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Both Jets coordinators were superb today.
Jeff Ulbrich’s defensive game plan was outstanding, often confusing Josh Allen, so he often didn’t trust his eyes. The Bills star had two picks, and it should have been three.
Jets OC Mike LaFleur managed Zach Wilson extremely well.
Right now at this stage of his career, he operates best with great first reads, and two of the biggest plays of the game were examples of that.
In the third quarter, after a Sauce Gardner pick set the Jets up with great field position, the possession ends with Wilson throwing a screen to James Robinson that went for a 7-yard TD. Then on the Jets’ drive that ended with them kicking the game-winning field goal, on a third-and-five, right before the two-minute warning, Wilson hit Denzel Mims with a quick slant for a gain of 12. This play was huge because if it had failed, the Jets would have kicked a field goal, and the Bills would have gotten the ball with 2:00 minute left and all three time-outs. Instead, the Jets got three more downs, and the Bills had to use all their time-outs and got the ball back at 1:43 with no timeouts left.
The bottom line is at this stage of Wilson’s career, the OC needs to script that QB to success, and today LaFleur did a wonderful job of that . . .
What Duane Brown is doing is awfully impressive. Not only is he 37, which is definitely on the old side at left tackle, a position that requires great feet and top-shelf athleticism protecting the QB’s blindside, but he’s playing with his messed up left shoulder strapped in. With all this going on, can you imagine how he feels in the fourth quarter of a game?
However, on the Jets’ game-winning drive culminating with a 28-yard field goal by Greg Zeurlein, he had the key blocks on two huge running plays off left tackle by Michael Carter, one for 17 yards, and another for 15 yards.
What a great signing by Joe Douglas.
Another great move by Douglas was on display on this drive – the trade with Jacksonville for Robinson. We mentioned his touchdown on the screen pass earlier, but on this game-winning drive, he had a 16-yard run up the middle . . .
Underrated important play in this game was the hold by Braden Mann on the game-winning field goal. The snap as high . . .
Early in the second quarter, the Jets got a big-time scare with cornerback D.J. Reed, who is have an excellent season, went down with what looked like a serious knee injury. He was down for several minutes holding his knee. It looked really bad. However, he was able to eventually walk off under his own power, and returned to the game.
Reed told JC after the game that he was the victim of “friendly fire” when he got hit on the side of his knee by linebacker C.J. Mosley on a pass to the short right side to WR Gabe Davis. It turns out there was no structural damage, but just a contusion on the side of his knee.
Not sure the Jets win this game if he was not able to come back. Let’s not forget he had one of the biggest defensed passes of the game, in the fourth quarter, on a deep pass to Bills star receiver Stephon Diggs . . .
While Jermaine Johnson still has some work to do on shedding blocks, his speed today came in handy on two plays, chasing Josh Allen to the right sideline, on one of the play, Allen threw the ball away, and on the other one, Johnson took him down for a sack. He’s a 4.58 forty guy, very fast for a defensive end, and that speed was on display on these two key plays . . .
November 6, 2022
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