Jets grades vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7: Lots of blame to go around
Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich watches fro the sideline in the second half of an NFL game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Credit: AP/Matt Freed
OFFENSE: D
The first four possessions of the second half ended on a punt, an interception, a missed field goal and on downs, a quadruple whammy for a team that desperately needed to get something positive to happen. Even their sustained drives of 11 and nine plays in the second half did not result in points. Breece Hall scored on a 13-yard run but his other 11 carries resulted in a combined 25 yards. He did lead the team with 103 receiving yards. Davante Adams was targeted nine times but caught just three passes for 30 yards so clearly that instant chemistry between him and Aaron Rodgers will need some time to come back . . . if it ever truly does.
DEFENSE: F
The Jets let Russell Wilson regain his championship form in his first start for the Steelers as he completed 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards and two TDs and also ran for a score. There were far too many wide-open receivers and far too many broken tackles on runs. It’s hard to blame the defense for a 1-yard touchdown drive like the Steelers had in the third quarter after an interception and return, but at some point they needed to make a stop and could not. The Steelers scored on their last five possessions of the game en route to 31 unanswered points.
SPECIAL TEAMS: F
For the third time in four games, the field goal kicking hurt the Jets. This time it wasn’t exactly Greg Zuerlein’s fault that his 35-yard attempt in the third quarter was blocked by Dean Lowry on a rush up the middle, but it still goes in his ledger. The Jets also allowed an extra point to be blocked and were lucky that the Steelers were flagged for a questionable leverage penalty on the play. Xavier Gipson muffed a punt return and fumbled another, both squirting out of bounds. Isaiah Davis had two bad kickoff return attempts, slipping on one at the 26.
COACHING: D
Two weeks in and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich already seems to be out of answers and his frustration is palpable. Even he needs to work on some things; he fumbled the challenge flag when he wanted the officials to take a second look at a Hall run to the goal line he thought reached the end zone and couldn’t get it on the field quick enough to stop the action . . . and nearly negated a touchdown pass to Tyler Conklin when he did fling it out there. The offensive play-calling is out of whack with 15 carries and 40 passing dropbacks and too few attempts down the field. Defensively, there were far too many open receivers.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
