The Kansas City Chiefs came to MetLife stadium expecting to get back on track against the up-and-down New York Jets. They were in for a rude awakening and the Jets beat them 38-31. The Jets continue to play hard for their head coach Todd Bowles and refuse to give up on the season.
Week 13 New York Jets Takeaways
Josh McCown
The 37-year-old journeyman continues to make plays and make the Jets watchable. He’s a gunslinger and that sometimes comes back to haunt him but it didn’t today. He constantly found Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson open downfield and oftentimes threw them open. Today’s performance showed why Bowles stuck with him at quarterback and never even looked at his young prospects. McCown makes fans nervous due to his turnovers in clutch moments. However, that didn’t come to fruition today. He stood tall and converted on the goal line, often putting his own body at risk. If nothing else, he is getting the best out of his receivers and his chemistry with them seem to be getting better each week.
Defense
There were times today, many times, when the Jets secondary was out of place and Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith took advantage of it. Excluding a random Smith run of 70 yards, the Jets run defense did enough for them to get a win. They held running back Kareem Hunt to just 40 yards on the ground. The pass defense was an issue. However, they were able to stay strong when it mattered. On the last drive, the Jets pass rush showed up, the same one that had been promised all year. Smith was constantly under pressure and rolling out, something that visibly flustered him. On a third down play, the rookie prodigy Jamal Adams made the big play. He stepped in front of an errant Smith pass and if caught would have been returned for six points. The next play the Jets created confusion and Smith missed two receivers. The ball hit the ground and the fans and players alike celebrated. Though the Chiefs have dropped a ton of recent games, they are still a great team and it’s a big win for a Jets team trying to gain experience doing that.
Todd Bowles
What a job by the Jets head coach. Win or lose, you have to constantly be impressed by how he gets his team prepared to win each week. There are some decisions that he makes in games that might not be the correct ones, but he has a roster that lacks serious talent and his ability to hide that has been phenomenal. There is no reason to not give him an extension at the end of the year because he has proven he can win with a team that puts out a roster less talented than the team they’re facing. It’s not likely, but the Jets are still in the playoff hunt. Next week they travel to Denver to play the Broncos in a game they should easily win. If they can accomplish that, a 6-7 record will be one they should be very proud of.
