Team Grades: Jets Collapse In A Tale Of Two Halves
By Tyson Rauch
The plan for the New York Jets to beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday was quite obvious. The Jets had to play smart, physical, disciplined football in order to beat a very talented Packers team in their Lambeau Stadium home opener. Unfortunately for Gang Green the team only followed their blueprint for the first 25 minutes of the game as New York self destructed in the second half losing 31-24.
This was a ridiculously frustrating performance to watch as the Jets (1-1) were really taking it to the Packers (1-1) prior to their meltdown. With the blame game being played, there are several culprits to identify.
Offense Grade: C-
It is inconceivable to understand how an offense can go from being creative and very efficient to stagnant and ineffective all in one football game. The Jets stormed out to a 21-3 lead spearheaded by an offense that utilized a versatile running game and one that moved Geno Smith around the pocket. The rushing attack set up the down the field passing game, which spread the ball around to 9 different receivers.
The life was sucked out of the offense, and the team for that matter, late in the first half when Geno Smith threw an interception deep in Packers territory. It was an aggressive play call that fell apart due to a blown block by left guard Brian Winters and an inexcusable failure to fight for the football by the intended receiver Zach Sudfeld. The interception took what should have been guaranteed points off of the board for New York and Green Bay capitalized by marching down the field and scoring a touchdown of their own.
The second half of the game was a mess for Gang Green as the offense became very predictable with the running game completely stifled. For whatever reason offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg continues to try and insert Mike Vick into the game, but the backup quarterback and his wildcat formation have no value to the offense. The passing attack suffered a huge blow when wide receiver Eric Decker left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. With Decker out, the Jets failed to get Jeremy Kerley the football and none of the other wide receivers stepped up. The tight ends were basically invisible in this game.
Defense Grade: C-
As with the offense, it was a tale of two halves for the New York Jets defense as well. Gang Green's defense started out the game like they were shot out of a cannon recording two quick sacks and generating a ton of pressure on Aaron Rodgers. The secondary was holding their own against the high flying Packers passing attack which allowed the front seven to stop the running game. Late in the first half, the defense stepped off of the gas pedal a little bit which resulted in 10 play 97-yard touchdown scoring drive for Green Bay. This drive was a huge momentum changer for the Jets defense as they lost their aggressiveness and confidence heading into the half.
In the second half of the game the Jets failed to generate a pass rush while the secondary was torched by Rodgers. Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson ended the game with 209 receiving yards and took advantage of an inexperienced Antonio Allen and Dee Milliner who probably should have not been on the field due to an injury.
Quarterback Grade: C
Another up and down day for Geno Smith as the second year quarterback experienced several highs and lows. Smith looked great in the first half throwing the ball with accuracy and using his legs to extend plays and move the chains. In the second half of the game Geno wore down as his pass protection fell apart and the running game stalled. The Jets quarterback could have used some help from the play calling which repeatedly put him in third and long situations.
Special Teams: C-
At this point it is hard to understand why Ryan Quigley is still the punter for the New York Jets. Quigley's inconsistency is maddening and hurts the Jets when it comes to the battle for field position. Nick Folk nailed his only attempt, which was a 52-yarder.
Overall sloppy performance
This was a truly a disappointing performance by the New York Jets as they basically threw away an 18 point lead to a quality opponent. The usual culprits were in play including stupid penalties (12 men on the field during an interception), questionable play calling, and mental mistakes on the field (Wilkerson ejected in the third quarter). The headline stealing play was a timeout called by Marty Mornhinweg prior to Geno Smith completing a touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley. The league rule states that an assistant coach cannot call a timeout but as luck has it the referee called one in this situation. The touchdown would have tied the game, but the Jets still had chances after this botched call.
Overall it was a sloppy performance by the Jets and now the team has some questions to answer on both sides of the ball. Is the Eric Decker injury serious? If Decker is out, who can help replace him? What is the health status of Dee Milliner? How can the Jets address their secondary woes?
The Jets play a formidable opponent in the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Gang Green has some serious work to do prior to their prime time showcase.
For more Jets news and updates, visit Jets Central.
Tyson Rauch is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
