Chargers vs. Jets: Top 5 takeaways from Week 16 matchup

The New York Jets are now 5-10 after a loss in Week 16. Here are the top five takeaways from their game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

In their Week 16 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the New York Jets played subpar once again. They played hard at home at MetLife Stadium and fought hard but were beaten by the Chargers to the final score of 14-7. After getting the onside opening kickoff and to the end of the game, the Jets could establish any momentum in order to win.

Looking at the overall performance of the Jets, they once again had costly penalties and never cashed in on opportunities they had with good field position. The Jets offense was a no-show and made the defense stay on the field longer which has been a common theme all season long.

With the loss, the Jets are now 5-10 and have one game left against the New England Patriots on the road. In this game, there were many mistakes that as a fan you continue to get frustrated.

Now, let’s take a deeper look and break down the top five takeaways from this Week 16 matchup.

Next: 5. Offense was a complete no-show

5. Offense was a complete no-show

For a second straight week, the Jets offense was unable to maintain long drives and score points when it mattered the most. Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins were the culprits for a second week in a row. These three couldn’t get any consistency in their efforts to keep the football moving.

The Jets established 295 yards of total offense which is just one more yard than what they had the last week. The offense had multiple penalties in the game and three out of the five were on the offensive side of the football. They didn’t even cash in on the opening onside kick to begin the game. The red zone execution was bad yet again this week as they went 0 for 1.

Once again, the playcalling wasn’t established well enough. If they applied different plays maybe they could have something going and be on the field longer. The offense didn’t stay on the field long enough to give the defense a rest. The offense was able to stay on the field for 27 minutes and 02 seconds. It also didn’t help that they had three costly turnovers which can’t happen in a close game.

Next: 4. Defensive line shines

4. Defensive line shines

For a second straight week, the Jets defense stepped up in a big way. They were able to establish plenty of pressure throughout the game and made an impact. They were able to make key defensive stops and looked well prepared for a tough matchup. Coming into this game, the Jets were facing a high-powered offense that always has a tendency to drop a lot of touchdowns quickly.

For most of the game, they were able to contain Philip Rivers but they just tired out later on in the game. When they needed to capitalize, however, they came up short.

At least the Jets defense came to play as they showed for the past two weeks now, they could be a very good defense. They’re just a few pieces away from being able to stop teams of this caliber but until they get a better pass rush that’s consistent, they’ll be on the outside looking in.

Next: 3. Todd Bowles continues coaching mistakes

3. Todd Bowles continues coaching mistakes

Late in the game, head coach Todd Bowles had two timeouts left and didn’t use them correctly. All the Jets had to do was stop the Chargers and try to get the football back. He used one and when it came to third down he just let the clock run when he should have stopped it.

Bowles continues to show inexperience when it comes to these kinds of situation. He continues to show his hand when he needs to hide it better. Teams make adjustments to what Bowles does because of what they see him do since it’s predictable. Bowles continues repeating the same things over and over.

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Do not get me wrong, Bowles has this team playing hard week in and week out. It is difficult though to watch him because he doesn’t show enough emotion at games but he shows it at practice from what announcers say. He needs to continue to hold players responsible and show action like how he has done with the Muhammad Wilkerson situation.

Next: 2. Offensive line struggles yet again

2. Offensive line struggles yet again

The weakest part of the team continues to be exposed as the offensive line struggled once again. Sunday’s inconsistency showed big time as the offensive line couldn’t get any penetration to drive back opposing defenders. They went up against a top 20 defense in the league and simply were overwhelmed throughout Sunday’s loss.

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They aren’t communicating who needs to block and when a blitz is happening. The offensive line continues to be a huge problem as it’s easily one of the top priorities heading into the upcoming offseason due to how bad they’ve been playing.

The inexperienced line and whomever the quarterback is could get hurt very easily. Bryce Petty was the victim as he struggled with getting anything done under center and was seen at times holding his wrist in pain as he kept getting hit and pressured.

They need to get it together before they eventually get another quarterback hurt. Hopefully, the Jets will address this issue in the upcoming draft or in free agency by bolstering the offensive line tremendously.

Next: 1. An abysmal game by Bryce Petty

1. An abysmal game by Bryce Petty

In his second start of the season, Bryce Petty had a subpar performance as he threw a costly interception. Even from last season he continues to struggle in his throws and making quick decisions on the field. His timing with his receivers is completely off.

In each of his starts going back to last season, Petty has thrown at least one interception. He does not look confident in being a leader of the offense and look very nervous. He continues to throw passes into too many tight windows.

He doesn’t use his check downs and didn’t scramble out of the pocket as much as he should have. To try to save his job, Petty will need to have a much better game to prove his worth, otherwise, the Jets might decide to part ways since he’s unable to show any upside.

Must Read: Bryce Petty squanders another opportunity with the Jets

Petty needs to get on the same page with his receivers because many of his passes were either overthrown or just short. He had his opportunity but he hasn’t taken advantage of it and it is all starting to turn into reality that he simply isn’t a good quarterback. If Petty is given one last chance he better lay it all on the line since this might be his last opportunity to do so.