New York Jets: Poor Tackling and Injuries Lead to Loss at Oakland
November 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Jets center
Nick Mangold(74, right) talks to quarterback
Ryan Fitzpatrick(14) on the sideline during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Final. 34. 28. 20. 30
The New York Jets had a rough going of things out in Oakland on Sunday afternoon. The game was littered with poor tackling and injuries that set the tone for a tough day. The Jets lost by the score of 34-20 and that didn’t even reflect how badly they were beaten.
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The tone of the day was set on the sixth play from scrimmage. On a third and five, Ryan Fitzpatrick took a snap from the shotgun and scrambled for a first down. He did not slide, and came up holding his left thumb. Fitz was unable to continue, and in came the guy that Jets’ fans love to hate, Geno Smith.
We found out via Rich Cimini of ESPN New York that Fitzpatrick tore ligaments in his thumb, and the New York Jets’ day was written from there.
One of the major keys to the game was the New York Jets’ offensive line vs. the Raiders’ defensive line. The Jets lost that battle, big time. The running game never got going, with Chris Ivory carrying the ball 15 times for a whopping 17 yards. They were without center Nick Mangold greatly, who missed only the fourth game of his ten year career. They never got a push, and you know when the New York Jets are led by Geno Smith in rushing, it hasn’t been a good day.
Don’t take anything away from the Raiders; they were the third-best run defense coming in for a reason. But the Jets are better than that.
Nov 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) stands behind center against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Jets 34-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
To his credit, although many New York Jets’ fans won’t readily admit it, Geno Smith didn’t have a terrible game coming off of the bench. He was 27-of-42 for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also added two runs for 34 yards. The interception was a bad throw, deep to Brandon Marshall although he was covered quite completely. The other huge problem is that Smith has gained nothing in terms of football awareness. He still holds the ball far too long.
He got no reps during the week, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has to know to throw the ball away, rather than take sacks late in the game when trying to bring the team back. If he can’t figure that out, he won’t start anywhere, much less for the New York Jets.
Incidentally, Fitzpatrick came back in after Smith had the wind knocked out of him, but after two snaps, he was in far too much pain in his thumb and had to come back out.
One guy that deserves a lot of credit is Brandon Marshall. There was a lot of talk during the week about Marshall getting in the face of Devin Smith following the Patriots’ game. You know what? Marshall is a leader and he is one gritty player. He came up hobbling twice in this game, but only missed a few plays, and posted a game-high nine receptions for 108 yards.
Say a lot about Marshall. The New York Jets are lucky to have him.
November 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver
Andre Holmes(18) catches a touchdown pass against New York Jets cornerback
Antonio Cromartie(31) during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It was a bad day for the Jets’ defense all around, with the team giving up four scoring drives of 70-plus yards, but it was a particularly bad one for Antonio Cromartie. His game made many believe that his age had finally begun to catch up with him. He was beaten badly all game, for some reason had difficulty tackling Michael Crabtree on his touchdown when he was halfway on the ground, and made Andre Holmes look like Jerry Rice on a long touchdown pass.
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There was poor tackling to be had all over the place. Marcus Gilchrist got faked out of his shoes on one long play, and the multiple missed tackles reflected poor effort. Coaches have said it for years; to be good tacklers, you have to COMMITT to it. The New York Jets did not commit to tackling and it showed.
Marshall said after the game that he would be okay, although he did have X-rays taken on either his knee, ankle, or both. That’s good, as losing him for any amount of time would be disastrous for the Jets.
So the Jets fall to 4-3 and host the Jacksonville Jaguars next week. Hopefully they can bury this one quickly.