Recapping Jets Win Over Jaguars

SETH WENIG — AP Photo

It wasn’t pretty, but the Jets picked up their fifth win of the season on Sunday by defeating the Jaguars 28-23. Now 5-3 on the season, the Jets have sole possession of second place in the AFC East division.

In many ways, the Jets did not deserve to win Sunday’s game but luckily for them, they didn’t have to play their best game since Jacksonville is one of the weaker teams in the NFL. But there were plenty of things from today’s game that warrants reasons to worry as the Jets host the Bills on Thursday night this week.

1. Chris Ivory – He may have had two touchdowns, but Chris Ivory clearly has not been himself in the past few games after getting off to a really good start to the season. And the most concerning part is that the teams he is struggling against aren’t even too good defensively. Oakland has the worst rushing defenses in the NFL and Ivory had just 17 rushing yards. And he had just 26 rushing yards on 23 carries against the Jaguars on Sunday. The Jets are a completely different offensive team if they cannot run the ball effectively. Ryan Fitzpatrick can only do so much by passing. The Jets are a dangerous team when they can run the ball and when they can’t, teams like the Jaguars have a chance of winning. If the Jets want to beat the tougher teams on their schedule (and there aren’t many) they absolutely have to run the ball because it is not too difficult to game plan for the Jets passing game alone. But it is tough to game plan for their passing game and their running game.
2. Injuries – Halfway through the 2015 season, the Jets are simply beat up. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Mangold, Nick Folk, Antonio Cromarti, and Calvin Prior are all injured. And the Jets have a short this week this week since they play on Thursday night which is bad news for the Jets. And when it comes to injuries, you just have to hold your breath and hope that they are ready to go. The Jets saw the effects of missing Nick Folk since anything outside of the 15 yard line was considered out of field goal range for Ryan Quigley. If the game had been closer, not having Folk could have really hurt the Jets. And not having Nick Mangold at Center not only hurts the run blocking and pass protection, but it also hurts the communication. Mangold is one of the best Centers in the NFL and he has made it easy for Fitzpatrick so far with his communication skills. If Mangold misses time, it is a huge loss for the Jets.
3. Eric Decker – One of the bright spots of Sunday’s victory was Eric Decker. Six receptions for 79 yards and touchdown doesn’t really jump out at you like a great game, but he was just consistent. He made some really nice catches for first downs and even had a 25 yard reception. Not just Sunday but all season long, Decker has just been a really good go-to receiver at any given moment in the game. And because Decker has been consistent, other receivers have been able to get open and have opportunities to catch the football. Kenbrell Thompkins, Brandon Marshall, and Jeff Cumberland all had 40+ receiving yards as a result.

Although it wasn’t the prettiest, a win is a win and the Jets will take it. They have to rest up and get back to work quickly however as Rex Ryan will make his much anticipated return to Metlife Stadium on Thursday night.