| In one of New York's better performances, Jets running back Joe McKnight returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown Monday night. The Texans defeated the Jets 23-17. (US Presswire) |
The Jets lost for the second straight week -- this time to the Texans 23-17. Coming into Monday night’s game, the Jets were 5-0 all-time against Houston. While there were a few brighter spots than there were in a Week-4, shutout loss to the 49ers, the Jets still appear to have a long way to go.
Offense: C-
No running game. Again. Still? RB Shonn Greene had just eight attempts for 26 yards. The team combined for a total of 69 rushing yards. QB Mark Sanchez’s numbers improved (14 of 31 for 230 yards), but he completed only one touchdown and threw two interceptions -- and his completion rating was under 50 percent again. QB Tim Tebow was involved for a few more plays, but ended with five carries for 19 yards in the wildcat and threw one incompletion. On paper, the passing game didn’t look terrible. WR Jeremy Kerley had 94 yards receiving and TE Jeff Cumberland, filling in for TE Dustin Keller (hamstring) had two catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. But they are missing critical plays at critical times. For example: the interception of Sanchez in the end zone. The protection is a huge issue. With the constant rotation of Matt Slauson and Vlad Ducasse at left guard, the offensive line is out of sync.
Previous game’s grade: F
Defense: C+
The Texans RB Arian Foster had 100 yards … by halftime. However, the run defense actually improved. Foster’s total of 152 yards was due, in part to poor alignments on two plays where he rushed for 46 and 21 yards. CB Antonio Cromartie, in his first matchup with WR Andre Johnson, held him to just one catch for 15 yards. It was another week with no sacks.
Previous game’s grade: F
Special teams: A
RB Joe McKnight scored his first kickoff touchdown of the season, going 100 yards. A fake punt with a direct snap to QB Tim Tebow got the team a first down. Coach Rex Ryan called for an onside kick following the kickoff return for a touchdown. WR Chaz Schilens was unable to recover the ball, but it showed creativity and could have been a game-changer. P Robert Malone averaged 40.3 yards and K Nick Folk made his only field goal attempt.
Previous game’s grade: D-
Coaching: C+
There are still issues with the play-calling. And why does offensive coordinator Tony Sparano continue to rotate Slauson and Ducasse at left guard? However, the team stayed competitive throughout the game using Tebow more and adding CB Antonio Cromartie in for a couple of plays on offense.
Previous game’s grade: F
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