-Bruce Springsteen
The New York Jets play one game in the next 23 days. The players will be getting some time off benefitting from last night’s Thursday night game and a bye after the Tampa Bay game. If you go to a New York Knicks game during that time and see Jamaal Adams and Marcus Maye there, or you run into Scott McCown or Mo Wilkerson at the Garden State Plaza, go up to them and give them a big thanks. Thank them because no one gave them any chance to do anything this year and they are showing us all. The New York Jets are giving everyone a life lesson. ESPN rated their talent as the worse in the NFL. Sports talk radio gave them a chance to win maybe one game this year. The “Tank Season” was in motion. USC’s can’t miss quarterback Sam Darnold would be the savior. And with Todd Bowles’ time management and in game decisions, 0-16 or 1-15 was just about a lock. But something happened on the way to rebuilding the franchise from scratch, the Jet players and coaching staff would have nothing to do with this talk. Sure the typical Jets luck and fortunes showed their ugly head. Yes the Safarian-Jenkins play against New England sapped our emotions as did the Miami game that was more than winnable only to see Gang Green give it away. But this team is giving all Jet fans some hope. Our GM has more than made up for his Christian Hackenberg gaff cleaning out the dead weight and getting results from players he picked up off the scrap heap. Sure McCown will break our hearts throwing the football to the wrong team at the worse times. But this 38-year old journeyman has just matched his career high in touchdown passes while owning the second best passing percentage in the NFL this year. All Jet fans should throw away their USC Darnold football jersey and jump on the train. This team that gives up leads in the fourth quarter too many times for anyone’s health is giving all Jet fans a reason to keep rooting for them when most (including me) thought by this time garbage time would be in full motion for the rest of the season.
Forte, McCown, Mo and Linebackers
The Jets dominated the Buffalo Bills winning 34-21 in a game that both the offensive and defensive lines dominated the night. The score was not indicative of how well the Jets played with the Bills scoring two garbage time touchdowns. The Jets also outhit the Bills all night as it seemed on every other play there was a Buffalo Bill down on the ground injured. The defense was in Tyrod Taylor’s face all game keeping him off balance. The Jets got seven sacks and it was not just the defensive line that did it. The Jets linebackers played their best game of the season. Linebacker Jordan Jenkins (#48) had his best game as a Jet. He set the tone of the game with a huge sack on the Bill's first offensive play. That was one of two sacks for Jenkins for the night and he added a forced fumble. Linebackers Demario Davis continued to play his best football of his career. Darron Lee for the second week in a row had an excellent game. He also had a sack and showed his quickness all game. It was the front seven on defense that really did the job. The secondary came into the game without Morris Claiborne who was injured and had been the best defensive back for the Jets this year. Rookies Jamaal Adams and Marcus Maye both had strong games. When the front seven is in sync, the team can overcome some shoddy defensive play especially penalties in the secondary by Darryl Roberts and Buster Skrine. Skrine did make a number of positive plays to bounce back from a couple of weak games. Mo Wilkerson had been under the gun after he signed his big contract and seemed to take last year off. Mo has put together three solid games in a row. When this guy plays, the Jet defense is completely different.He is turning it around.
On offense it was the running game that really stood out. The offensive line deserves all the credit in the world for winning the battle in the trenches. The Jets had not shown anything of a running game going back to Jacksonville but tonight the combination of the offensive line opening holes and running backs Matt Forte (14 att., 77 yds. 2 TDs), Bilal Powell (9 att., 74 yards) and Elijah McGuire (13 att., 30 yds.) showing great moves all game keeping their feet moving after their initial hit produced extra yardage all night long. As a team the Jets had 194 net yards rushing compared to 63 for the Bills. Josh McCown (14/20 140 yds. 1 TD, 1 TD rushing) played well. He was solid passing the ball and his scramble for his rushing touchdown was beautiful. He had a great TD pass to Robby Anderson who is a budding star. Keep an eye on him. The only negative of the night might have been the play of Austin Seferian-Jenkins who is becoming a penalty machine. He also dropped an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. This was a solid win from top to bottom including special teams. The Buffalo Bills have been a team on the rise and the Jets stopped them right in their tracks. Let’s see if the Jets can build from this. Bring on Tampa Bay. We may see Fitz at QB.
Todd Bowles Getting Players To Play
I have said this before but I have been Todd Bowles biggest critic. He lost the locker room last year and Jet fans have no confidence in him and his decisions in the last two minutes of a half or at the end of a game. But coach Bowles has his team playing so well he has a chance to get Coach of the Year. No doubt the Jets will give him an extension after the season.
Green Tidbits
…..Lac Edwards continues to punt long, high and hit the corners…..Key play was Bills dropping a sure INT in the first half…. Elijah McGuire was back for a punt return and looked good…..Darryl Roberts dropped an INT right in his hands…..Robby Anderson, Elijah McGuire and Austin Seferian-Jenkins are young players giving the offense a good foundation…..Time of possession, Jets 33:30, Bills 26:30…..Jet penalties 10 for 66 yards. Need to cut that down more but in fairness, this crew of officials is known to be whistle happy….I thought Matt Forte would end up in Dallas. Good move keeping him in Green…..It seems that Josh McCown is not only playing well but he looks like he is having fun…..If linebackers build on this game, the defense will just get better…..Under the radar is the Jets DL tipping passes at the line of scrimmage more and more…..On McCown’s TD run, Robby Anderson did a great job decoying the defender running deep into the end zone…..Does anyone miss Darrelle Revis?…..
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