New York Jets Week 2: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Sep 14, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) runs for a touchdown touchdown during the first quarter of a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

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The Jets lost to the Packers in Green Bay 31-24. The Jets had a 21-3 lead and were outscored 28-3 to close the game. In between there was an interception nullified by penalty and a tying touchdown lost to a timeout called by Sheldon Richardson from the bench. Here is the good, the bad and the ugly:

The Good

1) The offense in the 1st half up until the two-minute warning- The Jets looked like world beaters in the 1st half up until the two-minute warning. They converted a fumbled snap by Aaron Rodgers into a touchdown to start the game and then had two consecutive 80+ yard drives for touchdowns to put them up 21-3. Smith was 10-14 for 103 yards with one touchdown passing, one touchdown rushing and an interception. Eric Decker had 3 receptions for 49 yards including a beautiful 29 yard touchdown from Geno Smith. Jeremy Kerley went 37 yards on an option pitch he received from Geno Smith after they faked to Chris Ivory running up the middle. The Jets controlled the ball and looked a step ahead of the Packers. They were on the Packers’ 27 and going in for more points when…(to be continued in the bad).

2) Quarterback pressures – Quinton Coples, Demario Davis, Calvin Pace, and Sheldon Richardson put pressure on Rodgers with Davis notching two sacks, Coples and Pace notching one a piece. Coples had at least five quarterback hits and played nasty which is what he needs to do to live up to his potential. Davis is slowly building a reputation as a good blitzer. He gets around the corner or through the line extremely quickly and hits hard. He was a blur on his 2nd sack as I don’t think the tackle ever picked him up. The Jets run defense held up as Eddie Lacy only had 43 yards on 13 carries. Damon Harrison anchored the line very well.

3) Smith makes the big throw…even though it didn’t count – The Jets had blown their 21-3 lead, they had a momentum changing interception called back because of a 12 men on the field penalty, and the Packer defense had clamped down on the Jets offense. Still as the clock got to under six minutes Geno Smith was moving the ball down the field. With the Jets facing 4th and 4 from the Packer 36 Smith launches a beautiful pass that Jeremy Kerley comes down with for the game tying touchdown. The only problem being that, while no player heard it due to the noise, Marty Mornhinweg and Sheldon Richardson called a timeout that nullified the play. The rule states that only the head coach can call a timeout from the bench but it also states that the referee isn’t to turn around to verify the voice so the Jets ended up out of timeouts and still facing 4th and 4 (see The Ugly). Give Smith credit he did complete his next pass to David Nelson for six yards and a 1st down but incompletions to Johnson and Kerley twice ended the drive and the game for the most part.

4) Tommy Bohanon – Bohanon had a very nice game today as a safety valve and even got a carry that converted a 3rd down. Bohanon had 2 catches for 30 yards and looked like a serviceable player for the first time in a long time.

Sep 14, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; New York Jets running back Chris Johnson (center) is tackled by Green Bay Packers inside linebacker A.J. Hawk (left) and strong safety Morgan Burnett (right) during the second quarter of a game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Bad

1) The last two minutes of the 1st half – The Jets were up 21-9 at the Packers’ 27 and poised to put up more points when Geno Smith went to throw to a wide open Zach Sudfeld when Brian Winters completely missed his block and Smith got hit hard as he threw which made the pass hang in the air and get intercepted. The Packers started at the Jets 3 yard line and went right down the field for a touchdown in 1:44 to take what could have been a 28-9 Jets rout to a 21-16 game with all the momentum on Green Bay’s side.

2) The running game – The Packers let up over 200 yards against the Seahawks in Week 1 and the Jets run for over 200 yards against the Raiders in Week 1 so it appeared as if the Jets would have a clear advantage and be able to impose their will. Not so fast. Ivory, Johnson and Powell were held to 19 carries for 80 yards and were picking up very small chunks at a time. The Jets were not able to control the clock and keep the Packers off the field as a result. Brian Winters had an especially poor game missing multiple blocks and being knocked backwards. Chris Johnson didn’t have the burst that he had Week 1 and couldn’t get to the corner. The Jets weren’t able to get the ball in space to him either.

3) Covering Jordy Nelson – The Jets tried Darrin Walls, they tried Antonio Allen and they tried Dee Milliner and no one could stop Jordy Nelson. Nelson had nine receptions for 209 yards and an 80 yard touchdown that turned out to be the difference in the game. Some of the catches he made were spectacular but for the most part he just had his way with the Jets’ defenders. When the Jets rolled Calvin Pryor over he either missed the tackle or took a horrible angle that allowed Nelson to gain extra yards. The Jet corners, in general, missed tackles, played too far off receivers (a 10 yard cushion for Nelson on a 3rd and 5 that decided the game), and couldn’t make the big play. It was a reminder that Antonio Allen is only in his 2nd start, Dee Milliner still has a lot of rust on him and needs practice reps and Darrin Walls should not be seeing full-time reps. These players got exposed when the front seven didn’t get the same pressure they were getting earlier in the game. Even with the pressure no one could stay with Nelson.

4) 2nd half offense – With the running game stopped and Eric Decker on the bench with a hamstring injury, Geno Smith had to put the team on his back in the 2nd half but couldn’t. He started 10/14 but finished 16/32. That’s a 6/18 2nd half which isn’t good under any standards. Smith missed a wide open Eric Decker for what would have been an 80 yard touchdown as well. While this narrative would have been changed if it weren’t for the timeout that shouldn’t have been, it happened. The Jets didn’t take advantage of their tight ends either with Cumberland and Amaro combining for two catches for 20 yards. They kept trying to run the ball when it clearly wasn’t working and the Vick gadget plays need to stop.

5) Ryan Quigley is still terrible – Quigley had one long punt and one inside the 20 but also had three 30+ yard punts that set Green Bay up in good field position. His 36 yard punt led directly to a very short Green Bay drive that ended with a 55 yard field goal. The Packers had to go just 15 yards on that drive to get points and that is unacceptable.

Sep 14, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) fights with Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (69) and defensive tackle Damon Harrison (94) tries to get between them in the third quarter at Lambeau Field. Wilkerson was ejected from the game. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Ugly

1) Muhammad Wilkerson’s ejection – After Green Bay scored a 3rd quarter touchdown to take their 1st lead of the game, they went for two and were successful. Words were exchanged which led to pushing and shoving which led to Wilkerson trying to shove/punch anyone wearing a Packer uniform. Wilkerson is the Jets best defensive player. He takes the double teams, he sets the edge and he is responsible for pass rushing as well. By the end of this year he will be a very rich man but as a leader and face of the franchise this can’t happen. His teammates rely on his production as well as leadership and it made everyone’s job harder once he was ejected. Wilkerson does have some discipline issues he needs to work out. He led the team in offsides penalties last year due to the fact that he gets so fired up that he is easily drawn off. Wilkerson is still only 25 but he needs to control himself better.

2) The timeout that prevented the tying touchdown – It was pure exhilaration as I saw Geno Smith complete a 36 yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Kerley to put the Jets within an extra point of tying the game with 5 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter thus switching momentum back to the Jets until it was called back because the official granted a timeout to Sheldon Richardson (not the head coach) because he heard Marty Mornhinweg ask for one (still not the head coach). You see only the head coach is allowed to call timeout from the sidelines but since the referee isn’t allowed to turn around to verify the timeout apparently a player, coordinator, heck even a loud fan could possibly call a timeout in that situation.

3) 12 men on the field penalty nullifies key interception – After the 1st play when he fumbled the snap Aaron Rodgers did not make many mistakes at all. That is until he threw it directly to David Harris who returned it to the Packer 25 yard line with the Jets down a touchdown. There was a flag on the field and the Jets were called for too many men on the field because Damon Harrison couldn’t get off the field quick enough. He wasn’t in the middle of the field, he wasn’t involved in the play nor did he influence it in any way but the official threw the flag, nullified the interception another golden opportunity was wasted.

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