http://nypost.com/2015/08/21/jets-hit-trifecta-of-terrible-in-alarming-deceiving-win/
Jets hit trifecta of terrible in alarming, deceiving win
Panic City may be on the move from Queens to Florham Park.
The Jets starters looked awful Friday night against the Falcons in the team’s second preseason game of the season. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the starting offense failed to score against Atlanta’s starters and the defense got chewed up by the Falcons on one drive and ended up allowing 14 points. Special teams made it a trifecta of terrible by allowing a 59-yard punt return to Devin Hester.
The final score was deceiving with the Jets winning 30-22 thanks to a strong effort by the backups.
It is only preseason so you can’t overreact, but the Jets have not looked good in their first two preseason games. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson mockingly referred to the “Panic City” around the Mets earlier this year. The Mets stabilized things, but panic now may be setting in around their Shea Stadium cousins.
It was not all bad for the Jets. First-round pick Leonard Williams had a terrific game. He recorded 1 1/2 sacks, one for a safety, and blew up a Falcons running play. The Jets will be counting on Williams with Sheldon Richardson suspended for the first four games of the season.
The starters played into the middle of the second quarter and it was ugly.
The starting defense played without Richardson and fellow defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson Friday night. Wilkerson is nursing a strained left hamstring. The defense looked like it missed those two. It was only starters vs. starters for two drives. On those, the Jets gave up 89 yards on 9 plays and two touchdowns. The second touchdown came after Hester’s punt return gave the Falcons the ball on the Jets’ 4-yard line.
On the first drive, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan hit fullback Collin Mooney with a short pass out of the backfield that Mooney turned into a 60-yard gain. Jets linebacker Quinton Coples whiffed on the coverage on Mooney. It was a rough start for Coples, who could not get off his block a few plays later when Falcons running back Terron Ward ran past him for a 4-yard touchdown.
Ryan connected with wide receiver Leonard Hankerson for the Falcons’ second touchdown of the night, a 2-yard slant that the Jets failed to cover. It appeared to be the result of a miscommunication between cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine.
The offense was equally inept with their first five drives ending in punts. Two of those drives were three-and-outs. The offense finally broke through after the Falcons starting defense was on the sideline. Chris Ivory scored on a 33-yard touchdown run.
Fitzpatrick ended up completing 13-of-19 passes for 118 yards. The Jets’ passing game consisted of mostly short throws to the running backs or Brandon Marshall, who had four catches for 62 yards.
Adding to their struggles, the Jets picked up 10 penalties in the first half for 70 yards.
Things went better for the Jets once the Falcons starters sat already ahead 14-0. Williams sacked backup quarterback T.J. Yates for a safety in the second quarter to put the Jets on the board at 14-2. The Jets made the two-point conversion on a Fitzpatrick-to-Marshall pass after Ivory’s score to cut the Falcons’ lead to 14-10. Two Nick Folk field goals gave the Jets a 16-14 lead before halftime.
“I thought we started off a little sluggish, but we know Fitz,” guard Willie Colon said. “Fitz is a vet guy. He controls the game, he’s a great game manager and we just had to be out there with him to feel him out.”
Rookie quarterback Bryce Petty played much better Friday night than he did in his preseason debut against the Lions. He showed more poise and made some plays. He connected with DeVier Posey for a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He completed 12-of-19 passing for 168 yards and the score.