New York Jets Team Grades: Week 9

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By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

November 3^rd, 2013

Week 9 New York Jets Team Grades

The New York Jets up and down season stayed true in Week 9 against one of the better teams in the NFL. After a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, the Jets bounced back with a great 26-20 win at home against the New Orleans Saints. The win puts the Jets at (5-4) on the season, which if the season ended today would be good enough for a spot in the AFC playoffs.

Passing Offense Grade (C-)

In the win on Sunday the Jets passing offense wasn’t asked to do much, but maybe most importantly Quarterback Geno Smith took what the Saints passing defense gave him and didn’t turn the ball over. Smith threw for just 115 yards on eight for 19 passing, but what cant be stressed enough is that he protected the football. The “Wildcat” offense showed a nice wrinkle, as Josh Cribbs threw his first pass as a Jet for 25 yards, which clearly caught the Saints off guard. A big loss for the Jets did happen to the Jets passing game in the second quarter, as Jeremy Kerley dislocated his elbow on what was a nasty looking injury, and will be out for a few weeks, but hasn’t been ruled out for the season. Two guys did step up for the depleted Jets receiving core, as Greg Salas had two catches for 57 yards, and Zach Sudfield had two catches for 46 yards. The bye week should allow for the Jets to get Santonio Holmes back, which should greatly help Smith.

Rushing Offense Grade (A+)

The Rushing Offense for the Jets in the win was nothing less than exceptional, as they were able to control the football by averaging 5.5 yards per carry as a team. Leading the way was former Saints Running Back Chris Ivory, who certainly looked like he was running with a chip on his shoulder, as he ran it 18 times for 139 yards. Smith also got in on the running game, as he ran it six times for 18 yards with a touchdown run right before halftime, which was his third rushing touchdown of the season.

Passing Defense Grade (A)

Going against an elite Quarterback in Drew Brees the Jets passing defense did a very good job forcing him to make mistakes, and clearly bothered him by getting pressure on him throughout the game. Brees did finish with 382 passing yards on 30 for 51 passing, but he missed some receivers, and had some receivers let him down with drops, as it was clear the Saints offense looked uncomfortable. The pass rush has been big all year for the Jets, as Calvin Pace and Mo Wilkerson both got to Brees, and for Wilkerson he is now up to eight sacks on the season. As what happens against mostly everyone in the NFL Jimmy Graham had a monster game catching nine passes for 116 yards, including two touchdowns.

Rushing Defense Grade (A)

The Saints ground game never seemed to get going or really an attempt to get it going, as the team in whole only ran it 13 times for 41 yards. Losing Darren Sproles certainly messed with the Saints offensive game plan, as their leading rusher in the loss was Pierre Thomas, who ran it just six times for 24 yards. The worst play of the game for the Saints came on the ground on a crucial fourth down, as on a reverse Tight End Josh Hill was stopped by Quinton Coples for a eight yard loss on what was truly a game-changing play.

Special Teams Grade (A)

Jets Special Teams was very solid on Sunday, as no mistakes or big plays allowed definitely helped in the win over the Saints. Josh Cribbs once again was good in the return game, helping the offense set up with good field position, as he had five returns for 134 yards, with his longest going for 42 yards. Jets Kicker Nick Folk once again was money on field goals, as he went four for four, hitting from 39, 21, 47, and 45.

Coaching Grade (A)

In the battle of the Ryan brothers, Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan got the best of twin brother Rob Ryan, as he exploited the Saints run defense in this game. Rex and the coaching staff clearly did a good job coming up with a game plan to slow down Brees, and now the Jets have five wins which is something some “experts” didn’t think they would reach all season. A fairly easy schedule the rest of the way for the Jets sets them up nicely for a legitimate shot at the playoffs, which should guarantee Rex Ryan coaching the team next season.