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New York Jets: Grading each unit for the 2018 season

By Stephen Smith

BUFFALO, NY - DECEMBER 09: Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets throws a pass in the fourth quarter during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on December 9, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - DECEMBER 09: Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets throws a pass in the fourth quarter during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on December 9, 2018 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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The New York Jets had another disappointing 4-12 season in 2018. Here are their grades for the offensive, defensive and special teams units.

The New York Jets had another forgettable season in 2018. So what else is new? However, the one glimmer of hope is that over the last quarter of the year, rookie quarterback Sam Darnold truly looked like a franchise signal-caller.

Hey, Gang Green has only been searching for him for the last 50 years, since the glory days of Joe “Willie” Namath.

With that being said, let’s grade each unit of the green and white for the 2018 campaign.

Offense

The silver lining in a disappointing season was the performance of Darnold over the final four games. During that period, the USC product completed 64 percent of his passes (80-of-125) for 931 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception.

He was brilliant in leading the Jets to a fourth quarter comeback victory in Week 14 in Buffalo and looked more poised with each outing. Darnold appears like he can make any throw in the book, especially on the run. Now, moving forward, General Manager Mike Maccagnan has to hire a coaching staff that will continue his development.

Elsewhere, this unit left much to be desired. New York ranked 23rd in points per game (20.8) and 29th in total yards from scrimmage (299 per game). The offensive line underachieved. Isaiah Crowell was signed as a free agent to spearhead the ground attack but he played in just 13 games and finished with only 685 rushing yards.

He had never missed a contest in his four previous seasons with the Browns. Elijah McGuire showed flashes late in the season but the Jets really missed Bilal Powell, who needed neck surgery and missed the final nine games of the year.

The Jets desperately need a number one wide receiver. Robby Anderson came on strong late in the season but he was missing for the first three-quarters of the year. He led Gang Green in receptions (50), yards (752) and touchdowns (6) but he is a WR2/WR3 on a very good team.

Quincy Enunwa (449 receiving yards) can’t stay healthy and Jermaine Kearse (37-371-1) had a season to forget. Rookie tight end Chris Herndon (39-502-4) was a pleasant surprise and has solid potential moving forward. Overall though, a poor campaign for the offensive unit. Darnold’s late season surge helped boost this grade up slightly.

Grade: D+

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