Monday Morning Quarterback: New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions

Sep 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback

(7) throws the ball over Detroit Lions defensive end

(94) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Lions won 24-17. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

It was a beautiful day at MetLife Stadium yesterday as the Jets took on the Detroit Lions. Big shout out to Jeremy Kerley for the seats yesterday, he is a man of his word. The only problem for the day was, it wasn’t a beautiful day for the New York Jets, as they played from behind for most of the day, and ended up falling to the Lions by a 24-17 final score. Let’s talk about it.

I know a lot of you are unhappy with Geno Smith, some of you might even want him benched in favor of Michael Vick. Now, I am not naive. I am not such a homer to say that Geno Smith had a great game yesterday. But, he was not the problem for the Jets yesterday. The fumble was a questionable call at best, and many of us thought his arm was going forward and it should have been reversed. On the interception, he was hit, and hit hard, as he threw. My apologies to anyone who want the guy benched for throwing a pick as he was nailed. Sorry, not why the Jets lost.

To me, there were two points in this game that were absolutely key. The first came with 2:15 to go in the first half. The Jets were down by a score of 10-3, but had the opportunity to seize some of the momentum back as they went into the half. Despite giving up the long touchdown to go down 10-3, the Jets held the Lions to a three and out, giving them the ball with 2:15 to play before halftime.

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If the Jets could have scored seven, or even three, the complexion of that game is very different heading into the break. Even at 10-6, the Jets are feeling like they are right in this football game. Instead, they go three and out yet again. That leads to punting it right back to the Lions near midfield, and they drive right down, throw a touchdown to rookie Eric Ebron, and instead go into the break up 17-3.

Here we had what could have been a 14 point swing here. This totally changed the complexion of the game, having the Jets work from far behind for the entire second half.

Sep 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback

(9) scores a touchdown as New York Jets defensive tackle

(78) defends in the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Even with that series at the end of the first half, the Jets still had a chance to hold onto the momentum in this one. But this time, it was the Jets’ defense that couldn’t hang onto the brief glance at momentum in order to change the game.

Coming out of the first half break, Detroit received the kickoff. They made one first down, and punted it back to the Jets. The ensuing drive went 11 plays and ended in a Geno Smith to Eric Decker touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 17-10. This was the second watershed moment of the game. If the defense can hold the Lions, and get the ball back to the offense holding the score at 17-10, the momentum would have been squarely on the shoulders of the New York Jets. They would have been primed to get down the field and tie it up.

Instead the Lions took the next 14 plays to drive right back on the Jets, and the Matthew Stafford run to the pylon made the score 24-10. A great defense doesn’t give up the momentum like that. If you are a top defense, you seize that moment and give the ball right back to your offense. You don’t allow a 14 point swing that takes your team right back out of the football game. Though they made it 24-17, they were never really back “in the game” as they fell to 1-3 on the young season.

By the way, who did the Jets tick off to never get a call go there way? Not why they lost, but this seems to happen every week now. Did being a Patriots fan become a question on the referee exam or something? I exaggerate of course, but the bad calls seem to appear with regularity, against the Jets these days.

Also, eight receptions for 116 yards for Golden Tate? Golden Tate? He’s a nice player, granted, but the Jets made him look like Jerry Rice! Calvin Johnson was not his normal self, clearly, yesterday. Can we get someone to guard Golden Tate with some ability please?

And here is the other big problem with this team in general. They said this on the radio postgame show and they were absolutely right. The Jets don’t have that big play threat, on either side of the ball. The current NFL is won on big plays. The teams that make them, win, the teams that don’t, don’t. The Jets don’t have the guy that is going to get that turnover on defense when they need it. They don’t have the guy they are going to hit for that 70 yard TD pass down the field to break open a game.

Yes they have running backs that break off big plays. But they DON’T have that big threat as a wide receiver that they could send down the field and hit for that long TD, and it shows.

Let’s talk about the game down below. What did it come down to for you?