The Jets rolled to a 30-8 victory over the Titans to improve to 8-5 and keep their playoff hopes alive. Here are some thoughts and observations on the game:
1. Sometimes during games I find my eyes drifting to the Jets’ sideline and looking at Geno Smith. However this season ends, there is no question the turning point came in mid-August when IK Enemkpali’s fist changed the course of the season.
With the offense humming, it makes me wonder what this team would have looked like had Smith just given Enemkpali $600. In other words, would the Jets be this good with Smith at quarterback instead of Ryan Fitzpatrick?
The knee-jerk reaction: No way. Smith was turnover-prone in his two years as a starter and never really showed leadership. But Smith never had an offense around him like this. I think Smith would have benefited greatly from the arrival of wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who struck up a close relationship with Smith in the spring. How could Smith have not gotten better with Marshall opposite Eric Decker?
Where I think Fitzpatrick has the edge over Smith is the calmness and belief he has brought to the entire team. There was a ton of talk about teammates not really liking Smith after the locker-room fight. I never got the sense they did not like him, but I don’t think they believed in him. The feeling before his jaw was broken was he was playing well in camp, but let’s wait and see how he performs once the games start.
Fitzpatrick’s veteran presence has been a key ingredient in this season. He projects calm, something young quarterbacks rarely do. So, I doubt the Jets would be 8-5 with Smith at quarterback — especially with the way Fitzpatrick has raised his game the past three weeks — but it’s a fascinating hypothetical to think about.
One other thing on Smith is he should be commended for how he has handled this season. He has not complained about his situation publicly. You can blame him for not paying Enemkpali all you want, but he did not deserve to get punched. That punch altered his season and his career. It’s understandable if he is bitter, but Smith has done his best to keep the focus on the team, not him.
2. One thing I think people overlook when doing preseason predictions is the schedule. That may seem obvious, but I think sometimes people look at the talent on a team and just do a projection from there.
The Jets are an example of a team that has benefited from the schedule. This is not meant to diminish the Jets’ accomplishments, but it is reality. The Jets have faced the NFC East and AFC South, the two worst divisions in football. Neither division has a team with a winning record. That is remarkable. Normally, divisions have one or two good teams. Those divisions seem to have none.
The Jets deserved a break in the schedule after last season when they faced the AFC West and NFC North, which had a combined five teams that finished with winning records.
The Jets should enjoy this schedule while they can. Next year, they get the AFC North, where the Bengals and Steelers should be tough again, and the NFC West, where the Seahawks and Cardinals should be contenders.
3. The offensive numbers the Jets are putting up are staggering. This season truly has shades of 1998, the last time the Jets had a quarterback throw for 3,000 yards, a running back gain 1,000 and two receivers gain 1,000 in one season. That is something that appears probable for these Jets. Fitzpatrick and Marshall are already at those marks. Chris Ivory needs 86 yards for 1,000 and Decker needs 125 yards for 1,000.
Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey deserves a ton of credit. No one saw this coming.
4. The Jets have been one of the most disciplined teams in the NFL when it comes to penalties. They only have 76, second-fewest in the NFL. The Steelers have 73.
The obvious thing to do here is to point to the coaching change and say Todd Bowles runs a much tighter ship than Rex Ryan did. He does, but Ryan’s Jets were not as bad as people think with penalties. They usually finished in the middle of the pack; one year they were near the top and another year they were near the bottom.
Ryan’s current team, the Bills, has been terrible when it comes to penalties. They have 124, the second-most in the NFL.
Bowles deserves credit for having a disciplined team. There have been some instances where they have played recklessly, but overall they have been under control.
Revealing number: The Jets gave up just 24 rushing yards. That brings their three-week total to just 110 yards combined allowed on the ground. To put that in perspective, 14 teams, including the Jets, ran for more than 110 this week alone. To hold three teams to 110 total is amazing. When the Jets defense has the run-stopping and the pass-rushing going at the same time, they are tough to beat.
Surprising snap count: I usually pick a low snap count for this category, but today I’m going with Brandon Marshall, who played 70 of 73 snaps. Marshall’s playing time has been amazing this year. He rarely comes off the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Marshall has played 887 snaps. That is the second-highest total among wide receivers. Only the Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins has played more (956). That shows remarkable durability and toughness by Marshall.
Game ball: The Titans are still trying to figure out how to block Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. The pending free agent had a huge day with three sacks, five tackles, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, a pass defensed and a forced fumble. Not a bad day. Pay the man, Mike Maccagnan.