Jets: Week 4 Recap

Week 4 of the NFL and for the Jets, it seemed like another blowout waiting to happen. The past three weeks we were absolutely embarrassed and at least for me, I was hoping for just one touchdown. The matchup we faced was Jets vs Titans, the Titans coming off a 2-game win streak and seeming to be on a roll. However, they were down their two best receivers in AJ Brown and Julio Jones. Even then, most people thought the Titans would still come away with the win.

During the first quarter, it was a slow game. The Jets defense started strong though, pressuring the QB on multiple snaps. Our defense has been the one bright spot on our team and they still continue to shine week after week. Once our offense took the field in the second half there was something I saw in this unit that I did not see the past three weeks. We started to get into rhythm, completing pass after pass, run after run and the next thing you know, we scored our first touchdown since week one. Rookie RB Michael Carter (not to be confused with Rookie CB Michael Carter II) scored his first career NFL touchdown. This brings the score within 2 points going into the half. At this point I was excited, but also waiting for a heartbreak to happen in the second half due to the fact that we were still losing 9-7. 

Once we got into the second half, however, this Jets team took absolutely no time in finding ways to put points on the board and the next thing I know we scored a field goal and took our first lead of the season, 10-9. Heading into the 4th quarter is exciting, but it’s more nerve-wracking than anything. When the 4th quarter came, it was back and forth the entire time. The Jets offense looked very promising out there posting two touchdown passes, one to WR Jamison Crowder and the other, an absolute bomb to WR Corey Davis for a 53 yard touchdown. Zach Wilson looked like a veteran in the pocket, scrambling outside to avoid pass rushers, great accuracy on his throws, and great arm strength, stretching the field in many ways. However, this game was back and forth, meaning the Titans did score two touchdowns of their own, one to RB Derrick Henry and another to WR Cameron Batson, taking this game into overtime, 24-24. 

On the coin toss, the Jets win, and they elect to receive to start with the ball. Zach Wilson put together a nice drive, taking the ball to the redzone. At this point, I started to think we actually can win this game if we just could score a touchdown. However, we only scored a field goal from the promising drive. In overtime, the first team to score a touchdown wins, but if you score a field goal, then the opposing team will get a chance on offense to score. Since the Jets only scored a field goal, the Titans were given the ball with about 4 minutes left. The nerves were kicking in at this point, the Titans were driving down the field with authority and it seemed like they would score a touchdown and put this game in the past, walking out of New York with the win. However, the Jets defense made a huge stop to force the Titans to go for the field goal. In this scenario, there was only a few seconds left, which meant that if the Titans made this field goal the game would end in a tie. I was thinking to myself at the time how disappointing it would be if a game like this would end up in a tie. After all this fight, how could this end up in a tie? Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, Titans kicker Randy Bullock MISSED the field goal in OT to hand the Jets their first win of the season!

An absolute thriller of a game which had many positives compared to the past weeks where there was not much optimism. First off, our defense did not miss a step. This unit has been the bright spot of our team and they have yet to disappoint, finishing the game with 7 sacks and 14 QB hits. Quinnen Williams led the way with two sacks followed by his brother, Quincy Williams, with one sack. Another player who is really proving his worth on the field is EDGE Bryce Huff. Huff, who put out 1 ½ sacks and 3 QB hits, has really made a case for himself the past two seasons after being an undrafted rookie last year. I could go on and on about our defense, because it really is a bright spot of our team and is easily a top 10 unit in the NFL. Next, our offense finally showed up in this game. Yes, it did take a few weeks; however, the improvement that this offense has made is unbelievable if you take into account that they hadn’t scored a touchdown since week one. Zach Wilson played so well he actually won NFL Rookie of the Week with 297 yards, passing on 21 completions, 2 touchdowns, and an interception! Not all the credit goes to Wilson though, our largest weakness played phenomenal today in our offensive line. This unit is already beat up badly with the loss of star LT Mekhi Bekton out with a knee injury, and backup LT George Fant has been playing serviceable in his absence which has really helped Zach Wilson go through his progressions and move the ball downfield with ease. Another positive about this team is WR Corey Davis, who posted another monster stat line: 4 receptions, 111 yards, and a touchdown. Week 4 was a great week for the Jets, you can really see this team starting to improve heavily, and thanks to our offense, this is now a competitive football team. Next week will be quite the interesting one to say the least. The Jets will travel across the Atlantic and play in London against the Atlanta Falcons, a matchup that could potentially give the Jets their second win of the season. Week five we will see if the New York Jets are contenders or pretenders.