Friday Morning Quarterback: New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New York Jets quarterback

Geno Smith

(7) runs with the ball against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

30. . 27. 47. 25

The Jets played well last night, better than most people expected. Nobody expected the Jets to be even competitive last night, and they were, staying right in it until the final play of the game. But, there are no moral victories, and the Jets fell to 1-6 after losing to the rival New England Patriots, 27-25. Let’s talk about it.

The biggest problem was, again, the red zone. The Jets entered the red zone four times early in the game, and had four field goals to show for it. Don’t get me wrong, the late block, not withstanding, Nick Folk is as good as they come. But, when you play any team, but especially as good a team as the Patriots, you have to get touchdowns in the red zone. Moving the ball between the 20’s is one thing, finishing that drive is totally another. The Jets and the offense found their way into the end zone twice in the second half, but the missed opportunities in the first half cost them dearly.

You cannot allow Tom Brady to stay close, he will bury you. In the end, he buried the Jets.

Let’s talk about the mismanagement of the clock, by the way. The Jets did a great job getting the ball down the field quickly to give Nick Folk a chance to win it, but not having a timeout when they got the ball back made a huge difference. A timeout would have given them the chance to maybe run one more play, give them the chance to get just a bit closer. But, they had only one left late, and the Jets had to use it to ensure they would get the ball back at all.

It’s not just the fact that the timeouts were gone, it is also the reason they were gone. Miscommunication is a problem. To need to use a timeout because they couldn’t get the field goal team on, or because they couldn’t get a play call in, is embarrassing. The system is supposed to be seamless via headset, and the guys are supposed to know what team they are on. Do your job, the Jets don’t have to kick an onside kick, and they have timeouts to use to give their kicker a reasonable chance to win it.

Don’t blame Nick Folk for getting a kick blocked from 58 yards. He obviously has to kick more of a line drive, making it far easier to block.

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver

Danny Amendola

(80) catches the ball for a touchdown against New York Jets cornerback

Antonio Allen

(39) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time to end the Antonio Allen experiment at cornerback. It is not working out, and it is causing the Jets more harm than good. The touchdown to Shane Vereen from 49 yards out was a drastic mistake. He allowed himself to go way out of position, and Brady, as he is so good at doing, burned the Jets. A competent cornerback doesn’t make that mistake. Oh yes, we don’t have very many of those, thanks to our fiscal general manager. That is for a different day.

The defense still cannot get off of the field on third down. Two touchdowns last night came on third down. The mark of a good defense is the ability to get off of the field when they have the offense on the ropes. Third down has to become fourth down, and when it doesn’t, you are going to lose. The Jets defense cannot get off of the field consistently, and that keeps them from being a consistent winner.

At 1-6, your record is what it is. There are no moral victories in the NFL, playing well in a loss isn’t good enough. But there were positives to take from last night. See the next page.

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA.New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to pass the ball during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Geno Smith looked far better than he has in weeks. He didn’t turn the ball over even once, the first time all season he can say that. He made accurate throws, for the most part, got out of the pocket and ran when he had to, and got rid of it when he had to. Instead of critical mistakes at critical times, Geno Smith gave the Jets a chance to win the game in the end, which is all we can as for from our young quarterback. This one is not on him at all.

Chris Ivory was huge. The Jets finally did what we have been wanting them to do, and it paid off. They fed the beast. Running backs get better as they get in rhythm. They get in rhythm by carrying the football. It was nice to see Ivory get 21 carries, as he ran it for 107 yards and the one yard touchdown. He was, as usual, running like he was mad at the grass. Chris Johnson did a nice job in a secondary role with 13 carries for 61 yards, but the night did belong to Chris Ivory.