Following yet another mediocre performance, the New York Jets are 1-4, with the season dangerously close to slipping away entirely. Blame for the 31-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers falls on the unlikeliest of suspects, including head coach Todd Bowles himself, and his formidable defensive line. Matt Forte put in another uninspired performance. The secondary was torched. For the struggling Jets, next week’s Monday night game at Arizona offers one last chance at redemption. Here are the most noteworthy findings from the Jets week five performance.
New York Jets Week Five Takeaways
Inept Coaching
As a coach, there is a fine line between being conservative and being ignorant. Bowles has toed the line fairly precariously in the past, his late game time-management and decision making being often scrutinized throughout his tenure. Opting to punt on fourth and one from the Jets thirty, down 11 with 13 minutes left, was defensible. Six minutes later, punting on fourth and two from midfield was not.
Instead of dissecting the inexcusable mistake, which perhaps warrants an article in and of itself, I’ll let the results speak for themselves. Pittsburgh took six minutes, drove down the field, and sealed the game with a five yard touchdown pass. On Bowles’ part, the decision showed an unprecedented lack of game management, especially given the Jets inability to stop the Steelers dynamic offense. Chan Gailey fared only marginally better than his counterpart.
Two weeks ago, Brandon Marshall said the Jets were trying to get “too cute” on offense. His statements ring true yet again. In short yardage situations, the Jets simply do not run the bull. More often, they opt for an odd five receiver set. Quincy Enunwa often comes underneath, being Fitzpatrick’s one and only read. Occasionally, the play works to success. But more often than not, the Jets fail to convert, stalling drives or forcing field goals in the red zone. Running the ball up the gut is not as flashy, but it is undoubtedly far more effective than Gailey’s current methodology.
If the Jets want to be a playoff team, they must be coached like one. This week, they simply were not.
Abysmal Pass Rush
The Jets front four is perhaps the best unit in all of football. Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Steve McLendon, and a much improved Leonard Williams compose a fearsome defensive line. Against the run, they have lived up to the billing, holding arguably the league’s best back in Le’Veon Bell to 66 yards on 20 carries. It’s becoming abundantly clear that teams simply do not run the ball effectively against the Jets. That being said, against the pass, the unit struggled, and it’s seven sack performance against the Bengals is little more than a distant memory. Nearly every time Ben Roethlisberger dropped back to throw, he was scarcely hurried, let alone pressured. Giving any team four full seconds to throw the ball is a recipe for disaster. Against the Steelers, it proved to be a death sentence.
Matt Forte Ineffective Again
Matt Forte rushed for 53 yards and added only seven yards in the passing game. He left more than a few yards on the field, and has failed to be the explosive back he was in Chicago. Forte has proven he can still be a savvy veteran runner, but for the Jets, Bilal Powell looks significantly more explosive. To argue for a backfield by committee would be impulsive. Nevertheless, Powell, who has just 17 carries this season, should be used far more. The Jets offensive line has been strong this season. It has to be frustrating to see Forte tackled after just two yards after producing a seemingly gaping hole. Powell offers a far quicker, and more explosive option for Chan Gailey, but he’s failed to produce big plays all season long
