Jets grades vs. Bills in Week 11: Offense continues to sputter, defense can't pick up slack this time
Shaq Lawson of the Bills sacks Zach Wilson of the Jets in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. Credit: Getty Images/Sarah Stier
OFFENSE: F
Sigh. Another dud, with the one exception being a drive that was kept alive by a fake punt deep in Jets territory. So punter Thomas Morstead had a better passing day than Zach Wilson or Tim Boyle did, and star receiver Garrett Wilson had only one more catch — and nine fewer yards — than cornerback Brandin Echols, who caught that pass from Morstead. The Jets were 0-for-11 on third downs in their 32-6 loss in Buffalo. They scored their first touchdown in three games, but still have only nine offensive touchdowns in 10 games. At least Lindenhurst’s own Jeremy Ruckert was targeted four times and caught three passes for 25 yards, including an 18-yarder.
DEFENSE: D
Are these guys finally starting to crack under the pressure of an awful offense that gives them no margin for error? It looked that way to start the second half. The defense looked bad on Ty Johnson’s touchdown catch to open the second half, and even worse on the 81-yarder from Josh Allen to Khalil Shakir that followed it. Sauce Gardner said the latter was the result of a busted coverage, and that he did his best to cover up for an unnamed teammate. Shakir got by Gardner, Jerome Whithead and Brandin Echols for the game-clincher. The Bills have been in a funk on offense. They broke out of it against the Jets.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
Some very bad and some very good here. Xavier Gipson fumbled while returning the opening kickoff, setting up an early Bills field goal. Later in the half, though, punter Thomas Morstead completed an 18-yard pass to Brandin Echols on a fourth-and-2 play that jump-started the Jets’ first touchdown drive in 12 quarters. If not for that play, the Jets likely would have been shut out.
COACHING: F
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett moved up from the sideline to the upstairs coaches box, and that did not help at all. Coach Robert Saleh might not be able to keep his defense from a mutiny at this stage. There is a short week ahead, with the only realistic hope of making a late-season run to a playoff spot being an upset of the Dolphins on Black Friday. Who will be Saleh’s quarterback for that game? Zach Wilson? Tim Boyle? Trevor Siemian? Boomer Esiason? Does it really matter at this stage?
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
