Week 17 Jets Report Card

Dec 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets running back Shonn Greene (23) runs against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

For the final time in 2012 the grades are in, so let’s get right to it:

QUARTERBACK:D Another bad day in the 2012 season for one Mark Sanchez. 17-35 for 205 yards and 1 INT (pick 6). He never got a real rhythm going with the offense, missing guys, putting players in awkward positions, and generally being his inconsistent self. Is it his final game in a New York Jets uniform? Hard to say at this point. But SOMETHING has to change.

RUNNING BACK:B- The running game actually did a decent job, especially early in the game. Shonn Greene rushed 19 times for 74 yards, for a little over 4 yards per carry. He seemed to have some burst in his step, and looked pretty good in getting to his second straight 1,000 yard season. Bilal Powell did an excellent job in a secondary role, with carries for 56 yards. It would have been higher had the running game looked as good in the second half. But early in the game, there were some great signs in the running game.

WIDE RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS:C The receivers were OK. Nothing horrible to bring them down to a “D” or an “F”, but nothing great to make it a “B” or an “A”. Jeremy Kerley had an excellent game, with 3 catches for 88 yards. Mark Sanchez, for what it’s worth, has brought a lot of talent out in Kerley. Braylon Edwards had one particularly excellent catch, going over the top of his defender, and finished the day with 4 catches for 42 yards. Jeff Cumberland added 3 catches for 36 yards. No terrible plays, but nobody did anything to act as a game-changer. Hopefully, the Jets will bring back Braylon Edwards next year, as he could be a vital cog as an influence over the younger receivers.

OFFENSIVE LINE:C The line did a decent job, only allowing Sanchez to be sacked one time, in what might be his final game as a New York Jet. The two running backs did average over 4 yards per carry, although for the game they were slightly under 4 yards as a team. The line was good, just not spectacular, as the running game did fall off the map a bit in the second half.

Dec. 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) looks to pass the ball while being chased by New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Jets 28 to 9. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSIVE LINE:C The line did a good job against CJ Spiller, holding him to 24 carries for 59 yards. The other guys, however, did hit the Jets for bigger gains and TDs. Tashard Choice ran it 5 times for 30 yards and 1 TD, and Brad Smith ran it twice for 20 yards and 1 TD. They didn’t get to the quarterback at all, recording zero sacks against Ryan Fitzpatrick. Therefore, they have to get a middle of the road grade here.

LINEBACKERS:C+ These guys played pretty well. Bart Scott led the team in tackles in what might have been his final game in Green. Three of the four top tacklers on the game yesterday were linebackers, so they were definitely all over the field. However, they couldn’t catch CJ Spiller on the game turning touchdown, and looked quite slow in the process. There were a lot of intermediate catches made by the backs and receivers, which has to fall on the linebackers as well.

DEFENSIVE BACKS:B- Ryan Fitzpatrick completed under 50% of his passes for the game, so the defensive backs definitely showed up to the game. Stevie Johnson, however, did record his best game against the Jets in a while, with 6 catches for 111 yards. Johnson did benefit from Darrelle Revis not on the field, and we haven’t been able to talk about that much this season. They also couldn’t stay with CJ Spiller on the big touchdown, which brings down the grade as well.

SPECIAL TEAMS:C Mike Westhoff’s final game came and went without any major mistakes, but no great plays either. Nick Folk went 3-4 in field goal attempts, reminding us why he was the right choice at kicker this season, despite what some of us thought. He even made one that was partially blocked, so good job out of Folk. Kerley did little in the return game, continuing his fair catch record. All in all, an average game.