Fitzpatrick, who missed the entire offseason program during his weird contract standoff with upper management, followed up a quiet preseason (16-of-29 passing for 183 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions) with one of his least impressive games the Jets quarterback on Sunday, when he was just 19 of 35 for 189 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 23-22 loss to the Bengals.
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“It’s a new year”, Fitzpatrick said. “We got down there plenty”.
After a slow start, he was as good as it gets.
Cincinnati Bengals’ A.J. Green (18) catches a pass in front of New York Jets’ Darrelle Revis (24) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 in East Rutherford, N.J. Green scored a touchdown on the play.
“If he has, we know he’s coming from the mountaintop”, Ryan said on a conference call Tuesday when asked if Revis’ play has slipped in recent years. They not only lost to the Bills twice a year ago, but during their Week 17 meltdown in Orchard Park – a 22-17 defeat that knocked them out of playoff contention – Watkins torched them for 136 yards on 11 catches, including a 38-yard completion. Sure Nick Folk cost the team dearly.
But none of that annoys me, and I assume every long-suffering Jet fan, is to the play-calling in the red zone, especially on that next-to-last drive when we all were sitting on our couches thinking the same thing. Didnt get it done. “That was the poorest execution I’ve seen on our side, in the red zone, since I’ve been here”. On the Jets drive, Ryan Fitzpatrick was 4-for-6 with 40 yards in the air and four on the ground with the drive ending on a Quincy Enunwa 3-yard touchdown. The first missed extra point in Folk’s career and a blocked 22-yard attempt came back to haunt the Jets.
“I’m not going to talk about it”, he said sternly.
Let’s acknowledge reality – this Jets defense has a long way to go before it can carry this team to the postseason.
The fourth quarter than saw a 53-yard field goal from the Patriots, followed by a 1-yard touchdown catch from Fitzgerald from Palmer for the Cardinals, giving them a 21-20 lead.
Can a game in Week 2 really be a must-win?
Good advantage – Run gameThe Jets run defense is solid, but Buffalo demonstrated an ability to move the ball on the ground against NY. The Jets responded on their next drive, started with a 65-yard kickoff return and capped with a 15-yard pass from Fitzpatrick to Eric Decker.
On Cincinnatis next possession, Mike Nugent was wide right on a 52-yard attempt that kept the game a one-point affair. It also gave the Jets terrific field position with just over 9 minutes left, putting the ball at their 42. “But we adjusted. We made plays”.
The defensive line was dominant, sacking Andy Dalton seven times.
“He had a great game”, Revis said of Green. “This one was big”.
Safety Marcus Gilchrist, who appeared to have been frozen by Dalton’s play-action fake as well as a fake end around on the play, pointed to “miscommunication”. The Jets would get the ball back with 54 seconds but a drop by Marshall, an errant pass to Decker, and then an interception would be all she wrote for the Jets.
“You just have to move on to the next kick”, Folk said. We kept pounding today and thats what weve got to do.
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The Bengals had difficulty matching the Jets’ emotion early in Sunday’s game.
