Same. Old. Jets.
A three-word, three-syllable phrase that has been causing Jets fans to light fire to their apparel for years.
What is “Same Old Jets?” Well, it was this Sunday. It is a term given to the inexplicable ineptitude of the New York Jets. When everything goes wrong at once, with seemingly no reason or explanation, you have yourself a typical “Same Old Jets.”
And boy oh boy, did the Jets have themselves a big keeping portion of it this Sunday!
It was HC Todd Bowles and OC Chan Gailey losing sight of how their offense works and only giving RB Chris Ivory six carries (three less carries than Stevan Ridley).
It was the defense not getting off the field on the third down.
It was Sheldon Richardson getting punked, getting drawn into the neutral zone on 4th down, when the Bills were clearly trying to dummy a snap count with two QB’s on the field and starting QB Tyrod Taylor motioned out-wide.
It was the spotless play of QB Ryan Fitzpatrick over the five-game winning streak, missing in action and neutralized by the cold weather and wind.
And, most of all, the outcome of the game, losing to their former Head Coach, on his field, with his team just playing out the string trying to get to 8-8.
Same. Old. Jets.
Why did WR Sammy Watkins have 136 yards receiving on 11 receptions? “We knew he was their biggest threat,we changed up our scheme and we played more zone against him. It was not Revis giving him cushion, it was a zone.”
In their first matchup, CB Darrelle Revis shut him down for 3 receptions and 14 yards. Why the change? According to Revis, when asked why the Jets made a change: “we just did, we had played some zone during our winning streak, I am not going to point fingers.”
Oh, ok….great.
So, to review: RB LeSean McCoy, WR Robert Woods, WR Marquise Goodwin, and WR Percy Harvin all out.
The Jets knew that Sammy Watkins was the Bills’ only offensive option.
So rather than blanketing him with Revis (the best shutdown corner in the NFL) with a safety to help, and just rolling the coverage and trusting your other safety and other DB’s with the other depleted receiving core…the Jets decided to play more zone, allowing infinite space underneath.
How’d that work out?
Watkins managed to receive 11 of Taylor’s 18 completions, and 136 of Taylor’s 181 passing yards.
To put it in perspective, Taylor was 18/28 and threw for 181 yards; Watkins had 11 of the 18 receptions, and 136 of the 181 yards. Former-Jet WR Greg Salas had 3 receptions for 41 yards, and the next closest receiver had three yards.
And still, the Jets manage to let the guy they knew is getting the ball, get the ball whenever he wanted it. The game plan was flawed, brutal, and inexplicable.
You know anyone with an explanation that makes sense? Nope, me neither.
Same. Old. Jets.
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Ryan S. Crofts