The New York Jets dropped to 1-2 after a 24-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Road woes continued for the Jets on Sunday, as the team is 2-11 since Oct. 17, 2010 in road game west of Nashville, with the only two wins coming against the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 and the former St. Louis Rams in 2012.
New York Jets Week Three Takeaways
The Jets had plenty of chances to win this game, and even finished with more yards than Kansas City. While they out gained the Chiefs in total yardage 305-293, mistakes doomed the Jets. The following are the Jets week three takeaways.
Interceptions Galore
Less than a week removed from winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick became Fitz-tragic, throwing six interceptions, one being a pick-six in the fourth quarter. Fitzpatrick was unable to get into any kind of rhythm and forced balls into tight coverages as he tried to bring the team back. The first interception came late in the first quarter as cornerback Marcus Peters picked off a pass intended for wide-out Jalin Marshall. After a couple of fumbles courtesy of running back Bilal Powell and Marshall, the Jets found themselves in a 17-0 hole.
After a Nick Folk field goal, the Jets entered the half down 14 points despite three turnovers. However, the Jets entered panic mode and couldn’t get anything going on offense. The Jets ended the game with five straight drives ending in interceptions.
The Jets had chances to score as they had first-and-goals from the five and the six-yard lines, but picks by safety Eric Berry and Peters hindered a comeback. Late in the fourth quarter, linebacker Derrick Johnson got in on the action with a 55-yard interception return. The Jets only have themselves to blame as all 24 of the Chiefs points came off of Jets turnovers.
Inconsistencies Hinder Offense
The team finished with eight turnovers, which tied for the second second-most in a single game in team history. Apart from the interceptions, the offense was inconsistent. Fitzpatrick only completed 45 percent of his passes going 20-for-44. He rarely targeted wide receiver Eric Decker, who finished with one catch for 31 yards, while Brandon Marshall finished with three catches for 27 yards.
Against the Buffalo Bills, Fitzpatrick was firing on all cylinders, completing 24 of his 34 passes. However, against the Chiefs, most of his throws were off-target. While drops accounted for some of his incompletions, most of them were simply errant throws.
The Jets were successful on a few slant routes in the third quarter, but later abandoned it as the team panic with the clock winding down. The Jets finished with 117 yards rushing with Fitzpatrick accounting for 22 yards, but weren’t able to take advantage of it. The offense remained lackluster and they weren’t able to build anything off of the ground game as they abandoned the run during key moments. Brandon Marshall’s sore knee has made him less dynamic which led to a domino effect. While wide receiver Quincy Enunwa had stepped up, other playmakers must dominate over their competition if they to win games.
Unable to Capitalize on Mistakes
The Chiefs looked far from perfect as they made mistakes of their own, but the Jets were unable to take advantage of the opportunities. In the third quarter, Chiefs running back Spencer Ware appeared to have a six yard touchdown run, but after review the referees reversed the ruling of the field. Ware lost control of the ball as it hit the pylon and thus fumbling it out the side of the end zone. This led to a touchback allowing the Jets to get the ball back at their own 25-yard line.
Up until Fitzpatrick’s pick-six in the fourth quarter, it was a two score game. There was time for the Jets to mount a comeback, but the team stood in their own way. Of the Chiefs 10 drives, only two resulted in scores (the other two scores came off of Jets’ drives). The Jets had every opportunity to win, but were unable to get it done.
Looking to the Future
The Jets finished 10-6 last year and had high hopes of building upon last year’s successes. However, that feat will be difficult to achieve due to their schedule. While it appears to get easier after the team’s Oct. 23 battle against the Baltimore Ravens, they still have the Patriots twice and three additional division games. With the New England Patriots leading the division at 3-0, it’s hard to imagine them not winning the AFC East.
That said, the Jets hope to be in the fold for a wild card as do the Chiefs. This game may haunt the Jets down the line as it could be the crucial tie-breaker they desperately needed. The Chiefs not only got a win against an AFC opponent, but if it comes down to these two teams vying for the final spot, this game may be the deciding factor.
The Jets hope to get back to .500, but have a tough task as the Seattle Seahawks visit MetLife Stadium in Week four.
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