Jets get back on course by holding off Jaguars
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Jets badly needed to bounce back, and they did just that.
The Jets defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-23 Sunday at MetLife Stadium, which keeps New York in one of the two AFC wild card spots – for now.
That the victory came after New York had dropped its last two games against the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders in consecutive weeks and had started to give ground in the race for the postseason, shows that New York, in coach Todd Bowles’ first season with the team, is still a playoff contender in a top-heavy AFC.
“I think we needed one of these types of wins for character purposes,” Bowles said after the game. “We just have to fight through the end. We came through today.”
The Jets (5-3) were at a crossroad Sunday, but they delivered. With the New England Patriots (8-0) continuing to look unstoppable and on the path to securing the division crown after a convincing victory against the Redskins, New York is in a good spot with eight weeks left in the season. But they need to stack victories.
“It was very critical, especially after Oakland last week,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “This game was a big game and a must-win game for us. We felt like we were the better team coming in, but at the same time, they gave us a run for our money.”
There comes a point in the NFL season, when teams look back on their schedules and lament over games they should have won, ones that slipped away. New York was in danger of having that be the case after the Jaguars (2-6) charged back and threatened to take the lead with fewer than six minutes to play. But a strip-sack and recovery by linebacker Calvin Pace gave the Jets the ball and all but eliminated Jacksonville’s hopes.
“This is definitely a game we could have pulled out,” Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith said.
A game like the one the Jets had on Sunday produced a victory against the Jaguars, but will it get the job done against one of the NFL’s best teams?
The Jets stress that they’re not focused on that at all.
“This is the National Football League,” receiver Brandon Marshall said. “If you go back in history and look at some of the champions and some of the teams that have done really well, all you see is the record. You don’t see how it happened. It’s Any Given Sunday. You know better than I that it doesn’t matter how you win. Any team can beat any team. Everybody is talented. It’s who has the poise to go into the deep water and maintain.”
There’s certainly something to be said about the resiliency New York showed.
Starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was in doubt all week long after he suffered a torn ligament in his left (non-throwing) thumb last week, and not only started, but also played efficiently. He completed 21 of his 34 passes for 272 yards and added two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Center Nick Mangold (neck), cornerback Antonio Cromartie (thigh) and placekicker Nick Folk (quad) all left Sunday’s victory. Starting safety Calvin Pryor (ankle) and starting guard Willie Colon (knee) were both inactive.
That didn’t matter, thanks in part to a defense that yielded several explosive plays, but forced four turnovers and avoided giving up scoring plays. New York shut out Jacksonville in two red zone attempts and sacked Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles six times, three of which came on third downs.
For all the positives, however, there are still things New York needs to clean up.
The Jets rushing game was nonexistent, earning just 29 yards on 28 carries. Running back Chris Ivory did score two crucial rushing touchdowns, but there’s no question New York needs to be more productive on the ground next week when their former coach comes into town.
Rex Ryan makes his first trip back to face the Jets after he coached them from 2009-14 in Thursday night’s game at MetLife Stadium. Ryan brings a knowledge of New York’s personnel, but if the Jets want to represent one of the AFC’s wild card spots, Thursday’s game – much like New York’s victory against the Jaguars – is simply a game the team needs to have.
“We’ve got to beat teams we’re supposed to beat,” defensive end Sheldon Richardson said. “We need to put them away.”
The Bills – short week and all – are one of those teams, even if the game is sure to be emotionally charged with Ryan’s return.
“We’re trying to win two games in four days,” Bowles said. “It’s not facing him, it’s facing the Bills. They’re a division rival and we’re just trying to win the game.”
Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes.
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