• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Jets came into last Sunday’s contest against the Baltimore Ravens, desperate for a win. New York had lost their last four games in a row, and were sitting last in the AFC East. Baltimore came into MetLife Stadium riding a three game losing streak of their own. This game was a must win for both sides, and the Jets showed a little more desperation. New York came away with a victory, 24-16 over the Ravens. Here are five of the biggest takeaways from last Sunday’s win for Gang Green.

5) Where was Marshall?

  • Brandon Marshall struggled this past Sunday, and hasn’t really been his dominant self this season. The 11 year veteran led the team in targets (eight) but was only able to catch three of those passes for 39 yards.
  • With Eric Decker out for the rest of the season, the Jets need Marshall to be more consistent. Other players like Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa are stepping up, but Gang Green needs Marshall to get open and make those crucial third down catches to keep drives alive.

4) Jets’ D back in business!

(Photo Credit:AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) The Jets defense put pressure on Flacco all afternoon.
(Photo Credit:AP Photo/Bill Kostroun) The Jets defense put pressure on Flacco all afternoon.
  • Sheldon Richardson was an absolute animal on defense last Sunday, and the team seemed to feed off of his stellar play. Richardson accounted for eight tackles (six solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, two QB hits and one sack.
  • The Jets’ defensive front got push all game long. Joe Flacco just never seemed comfortable in the pocket, and the Baltimore offense struggled as a result.
    • Part of what makes Flacco so good, is his ability to make big plays off play action. Flacco couldn’t get that going because the run game for Baltimore was stymied by the Jets. New York held the Ravens to just six total rushing yards.
  • The Jets secondary generated two takeaways, which should hopefully give them some much needed confidence. Buster Skrine and Marcus Gilchrist both had interceptions, and join Marcus Williams as the only Jet players with interceptions on the year.

3) Forte still can be an effective workhorse 

(Photo Credit: Al Bello/ Getty Images) Forte after scoring his first TD of the afternoon.
(Photo Credit: Al Bello/ Getty Images) Forte after scoring his first TD of the afternoon.
  • Matt Forte carried the Jet offense this past Sunday afternoon. Forte rushed the ball 30 times for 100 yards and a TD. This was the second time this season that Forte rushed for 100 yards, and had 30 attempts.
  • Forte not only carried the rushing workload, but he also was an integral part of the passing game.
    • Forte added four receptions for 54 yards and a TD. This also was the second game this season that Forte scored more than one touchdown.
  • Forte became the 5th player in NFL history to record 8,000 yards rushing, 4,000 yards receiving and 20 receiving TDs in a career.
  • The only miscue by Forte was a fumble in the red zone back in the third quarter. Luckily, Timmy Jernigan fumbled himself, right after he recovered the Forte fumble. Marshall recovered Jernigan’s fumble, and Gang Green reclaimed possession and a new set of downs.

2) Geno’s last game in New York?

(Photo Credit:Bill Kostroun/AP) Smith very well might have played his last game in New York.
(Photo Credit:Bill Kostroun/AP) Smith very well might have played his last game in New York.
  • The biggest story line coming into last Sunday’s game, was that Coach Todd Bowles made the decision to start Geno Smith over the struggling Ryan Fitzpatrick.
  • Aside from being sacked twice, Smith was solid for the Jets for the first four drives of the game. (4/8, 95 yards, 1 TD). Smith connected with Enunwa for a 69 yard touchdown on his third drive of the game.
    • This was very encouraging considering the offense had trouble moving the chains to start the game. The Jets were in a 10-0 hole, prior to the Enunwa touchdown.
  • Smith took a sack on third down of his fourth drive, which resulted in a knee injury that prevented him from returning. After the game, it was confirmed that Smith had torn his ACL.
  • Smith will be entering free agency after this season unrestricted. With Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg looked as to be the future, Smith very well may have saw his last snap for New York.

1) Can the Jets continue to win with Fitzpatrick?

  • Fitzpatrick came into Sunday’s contest as the back-up QB, and left the game as the starter again. With Smith tearing his ACL, it looks like Fitzpatrick has a second chance to turn this Jet season around.
  • The Jets benefited from Fitzpatrick not turning the ball over. All afternoon, it seemed like Fitzpatrick was a little more cautious which directly resulted in better decision making.
  • Fitzpatrick completed nine out of 14 passes for 120 yards and a TD. With Forte pacing the offense, Fitzpatrick did not have to throw the ball as much this past Sunday.
  • The Jets will face the Cleveland Browns (0-7) in Cleveland next Sunday. This will be the perfect match-up for Fitzpatrick to get his confidence back up even higher. There’s no way the Jets should lose this game, and look for Fitzpatrick to gain the trust back of the Gang Green faithful.

Barry Holmes is a Senior Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732

(Featured Photo Credit: Michael Reaves, 2016 Getty Images)

 

 

By Barry Holmes

Graduate of Millersville University, with a BS in Communications focused in Broadcast. Senior Writer & Social Media Manager for PureSportsNY.

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