12:03 pm | November 25, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Josh McCown went toe-to-toe with Tom Brady for three quarters. Actually, it was thumb to thumb, as both quarterbacks bloodied their throwing thumbs Sunday in what may have seemed like an Old-timer’s Day matchup at MetLife Stadium. McCown and the New York Jets get an “A” for effort, but moral victories aren’t acceptable. They collapsed in typical fashion, with a questionable coaching decision looming large in their 27-13 loss to the vulnerable New England Patriots.
Yep, it’s going to be a miserable December for the Jets (3-8), losers of five straight for the first time in the Todd Bowles era. They’re playing out the string under the dark cloud of impending doom for Bowles and his coaching staff. It’s the worst of times for a losing team in the NFL, but it’s hardly a new reality for the Jets, who will miss the playoff for the eighth straight season. The loss practically ensures their third consecutive losing season.
The Jets have lost 17 of their past 22 games under Bowles, who revived his team’s pulse after a brutal loss to the Buffalo Billsbefore the bye, but contributed to Sunday’s defeat by accepting a penalty — and it backfired in a big way. The Patriots were called for offensive pass interference in the first quarter. Instead of declining the penalty, making it fourth-and-2 from the Jets’ 24, Bowles accepted the penalty to make it third-and-12 from the 34.
Bad idea.
Brady made them pay, firing a 34-yard touchdown to Rob Gronkowski to make it 7-7. When you tug on Superman’s cape … well, you know what happens. Bowles trusted his third-down defense, which ranked No. 2 in the NFL through 11 weeks. But let’s take a closer look: In third-and-12-plus situations, they had allowed five conversions in 25 attempts (20 percent), ranked 28th, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Plus, it was Brady, arguably the greatest quarterback in history. That certainly should have factored into the decision. Chances are, the Jets would have lost anyway, especially the way they played in the second half. It was 10-10 at halftime, but any hopes of a stunning upset vanished quickly as the defense came unglued. Brady & Co. began the second half with three long scoring drives to pull away.
Was there any doubt that Bill Belichick would figure out a way to beat the Jets? Of course not.
The Jets decided to play a bend-but-don’t-break zone, and that didn’t work. There were too many open receivers. Their run defense stunk, too, as they allowed 215 yards on the ground. They failed to record a takeaway for the fifth straight game, a franchise record.
Simply put, the Jets have no playmakers on defense. Jamal Adams played a terrific game, but one safety can’t change an entire defense. Their deficiencies on offense also were glaring. McCown, starting for the injured Sam Darnold, threw a touchdown to Jermaine Kearse and performed a John Elway-like helicopter on a third-down scramble. He did some Josh things, playing with pure heart, but the sad reality is he had no chance.
Where are the playmakers on offense? Where’s the plan? The Patriots’ run defense was awful against the Tennessee Titans, and yet offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates dialed up pass after pass, putting too much pressure on his 39-year-old quarterback.
When there’s no plan and a limited amount of talent … well, get ready for another ugly December.
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