QuickFix: Saucy Nuggets from the Jets' loss to the Bills
We're going to continue today's analysis with some things you might not have noticed from yesterday's loss to the Bills:
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Check out this nice pass from Josh McCown to Charone Peake:
Drink it in, because that's the ONLY pass the Jets completed all day beyond 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. They attempted seven more, two of which were intercepted.
For context, the Bills threw twice as many passes beyond 10 yards past the line of scrimmage - despite being at least three scores ahead from early in the second quarter. They completed five for 153 yards and a touchdown.
In all, Josh McCown passed for 134 yards, 110 of which came after the catch! Forget dink and dunk, this was dink and dank. It's a sign of how broken the offense is that nobody can get open, despite the fact that these are a group of receivers most of whom have had good production in the past.
Communication breakdown; it's always the same
It's not just the offense that is broken though. The Jets looked to have fixed their issues in covering crossing routes after the Dede Westbrook debacle, but those issues seem to have resurfaced since Kacy Rodgers returned to the defensive coordinator role.
Check out how bad this play is. Trumaine Johnson and Jamal Adams are still figuring things out as the ball is snapped and nobody picks up the receiver on the crosser:
Compounding matters, the receiver bounces off Buster Skrine and Marcus Maye for extra yardage and that wasn't the only such example of poor tackling technique from Skrine on Sunday. Of course the Bills scored on a tackle-eligible play on the next snap.
The second touchdown was gifted similarly as the defense seems imbalanced from the start. Skrine stays with the inside slot receiver who is already covered by Avery Williamson, leaving Zay Jones wide open underneath.
The fumble into the end zone was bad luck, but the Jets were the architects of their own downfall as they gave up that third down conversion.
Opposing offenses can easily pick apart the Jets' zone defense because the players run it like they are unsure of their responsibilities. Sure, there have been personnel changes and that doesn't help, but the Bills were starting a player for the first time and the Jets were completely unable to exploit their secondary.
Q sums up how we all feel
Poor Quincy Enunwa just wants a chance to make a play but he's more of a running back than a wide receiver in this offense as the Jets just try and dump it off to him and rely on him to get down the field.
Enunwa caught four passes for 18 yards and McCown had three other passes intended for Enunwa in the flat batted down at the line. Enunwa was unable to hide his frustration at not getting the ball:
He was targeted down the field just once, on 3rd-and-8 with eight minutes to go. The throw was overthrown and well out of his reach down the sideline, so that particular tendency breaker didn't fool anyone...and wouldn't have helped much with a 28-point deficit anyway.
Much more analysis to come later today and over the next few days. Please let us know who you'd like to see us feature in more detail in 3-on-D and 3-on-O.