The Jets are starting to look like an NFL team again.
Gang Green put together their most complete game of the season and beat the dismal Redskins, 34-17, for their second straight win, this time behind a career-high four touchdown passes from Sam Darnold and a swarming defense led by Jamal Adams’ three sacks.
“It’s huge,” Darnold said of the team getting back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months. “But it’s one game after the other. It’s continuing to stack wins, but also continue to have the mindset of every single day. Tomorrow we’re going to come back to work and have great meetings and get after it. We’ve just got to continue to go back to work every single day and stay with the process.”
The Jets are now 3-7 and in the midst of an easier stretch of their schedule. For all of the criticism of the Jets this season, the 1-9 Redskins make the Jets look like a dominant force. Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins looked baffled by the Jets defense for most of the day and Washington committed the critical mistakes that usually plague the Jets.
The Jets jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first half and did not ease up until the game was already decided. They led 34-3 in the fourth quarter before Washington reached the end zone for the first time. It was the Jets’ first win by double digits since Oct. 7, 2018, when they beat the Broncos by 18.
“We’re tired of the dramatics,” running back Le’Veon Bell said. “We were able to go in here today, start off fast, get a quick lead and sustain that lead over the course of the game and run the ball well and efficiently. It was good today.”
After a 1-7 start to the season, the Jets and first-year coach Adam Gase have steadied the ship. Two weeks ago, the Jets lost to the winless Dolphins and Gase’s seat was white hot. They have now beaten the Giants and Redskins, and team CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson has said Gase will remain the coach in 2020.
Still, the postgame locker room was businesslike. The team still knows they are only 3-7, but their confidence is growing.
“I think guys have done a good job of just refocusing on Wednesday when they come in and trying to get better that week, practicing hard,” Gase said. “I’ve been very impressed with how these guys have stayed consistent as far as practicing goes. We’re executing a little bit better. We’ve just got to keep finding ways to do that a little bit better each week.”
For the fourth straight game, the Jets scored on their opening drive, going 75 yards on seven plays. Darnold rolled to his left, tight end Daniel Brown improvised and found an opening in the end zone, where Darnold found him for a 20-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
It was the first of three Darnold first-half touchdowns. Darnold finished with 293 yards on 19 of 30 passing. Darnold’s only major mistake came on an interception midway through the second quarter. He was looking for Ty Montgomery on a screen pass, but floated it over him and into the hands of Redskins linebacker Jon Bostic.
The defense held Washington to a field goal, but then Jets returner Vyncint Smith fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The defense held firm again, though, and the Redskins missed a field goal. It felt like the Jets might hand the Redskins the game, but Washington could not even take it. They managed a total of 6 yards on the two drives after takeaways.
Darnold led a nice two-minute drill before halftime, finding the end zone in three plays and 43 seconds. The Jets got the ball with 1:19 left in the half at their own 18.
Darnold completed a 45-yard pass to tight end Ryan Griffin and then a 16-yard touchdown pass to Griffin for a 20-3 halftime lead. Griffin had 109 receiving yards, the first 100-yard game of his career.
The Jets finished with 400 total yards, the first time they have hit that mark this season. The offense has come to life the last two weeks, scoring eight touchdowns after scoring just eight in their first eight games.
“We’re really getting a feel for the offense,” Darnold said. “I think just getting in that rhythm and being able to understand exactly what’s going on out there allows us to play a lot faster.”
Five different Jets scored touchdowns — Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder, Robby Anderson, Griffin and Brown.
Darnold has rebounded from a rough stretch in October to take command of the offense.
“He’s a winner,” Griffin said.
The offense will get the headlines for their best game of the year, but the Jets defense was outstanding again. Haskins (19 of 35, 214 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) looked confused until the game was already well in hand. Adams continues his great play, sacking Haskins three times bringing his two-game total to five. Washington managed just 225 yards, 54 rushing.
The Jets now face a tough Raiders team before games against the putrid Bengals and the two-win Dolphins (one of those wins coming against the Jets).
“Slow start to the season, for sure,” Griffin said. “The schedule’s kind of opening up for us here. We’ve got to take advantage of these opportunities, especially when we have the offense kind of stepping up and winning these games for us.”
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Gang Green put together their most complete game of the season and beat the dismal Redskins, 34-17, for their second straight win, this time behind a career-high four touchdown passes from Sam Darnold and a swarming defense led by Jamal Adams’ three sacks.
“It’s huge,” Darnold said of the team getting back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months. “But it’s one game after the other. It’s continuing to stack wins, but also continue to have the mindset of every single day. Tomorrow we’re going to come back to work and have great meetings and get after it. We’ve just got to continue to go back to work every single day and stay with the process.”
The Jets are now 3-7 and in the midst of an easier stretch of their schedule. For all of the criticism of the Jets this season, the 1-9 Redskins make the Jets look like a dominant force. Rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins looked baffled by the Jets defense for most of the day and Washington committed the critical mistakes that usually plague the Jets.
The Jets jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first half and did not ease up until the game was already decided. They led 34-3 in the fourth quarter before Washington reached the end zone for the first time. It was the Jets’ first win by double digits since Oct. 7, 2018, when they beat the Broncos by 18.
“We’re tired of the dramatics,” running back Le’Veon Bell said. “We were able to go in here today, start off fast, get a quick lead and sustain that lead over the course of the game and run the ball well and efficiently. It was good today.”
After a 1-7 start to the season, the Jets and first-year coach Adam Gase have steadied the ship. Two weeks ago, the Jets lost to the winless Dolphins and Gase’s seat was white hot. They have now beaten the Giants and Redskins, and team CEO and chairman Christopher Johnson has said Gase will remain the coach in 2020.
Still, the postgame locker room was businesslike. The team still knows they are only 3-7, but their confidence is growing.
“I think guys have done a good job of just refocusing on Wednesday when they come in and trying to get better that week, practicing hard,” Gase said. “I’ve been very impressed with how these guys have stayed consistent as far as practicing goes. We’re executing a little bit better. We’ve just got to keep finding ways to do that a little bit better each week.”
For the fourth straight game, the Jets scored on their opening drive, going 75 yards on seven plays. Darnold rolled to his left, tight end Daniel Brown improvised and found an opening in the end zone, where Darnold found him for a 20-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead.
It was the first of three Darnold first-half touchdowns. Darnold finished with 293 yards on 19 of 30 passing. Darnold’s only major mistake came on an interception midway through the second quarter. He was looking for Ty Montgomery on a screen pass, but floated it over him and into the hands of Redskins linebacker Jon Bostic.
The defense held Washington to a field goal, but then Jets returner Vyncint Smith fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The defense held firm again, though, and the Redskins missed a field goal. It felt like the Jets might hand the Redskins the game, but Washington could not even take it. They managed a total of 6 yards on the two drives after takeaways.
Darnold led a nice two-minute drill before halftime, finding the end zone in three plays and 43 seconds. The Jets got the ball with 1:19 left in the half at their own 18.
Darnold completed a 45-yard pass to tight end Ryan Griffin and then a 16-yard touchdown pass to Griffin for a 20-3 halftime lead. Griffin had 109 receiving yards, the first 100-yard game of his career.
The Jets finished with 400 total yards, the first time they have hit that mark this season. The offense has come to life the last two weeks, scoring eight touchdowns after scoring just eight in their first eight games.
“We’re really getting a feel for the offense,” Darnold said. “I think just getting in that rhythm and being able to understand exactly what’s going on out there allows us to play a lot faster.”
Five different Jets scored touchdowns — Le’Veon Bell, Jamison Crowder, Robby Anderson, Griffin and Brown.
Darnold has rebounded from a rough stretch in October to take command of the offense.
“He’s a winner,” Griffin said.
The offense will get the headlines for their best game of the year, but the Jets defense was outstanding again. Haskins (19 of 35, 214 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) looked confused until the game was already well in hand. Adams continues his great play, sacking Haskins three times bringing his two-game total to five. Washington managed just 225 yards, 54 rushing.
The Jets now face a tough Raiders team before games against the putrid Bengals and the two-win Dolphins (one of those wins coming against the Jets).
“Slow start to the season, for sure,” Griffin said. “The schedule’s kind of opening up for us here. We’ve got to take advantage of these opportunities, especially when we have the offense kind of stepping up and winning these games for us.”
Jets finally steadying ship as confidence quietly grows
LANDOVER, Md. — The Jets are starting to look like an NFL team again. Gang Green put together their most complete game of the season and beat the dismal Redskins, 34-17, for their second straight w…
nypost.com
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