as you know when it comes to Smith, you have to take the bad with any good. And while Smith played turnover-free on Sunday, he did take an unnecessary sack early in the second quarter.
Smith appeared to twist his right knee on the play and spent the remainder of the day in street clothes, watching Fitzpatrick take over under center.
Fitzpatrick will be credited with the win, but by no means should he have regained your trust. He was the beneficiary of a renewed commitment to a strong running game, which gained 155 yards on 39 carries.
Matt Forte was called on for 30 of those attempts and produced 100 yards rushing for the first time since the Week 2 win over Buffalo. Coincidence? What do you think, (Jets offensive coordinator) Chan Gailey?
Fitzpatrick was only 5-for-10 for 74 yards in the second half -- it was the pair of interceptions by the Jets defense that set him up with short fields that led directly to the final 10 third-quarter points.
And those offensive possessions were hardly awe-inspiring.
The Jets ran eight goal-to-go plays (not including the inexcusable delay-of-game penalty) and needed a bizarre Brandon Marshall recovery of a fumble by Ravens defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan -- immediately after Forte coughed it up -- to extend the drive. Forte finally ran it in from a yard out to close the scoring.
So, if Smith is healthy, who starts in Cleveland?
Smith, who stood on the sidelines during the second half to earn the contempt of tweeting Jets legend Joe Namath, said it was doctors' orders that kept him from returning to the game.
MORE: Fitzpatrick Rips Jets' Owner, Front Office, Coach For Losing Faith In Him
During the postgame press conference, Fitzpatrick expressed his displeasure with the entire organization over the benching, but his 10 interceptions during the four-game losing streak made his case hard to defend, even if he is the quarterback who gives the Jets the best chance to win.
Second-year pro Bryce Petty doesn't appear to be an option (how was it that he wasn't even dressed? Running back Bilal Powell would have taken over if Fitzpatrick went out) until Bowles feels he has been fed enough practice reps following his recovery from a shoulder injury he incurred in the last preseason game.
No matter who Bowles (or owner Woody Johnson?) decides to go with, you should know that there is no savior on this roster.
New England will run away and hide from the AFC East like it always does and there's absolutely no way these Jets will get to double-digit wins to earn a wild card berth. Remember, the prior losses to the Bengals, Steelers and Chiefs could bite the Jets in tiebreakers.
I wouldn't put it past this franchise to go on a little run here. They could even get to 5-5. Just because they like to tease.
We're all fools in a sense for continuing to support this team, but, to quote The Who, "don't get fooled again." If you don't get too high, you won't be devastated by the inevitable crash.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Jets and the NHL, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1
