The Jets came into this game hoping that maybe they had found their identity in the second half of their win over the Texans and were finally ready to make a run. Unfortunately for New York, this game only underscored what its identity has been all year – and that is a team that starts games slow and can’t get off the field on defense when it matters.
Arizona marched for consecutive 70-yard touchdown drives on its first three possessions, then scored a field goal just before halftime as the Jets found themselves in an 18-point hole.
The Cardinals defense stiffened again in the red zone on the Jets’ first possession of the second half and forced a turnover on downs, then Arizona again drove the length of the field for another score. Kyler MurrayThe second rushing touchdown of the game made it 31-6 and ended up being the only score of the second half.
A win on Sunday might have put the Jets back in the playoff conversation heading into next week’s game, but at 3-7 they are all but eliminated.
Takeaways
– The Jets offense didn’t look that bad in the first half, but had to settle for field goals on the first two possessions while the Cardinals scored touchdowns, meaning New York trailed for most of the half with played double figures. The bigger problem was that the Jets only touched the ball three times as their defense couldn’t get off the field. The second half was the same old story, with them driving into the red zone twice but then turning it around on downhills.
– It felt like James Conner ran over the Jets in the first half, but they actually held it to 18 yards on nine carries. However, Conner did his damage in the passing game, including on a 44-yard screen to the goal line on the game’s first drive. Conner finished with 33 yards and a touchdown on the ground, but had five catches for 80 yards. The Cardinals still had 147 rushing yards and 406 total yards of offense.
– Although they were dominated up front and gave up some completions in coverage, the most frustrating thing about these Jets’ performance was the tackling. The Jets missed several tackles on every drive, despite tackling having been their main focus in practice all week. The piece that summed up the game for them Sauce Garner apparently wrapping up a tight end Trey McBride right in front of the third-down marker so he can break free and then hinder another defender in the open field for extra distance.
– The Jets’ plan was clearly to establish the run, and they had a lot of success running the ball in the first half. But again they had to give up because they were behind. Breece Hall averaged more than five yards per carry, but only carried the ball 10 times.
– Davante Adams was surprisingly ineffective because he didn’t catch a pass until he made a one-yard catch late in the third quarter. His first four goals of Aaron Rodgers all were incomplete, including three in the end zone. The last of these was dropped, although an Arizona defender may have deflected it. Rodgers ended up targeting him 13 times, but he had just 31 yards on six catches.
– Murray was sensational, completing his final 17 passes in a row to set a new franchise record. He finished the game with 266 yards on 22 of 24 passing, good for two touchdowns on the ground and one touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. These numbers just show how badly the Jets defense struggled.
– The Jets lost Tyron Smith to a neck injury Olu Fashanu a valuable opportunity to get some reps on the left side. The rookie has held up quite well in that role and could see an expanded appearance if Smith’s injury keeps him out longer.
What’s next
The Jets host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday at 1 p.m
