Jets: Out Coached By Our Old Coach

(AFP Photo/Elsa)

When the clock hit triple zeroes on Thursday night at Metlife Stadium, the bombastic head coach who was wearing a red sweater vest this time around, was the one left smiling.

Todd Bowles’ Jets failed to show up for three quarters, lost the turnover battle 4-0, and still were in tremendous position to win the game with just over three minutes left to play.  Still, they came up short, turning the ball over on downs on a questionable, broken play targeting Kellen Davis.

In the NFL, it’s very hard to win games when the turnover battle is lost, especially against a divisional opponent in a crucial, wild card implication game.  Ryan Fitzpatrick forced a ball to Brandon Marshall, who had it go off his hands and into Bills defensive back Corey Graham’s arms at the 34.  Three points.  Rookie Devin Smith, who had all but 13 career college kick returns, fumbled his first NFL return, which was returned for an easy touchdown.  Seven points.  Chris Ivory fumbled on the Jets first offensive play of the second half, recovered by Rambo at the Jets 23.  Three points.  13 of the Bills 22 points came directly off three out of the four turnovers, all three happening on the Jets side of the field.  That’s tough to overcome.

The turnovers, along with questionable play calling down the stretch by offensive coordinator Chan Gaily, proved to be too much for the Jets on this November night.  On crucial 3^rd and 4^th downs late in the game, Gailey opted to call plays behind the line of scrimmage, and short of the sticks.

Ultimately the biggest blunder of them all, was the 4^th and 4 play from the Bills six.  Decker and Kellen Davis, lined up on the right side of the line of scrimmage, seemed to be trying to run a crossing/pick play.  The play was there, as Fitz lofted it up the corner of the end zone, but no one was there.  Kellen Davis didn’t know where the ball was, and it dropped harmlessly to the ground.  Decker later took the blame for the miscommunication, but this miscommunication cost the Jets the game.

On a night where the former Jets coach, Rex Ryan, used up all his challenges by the second quarter and his timeouts by the third, and basically gift wrapped the game to his old team, the Jets still couldn’t pull it off.  The Jets have now lost three out of their last four, each as heartbreaking as the last one.  This loss now puts the Jets in a tough spot, as they now are losing tiebreakers to two AFC Wildcard contenders (Raiders and Bills).

Going forward, Gang Green has a favorable schedule, but the inconsistency from Todd Bowles and staff, and the players themselves, leaves more question marks than one would like at this stage of the season.