WEEK IN REVIEW
The Jets came within seconds of their first win of the season before ultimately falling short to the Las Vegas Raiders 31-28. Despite the high point total, Ty Johnson’s and Josh Adams were the only skill position players who showed up for the Jets on Sunday with 104 and 74 rushing yards respectfully. Sam Darnold did not help his trade value or his chances of starting an NFL game beyond 2020.
The biggest storyline from the game came from the defensive side of the ball. Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams called up a blitz with 0:13 remaining with the Raiders down four and near midfield. The play ultimately backfired as Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was able to get behind rookie cornerback Lamar Jackson and beat him for the game winning touchdown.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Adam Gase is still the head coach. As mentioned in previous weeks, this will be the main story until it is no longer the case. Coach Gase’ latest fall guy is Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams who was relieved of his duties following Sunday’s loss. Williams received a ton of public criticism for the blitz call on the Raiders touchdown play and Gase used this as an opportunity to attempt to shift some blame away from him.
Williams blitz call, while risky, was not nearly as ill-advised as some have stated. With 0:13 left, it was 3rd and 10 on the 46-yard line. The Raiders were likely to run a longer-developing play because they either needed to score or get a first down and stop the clock. A sack, because of the time it would occupy, and the running clock would have ended the game. Prevent defense, the strategy most critics wanted Williams to run, would have likely given the Raiders an easy first down and then one or two more chances at the end zone from a significantly closer distance. Williams went for the win and, while the blitz failed to reach the quarterback, it was certainly not just cause for a firing.
THE WEEK AHEAD
The Jets will fly across the country to take on the Seattle Seahawks this weekend. New York opened this week as 13.5-point road underdogs and there is little reason to believe they can keep this one close. Seattle’s passing attack has been dominant in most of their games this season. Team receiving leader DK Metcalf has had his way with almost every corner who has tried to matchup against him. Listed at 6’4” and 229 lbs, he is a freak of nature who is improving his route-running and his chemistry with Russel Wilson week by week. The Jets’ rookie corners are going to have their hands full.
The only variable that may allow the Jets to stay in this game is Seattle’s response to their upset loss to the Giants. The Seahawks were upset in week 13 and only managed to score 12 points. It was a very physical football game, and the Giants controlled the clock with the run game. If the Jets are able to implement a similar game plan, they may have a chance of keeping the game low-scoring.
