Jets non-competitive to close out season with lackluster loss to Bills

1 week ago 2

The final game ever at Highmark Stadium had an unusual preseason-esque vibe to it with Buffalo prioritizing resting key contributors ahead of the postseason and the Jets knowing that an upset win would cost them the opportunity to pick second in the NFL draft. However, despite quarterback Josh Allen only playing the first snap, the Bills never looked in danger of losing with veteran Mitchell Trubisky at the helm.

Buffalo marched 80 yards on their first possession, which ended on Trubisky’s 17-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox, then doubled their lead on a six-yard run by former Jets running back Ty Johnson.

After the Jets turned the ball over on downs near midfield, the Bills quickly increased the lead to 21-0 on a two-yard pass from Trubisky to Ray Davis, who also rushed for 151 yards.

Midway through the third quarter Trubisky threw another touchdown pass to Gabe Davis and a two-point conversion to Keon Coleman to make it 29-0.

Johnson second touchdown, on Trubisky’s fourth touchdown pass, extended the lead to 35-0 with 12 minutes remaining, this time with the two-point conversion unsuccessful.

New York had the last word as they finally managed to get on the board with 7:33 to go, on a short touchdown pass from Brady Cook to Andrew Beck. Cook also found undrafted rookie Quinton Skinner for the two-point conversion.

Here are the takeaways...

-- While it might be considered embarrassing for the Jets to struggle against a Bills team that was mostly backups, it’s fair to note that much of New York’s defense was comprised of third and fourth-stringers. Four of the five starters in the secondary were Ja’Sir Taylor, Keidron Smith, Tre Brown and Samuel Womack. Taylor was acquired at the trade deadline and mostly used on special teams until last week and the other three have been signed or elevated from the practice squad in the past week or two.

-- Two more undrafted rookies, who had been starting in the secondary – Dean Clark and Jordan Clark – did not start, so were presumably benched in favor of the above quartet, none of whom are rookies. That perhaps reflects their own struggles in recent weeks.

-- The Bills moved effortlessly downfield in 11 plays on their opening drive, mostly by running the ball, but scored on a pass play as Knox was left all alone by a coverage bust, which appeared to be Taylor’s fault, although Quincy Williams also left a receiver completely uncovered. You aren’t going to stop any NFL team, even with their reserves in, if you have defensive breakdowns like that.

-- The Jets didn’t start the game any better on offense as they went three-and-out on their first two possessions. That included a play where they were flagged for having 12 men in the huddle on the first series.

-- New York became the first team in NFL history not to register an interception for an entire season and also set the all-time record for fewest defensive turnovers ever in a season. Brown had a potential interception deflect off his hands on Buffalo’s second drive and Williams dropped one in the third quarter. A Jets fumble recovery was also overturned by replay review.

-- Cook may at some point be a solid backup or fringe starter, but the undrafted rookie has clearly been overmatched for the past month and it’s unclear whether throwing him into this situation will benefit him in the long run. While the Jets were even more undermanned than usual at the skill positions with Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis unavailable, Cook was still playing behind a full-strength offensive line, and his lack of production reflects his limitations. He ended up with just 60 passing yards on 22 attempts.

-- It’s difficult to cite any bright spots from the Jets, who were outgained by 470 yards to 122 and didn’t register a single quarterback hit. However, Womack had seven tackles and a nice pass breakup in the end zone. He also would have had a fumble recovery if the runner hadn’t been ruled down. Womack was elevated from the practice squad yesterday so if he impressed the coaches, he would need to be signed to a futures deal tomorrow.

-- The Jets ultimately lost each of their last five games by 23 points or more, as they were not remotely competitive down the stretch. This does not reflect well on the coaching staff, even though they can point to the personnel limitations which caused them to be so overmatched each week, and the previous few months where they were competitive and even won three of five at one point. This could mean the coaches have a shorter leash in the event of a slow start with a retooled roster next season.

Game MVP: Mitchell Trubisky

Trubisky picked apart the Jets’ inexperienced secondary, which didn’t exactly make things difficult for him, but it was an efficient performance as he completed 22 of 29 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns.