Eight games into the season, the Jets remain impossible to figure out. Two weeks ago they beat the Patriots. Last week, they got dismantled by the Bengals.
At 4-4, they are the definition of mediocrity. Sunday, they get another tough test with the 6-1 Saints coming to MetLife Stadium. Jets coach Rex Ryan has said all season he believes the Jets will be a good team, but when? The calendar has turned to November, and it’s time to find out if these Jets can make a push for the playoffs or if they’re heading for another early winter.
“It clearly has to start coming together quick,” Ryan said. “We’re playing the Saints, [whose] record is 6-1, right there at the top. This will be a good measuring stick. We’re a work in progress. Each week there’s no magic solution. We just have to work hard and keep improving — week in, week out. I think if we take those proper steps, we’ll be a good football team.”
Last week, they looked like anything but. The Bengals ripped apart the secondary and stifled their offense in a 49-9 blowout. The Jets have spent the week trying to put that game behind them and concentrate on the Saints, who present a ton of problems.
“It’s like the perfect storm,” linebacker Calvin Pace said. “They really do have multiple weapons, a good scheme and a great quarterback. It’s tough.”
Led by QB Drew Brees, the Saints offense is No. 6 in the NFL. Brees and head coach Sean Payton have the offense rolling.
The Jets hope to continue their win-one-lose-one pattern for one more week. The one other time the Jets were blown out this year at Tennessee, they responded the following week with a win over the Falcons, one of their best games.
Can they do it again?
A look inside the game:
MARQUEE MATCHUP
Saints TE Jimmy Graham vs. Jets safeties Antonio Allen and Dawan Landry
Graham was limited with a foot injury last week, playing just 18 snaps. In those 18 snaps, he caught three passes, two for touchdowns. The 6-foot-7, 265-pound Graham creates major matchup problems for every team he faces. He’s too fast for linebackers and too big for defensive backs.
Allen played well against the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski a few weeks ago, and Gronkowski still ended up with eight catches. The Jets likely will use a number of guys on Graham on Sunday, but Allen figures to draw the majority of the coverage.
“This guy, you talk about a problem, he has the size, he has speed, [he is] phenomenal at adjusting to the football and he has a great rapport with [Drew] Brees,” Rex Ryan said. “It just seems like, where do they grow these dudes? They’re all 6-7, 6-8 and they’re fast. We’ve played them all it seems like.”
SECONDARY ISSUES
Brees had to be salivating watching the film of the Jets’ loss to the Bengals. Andy Dalton picked the Jets defense apart. Now, Brees gets to attempt to do the same.
“For us, we’ve given up the deep ball,” cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “Until we fix it, until we solve that problem, it’s going to keep happening.”
The Bengals threw for 323 yards on the Jets last week, and now the third-ranked passing attack rolls into town. Cromartie and Dee Milliner took a beating for their performances last week, but the Jets front seven also needs to do a better job getting to the quarterback. Dalton was hit just once last week.
“I think we really have to affect Drew Brees, get him off his spot,” Calvin Pace said. “The same philosophy we had with Tom Brady, make his day difficult so he just can’t sit back there. If he has time, it’s going to be a long day. You can see that every game they play. They might start slow, but they get going.”
WHAT A RUSH
The Jets have given up 29 sacks this year, tied for 30th in the NFL. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith partly is to blame for holding onto the ball too long, but he also has gotten poor protection from the left side of the line and his running backs.
The Saints defense, under coordinator Rob Ryan, has 24 sacks, eighth in the NFL. They come from all different directions. The Saints have gotten sacks from 13 different players, tied for the most in the league. Cameron Jordan leads the team with six sacks and will test Jets tackle Austin Howard. Smith has shown that, like most quarterbacks, he is much better given time to throw. When teams pressure him is when his turnovers come. He can’t afford to add to his 13 interceptions Sunday.
FAMILIAR FACE
Running back Chris Ivory came to the Jets from the Saints in a draft-day trade. He spent the week downplaying the significance of facing his former team, but you know he’ll have some emotion. Ivory had a strong game two weeks ago, rushing for 104 yards against the Patriots, but the rushing game disappeared last week, partly because of the score.
The Jets should be able to run the ball against the Saints, who are given up 4.8 yards per attempt, the worst mark in the league. Expect Ivory to get a bunch of carries early as the Jets try to establish a running game, especially if East Rutherford is windy.
ROCKS IN THE MIDDLE
Two Jets defensive players were on the field for every snap last week — inside linebackers David Harris and Demario Davis. The duo has become a reliable force for the Jets and a big reason they are No. 1 in the NFL against the run.
Ryan said last year he hoped to keep his inside linebackers on the field for nearly every snap. That was tough to do with an aging Bart Scott. But this year Harris has played all but two snaps and Davis has missed 13.
“I think what happens is when you have the ability to keep your bigger bodies in there you’re better against the run in those situations,” Ryan said. “It helps in blitzing. You’re hitting guys with different people. Again, it’s kind of rare to have guys with that size and speed, that combination. We’re fortunate to have it.”
NUMBERS TO KNOW
23-12
The Saints road record since 2009, the best in the NFL. Playing away from the Superdome does not faze them.
7
Different Saints with an interception this season. The Saints have nine total interceptions. The Jets have just three.
12
Touchdowns scored by the Jets in 2013. Only the Steelers, Buccaneers and Jaguars have scored fewer. The Broncos lead the league with 44.
COSTELLO’S CALL
The Jets will play better than last week. Then again, they couldn’t play any worse. I think they’ll keep this close, but they won’t be able to stop the Saints in the end.
SAINTS 31, JETS 24