The New York Jets fell to 3-11 on the season after a loss to the Miami Dolphins. On a day where injuries were incredibly relevant coming in, they were extremely obvious. The Jets fell just short, which to be fair, is exactly what fans were hoping for. Here is a review of the game.
Zach Wilson was… Decent
Zach Wilson played at a very average level today. He didn’t throw any interceptions, but he did get stripped on a pass rush by Zach Sieler. He also ran in a score from the one-yard line, and made numerous plays out of seemingly nothing.
The offensive line, which has actually been pretty good as of late, was atrocious. Wilson was sacked six times, most of them coming on plays with free rushers. This was not a case of holding on to the ball too long, which had been the story all season for Wilson. Receivers could not get open to save their lives, and there was absolutely no help for Wilson all day long.
His final stat line was not something to write home about, (13/23, 170 yards, four rushes, 12 yards, one touchdown) but he did the most with what he had. His day could be summarized by this play where he had a free rusher in his face immediately, evaded them, and made three more defenders miss while scrambling for the first down. He showed a little razzle, as well as a little dazzle, but at the end of the day there are 11 men on offense. Fans patiently await the day they get to see booth Mike LaFleur/ Wilson/ Michael Carter/ Elijah Moore all at the same time.
The Defense is Embarrassing
If not for Tua Tagovailoa throwing two horrible interceptions, this game would have been.. not as close. Tagovailoa was simply not good today, but it did not matter in the slightest. The defense for this Jets team is simply not effective. They can’t rush the passer consistently, they can’t stop the run, and they can’t get off the field when they need to. It says something that Duke Johnson was literally carrying defenders.
Sure, injuries have ravaged the defense this season, but they look like a Division 1 college football team on one whole side of the ball. Bryce Hall and Quincy Williams are really the only bright spots, and even they were inconsistent today. Hall made a number of great plays, but Devante Parker still ended up with 68 yards and a touchdown on four receptions.
This defense needs a complete overhaul. Another week passing means another week closer to the NFL Draft, which luckily boasts an impressive number of great defensive prospects. The Jets should look to grab a player at every level of the defense.
As for a positive spin, Brandin Echols had his first interception this week, and took it for a touchdown. Ashtyn Davis also collected an interception, his second of the season.
A Look Ahead
The Jets finish the season with games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Buffalo Bills. On paper, there is one winnable game out of the three, but you never know, especially after last season. The game that stands out the most has to be the Jaguars matchup next week. This will be the first time NFL enjoyers will get to watch Wilson match up with Trevor Lawrence, who went one spot ahead of him in the Draft.
The Jaguars just got pummeled by the Houston Texans, and the Jets could come out with a win, especially after their turbulent tenure with Urban Meyer came to a close this week. It will surely be a game to keep an eye on.
This has been a review of the Jets vs. Dolphins. Look forward to a preview of the New York Jets vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.