The New York Jets can have a successful final four games. Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season has officially kicked off. Five weeks full of food, family, traditions, and non-stop football. For fans, beating the winless Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday for a fourth-straight victory seemed like an easy task.
Instead, the Jets went from playing competitive football back to playing like an NFL bottom-feeder. Thus, for their fans, giving a miserable start to the holiday season. With games at the Miami Dolphins (3-9), at the Baltimore Ravens (10-2), vs the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5), and at the Buffalo Bills (9-3), to steal one more win appears as a best-case scenario.
To be a Jets fan over this final quarter of the season takes looking away from the scoreboard and at the individual players. That being said, what would bring Jets fans joy this holiday season over the final four games of the 2019 season?
What Makes A Successful New York Jets Final Four Games
QB Sam Darnold Stays Hot
Can this be any more predictable? Since the back-to-back disasters against the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, Sam Darnold has hit stride. Over the past five games, the team has been 3-2, with the most obvious impact being Darnold’s play. With 10 total touchdowns to two turnovers, a 64 percent completion percentage, and an average of 267.4 yards passing a game, Darnold has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks over the span.
Outside of the Miami game, Darnold will go against better defenses than that of the New York Giants or Oakland Raiders. The final four games of the season will be huge going into his third season in terms of continuing to make progress in his development. The one thing that stands in the way of him playing well is…
Competitive Offensive Line Play
When the Jets scored 34 points in three straight games against the Giants, Washington Redskins, and Raiders, the offensive line played its best football all season. Then, last week, seemingly their worst against the Bengals. If Darnold and this offense are going to finish strong, it all begins with the offensive line’s play.
Left tackle Kelvin Beachum must protect Darnold’s blindside better. Left guard Alex Lewis needs to hold his ground longer, without committing holding penalties. Not to mention right guard Tom Compton who has had penalties at the worst times to negate large plays that have not come easy for this team all year.
While blocking for Darnold is the priority, opening holes in the run game cannot be forgotten. Le’Veon Bell has not seen any open lanes in front of him all season. Ty Montgomery has not been seen for weeks, in large part due to being ineffective in the run game when it was not completely his fault. Bilal Powell has never really gotten going for stretches at a time this year either. The offensive line simply never got any push up front for the run game at all this season.
Assuming the offensive line can play solid football, this team can play meaningful football despite not being in the playoff race. Who knows, maybe they can even ruin the Steelers or baring a sudden downfall the Bills’ playoff hopes.
WR Robby Anderson Finishes Strong
In 2017, Robby Anderson hauled in 941 yards and seven touchdowns and was emerging as a lethal downfield weapon. In 2018, it was not until the final quarter of the season he hit his stride. He racked up 336 of his 752 receiving yards as well as three touchdowns. Now after being held under 80 yards in eight of his 12 games, he is heating up. With 187 yards in the past two games, he looks to finish strong just like he did a year ago. And his timing could not be better.
First off, Anderson is a free agent after the season. He has had off-field issues in the past and has virtually disappeared as a weapon in games before. Yet the 26-year-old former undrafted free agent has flashed his potential with a healthy Darnold at quarterback. With a strong conclusion to his fourth season, Anderson can position himself for a big payday this offseason. And maybe, just maybe, if he goes off, general manager Joe Douglas might just have to at least look into re-signing him given the need for weapons around Darnold.
The Backfield-Gase Situation Figures Itself Out
One of the biggest storylines this season for the Jets in training camp was the heavy rotation of Bell, Montgomery, and Powell. All three are established veterans who must be accounted for on the field, especially Bell. Yet two have disappeared and none have run for over 100 yards in a game this season. Why is that?
In training camp, Mongtomery impressed as one of their most explosive offensive weapons. As the season has progressed, he has vanished. His 3.2 yard per carry mark is the worst of his career and he only has 114 yards on 27 touches this season.
Powell is beloved by the fanbase and is in his ninth season with the team. After what seemed to be a career-ending neck injury, he has persevered and returned to the field. Even better, he has displayed that pop he has always shown. That being said, to see his 3.9 yards per carry with 125 yards rushing this season marking career lows is disappointing.
Then there is three-time Pro Bowler Bell who signed to be the big weapon added to head coach Adam Gase’s offense. Except he, like Montgomery and Powell, is experiencing the worst season of his career. He has seen plenty of carries, 183 on the season, but only 589 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Given Bell’s known talent, this season has been very underwhelming.
It is one thing for the backfield to perform poorly at times, but the Jets run game has been bad all season long. The offensive line has not blocked well at all, and Gase has not adjusted the gameplan accordingly. It has become an all-around effort to make this run game irrelevant, and it must be fixed before it is too late.
DL Quinnen Williams Plays (Even) Better
To some Jets fans, it was a pleasant surprise when the team remained at third overall instead of trading down, and took who was argued to be the best player in the draft in Alabama defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. At 6-3 and 303 lbs., Williams was expected to make an instant impact on defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ blitz heavy front.
Fast forward ten games into Williams’ career, and he only has 1.5 sacks with four quarterback hits. Rather disappointing numbers given his draft position. He has primarily been used as a defensive tackle, which in the Jets defensive scheme, focuses on stopping the run. That is not saying Williams has not been good against the run, though. He certainly is a large part of why the Jets have the best run defense in the NFL.
But there comes a point where the Jets need to send their most talented defensive lineman to get after the quarterback. Veteran defensive tackle Steve McLendon can hold down the inside with promising rookie Kyle Phillips. The Jets desperately need to get after the quarterback, so to deny Williams that ability is a shame. He is far too talented and with injuries to their secondary, the Jets cannot stay in games any longer without applying pressure. It is time to unleash the “Big Baby”.
CB Blessuan Austin Establishes A Future Role
Speaking of injuries and poor corner play, there has been one bright spot at the position in recent weeks. The Jets selected Rutgers corner Blessuan Austin in the sixth round of this past NFL Draft. Austin certainly should have gone much higher in the draft, had it not been for injury problems in college. His junior and senior seasons were cut short due to knee injuries. And he did not see the field for the Jets until week 10. Without a doubt, this may have been a blessing in disguise for the Jets.
Since taking the field against the Giants, Austin has started three of his first four games in the NFL. He has had an immediate impact, with a deflection per game, as well as one forced fumble. He has played in at least 70 percent of defensive snaps every week, including 100 percent against Oakland and Cincinnati. Yes, his four-game stretch is a small sample size and should be taken lightly. Nevertheless, Austin is the first corner in years that could become a mainstay in their secondary.
Last Word on What Makes a Successful New York Jets Final Four Games
The Jets are not making the playoffs. Adam Gase probably will not be fired. They will not beat the Ravens and need a lot to go their way to upset the Steelers or Bills. There is a lot of work for the New York Jets before they can beat these playoff teams. It will take a while, but its progress starts with their performance over the final quarter of the season.
So Jets fans, be ready because there will be growing pains. Yet with some good offensive line play, the youth on the defense stepping up to complement Darnold and Anderson’s hot play, the Jets could certainly end on a strong note over the final four games and give fans something to smile about this holiday season.
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