Normally when a team is leading 14-3 in the second quarter, the run game starts to shut downs. Instead, the New York Jets remained undeterred and kept feeding their stable of running backs.
The commitment to the run eventually broke the Houston Texans, and the Jets finished with 157 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. In the second half alone, the Jets tallied 101 yards on the ground, and mounted three drives of eight-plus plays that gained at least 40 yards and burned 4:30 off the game clock.
Defensive end Jonathan Greenard said the Jets were able to execute their running game in the second half.
“A lot of big plays in the run game, fits and stuff — basically, just getting on the perimeter, getting their big guys on our little guys and just playing a numbers game,” said Greenard, who finished with two combined tackles, 1.0 sack, a forced fumble, and two quarterback hits. “I think they executed that pretty well. We had our moments when we stopped it. We weren’t consistent enough to stop that.”
As the Jets took an 18-14 lead and padded their margin 21-14, their run game gave the offense a more two-dimensional approach.
Going forward, Greenard believes Houston has to be more fundamentally sound in stopping the run.
Said Greenard: “Just have to be more sound and more understanding of their game plan and understand situational football and get better in that aspect. Things that we have to clean up for ourselves, it just shows up weekend and weekend, we just have to build upon them.”
The Texans fall to 2-9 on the season and have given up at least 150 yards rushing in six games, all of them losses. Houston will have a harder task in Week 13 as they host the Indianapolis Colts, who are renowned for their rushing attack led by running back Jonathan Taylor.
