The offense clicked, the defense looked unbeatable and the Jets finally put together their first complete game of the season against the hapless Redskins. The win also marked the first time the Jets won back-to-back games since Week 6 of 2018.
Aside from a few bad turnovers, everything worked for the Jets in this game. Sam Darnold and Jamal Adams looked terrific, and players like Ryan Griffin and Bless Austin stepped up in big ways on a team riddled by injuries. It’s not much to beat one of the worst teams in the league, but putting up 34 points helps with morale for the rest of the season.
Here are four takeaways from the Jets’ win.
Sam Darnold’s career game
This was the best game of Sam Darnold’s career. He picked apart the Redskins defense, found his receivers easily and made some tremendous throws on the run in classic Darnold fashion. He finished 19-30 for 293 yards and a career-high four touchdowns but also threw a signature interception off his back foot and into coverage.
Darnold continues to regain his confidence against putrid defenses but needs to clean up the mistakes that have plagued his career. It’s always encouraging to see him light up the stat sheet but not when he adds in some potentially-costly turnovers. Luckily, his interception only led to a Redskins field goal, but against a better offense, those turnovers will inevitably turn into touchdowns.
Bless Austin can play
Austin earned his first start against the Redskins after taking over for Nate Hairston midway through Week 10 and played well in a depleted Jets secondary. The rookie made a few nice plays, including a great pass breakup on third-and-18. Redskins wide receiver Kelvin Harmon appeared to make a nice catch near the line early in the third quarter, but Austin expertly knocked the ball out to force a punt.
Redskins wideouts finished with only 137 receiving yards on 18 targets (some of it coming in garbage time), and Austin played a big part in that. The Jets took a risk on Austin in the sixth round after he suffered multiple ACL injuries at Rutgers and missed the first nine games of the season, but he’s come on strong in the past two games. The Jets need young players to step up in a secondary plagued by injuries, and Austin has now done that in back-to-back weeks.
The Jets should keep Jamal Adams
Jamal Adams continued to look like the best safety in the league against the Redskins. He tallied three sacks in Week 11 after finishing Week 10 with nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery touchdown. Gregg Williams has finally figured out how to use Adams in blitz packages and the safety is making the most of it.
After all the tumultuous week following his trade rumors, Adams is increasing his value exponentially. If Joe Douglas wanted multiple early-round draft picks for Adams before the trade deadline, he’ll surely want even more in any potential trade for the stud safety. If anything, Adams’ recent surge will force the Jets to give him a lucrative contract extension. He deserves at least the $14 million per year contract Landon Collins signed this past offseason.
Running back by committee worked
Le’Veon Bell is the unquestioned bell-cow running back for the Jets. He leads the team with 161 carries and his hefty contract demands as many touches as the Jets can give him. With that being said, Bilal Powell has chewed into his time for the second consecutive week and ran well with only seven carries. The Jets should try and use Powell and Ty Montgomery more in the backfield to spell Bell, who started despite multiple ailments.
The Jets rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time all season, with Powell putting up 42. His legs looked much fresher than Bell’s. It’s not sexy to employ multiple running backs, but the Jets should try it more often to shake things up on offense and give Bell a breather before he breaks down one year into his contract.
