With the regular season in the books, it’s time to take a look back and reflect on what the Jets accomplished in 2019.
New York got off to a dreadful 1-7 start, but finished the season on a 6-2 hot streak to cap off a 7-9 season. The Jets beat up on some bad teams during their late-season run and have lots of holes to fill heading into 2020, but there’s reason to be encouraged by the way Gang Green ended 2019 if you are a glass-half-full kind of person.
So, what’s to make of the Jets’ season? What better way to break things down than by evaluating New York on a position by position basis.
Quarterbacks
It was an up-and-down year for Sam Darnold. He occasionally showed flashes of promise with unreal throws into tight windows and extraordinary plays with his legs. He also showed signs of regression at times in his first season working with Adam Gase.
Since Darnold was sidelined with mono for a while, we also have to take into account the horrendous play of Trevor Siemian and Luke Falk in his place. That drags the unit’s grade down, but make no mistake about it. Darnold’s development (or lack thereof) is the main takeaway from the season.
Grade: C
Running Backs
Adam Gase either didn’t know how to use Le’Veon Bell in his first season working with the star running back or simply opted to make the 26-year-old a complementary piece since he never really wanted him in the first place.
Bell failed to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career, rushing for 789 yards and a dismal 3.2 yards per carry. He did haul in 66 passes for 461 yards and a touchdown, but his lack of production on the ground set New York’s offense back. Bilal Powell chipped in 229 rushing yards in a secondary role, while Ty Montgomery added 103 yards on the ground.
All in all, it wasn’t too great of a year for New York’s rushing attack. Then again, it’s not exactly easy to produce behind an offensive line littered with backups and underperforming players.
Grade: C-
Wide Receivers
Jamison Crowder wound up being New York’s best free agent acquisition, as he established himself as Sam Darnold’s go-to target with 78 receptions for 833 yards and six touchdowns.
Robby Anderson served as Darnold’s favorite deep threat, hauling in 52 passes for 779 yards and five scores. Other than those two, no Jets receiver managed to catch more than 40 passes. The lack of production as a whole drops the unit’s grade a bit, but Crowder and Anderson deserve credit for providing New York with a reliable duo that could hurt a defense underneath or over the top.
Grade: B
Tight Ends
This was supposed to be the year Chris Herndon established himself as an upper-echelon tight end in the NFL after a solid rookie season. Instead, a suspension to start the season and multiple injuries derailed any chance at that.
Herndon caught only one pass for seven yards before landing on season-ending injured reserve. Ryan Griffin (34 receptions, 320 yards, five touchdowns) stepped in his place and emerged as a safety blanket for Sam Darnold before he too landed on IR late in the season. If it weren’t for Griffin’s standout play, this unit would’ve been a lost cause.
Grade: C+
Offensive Line
It’s a wonder that Sam Darnold and New York’s running backs survived 2019 considering how poorly the offensive line played throughout the year.
The unit was riddled by injury, but even when everyone was healthy it was simply not a good group. Kelvin Beachum was solid throughout the season and Brian Winters fought hard through injury, but Kelechi Osemele and Ryan Kalil were complete wastes before succumbing to injury. Brandon Shell wasn’t good at right tackle and lost his job to Chuma Edoga, who looked to be trending in the right direction before the injury bug cost him his season.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
The Jets were a mixed bag in the trenches in 2019. Henry Anderson, Quinnen Williams and Leonard Williams (before he got traded across town) contributed almost nothing throughout the season.
While that trio struggled, Kyle Phillips, Foley Fatukasi and Nathan Shepherd all stepped up and took advantage of increased playing time. Those three salvage the unit’s grade, but Quinnen Williams’ play in his rookie season was disappointing, to say the least.
Grade: C+
Linebackers
Whether it was Gregg Williams’ ability to get the most out of his players or career backups rising to the occasion, New York’s linebacker core was mostly solid throughout 2019.
This unit could’ve rolled over and mailed it in after season-ending injuries to Avery Williamson and C.J. Mosley. Instead, it rose to the occasion. Blake Cashman showed lots of promise before his season got cut short due to injury. Neville Hewitt turned in the best season of his career, as did Jordan Jenkins as an edge rusher. Both Tarrell Basham and James Burgess also came on strong at the end of the season, likely earning themselves a spot in New York’s plans moving forward.
Grade: B+
Secondary
Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye were excellent for New York at safety. Adams earned himself another Pro Bowl selection, while Maye improved with each game.
Excellent is not a word that can be used to describe Gang Green’s cornerbacks, though. Brian Poole was a bright spot in the nickel, but the negatives outweigh the positives in this situation. Trumaine Johnson couldn’t cover anyone before his season came to an end. Darryl Roberts spent more time celebrating incompletions he had nothing to do with than actually forcing them himself. Nate Hairston contributed almost nothing. Maurice Canady is the definition of a question mark. Bless Austin showed promise, but got torched by the Steelers in Week 16 and found himself benched in New York’s season finale. Arthur Maulet came on strong at the end of the season, but he doesn’t exactly have a track record of success.
Adams and Maye grade out at A-. The corners grade out at a C thanks to a three-week stretch in which Austin and Maulet locked down opposing receivers. Since we’re combining the two units, that leaves the secondary’s grade in a middling state.
Grade: B
Special Teams
Brant Boyer coached up a solid unit and Lachlan Edwards had plenty of punts to remind everyone he is among the best in the business. Braxton Berrios also led the NFL in punt return yard average, giving the Jets the leader in that category for the second consecutive season.
Unfortunately, Sam Ficken’s struggles overshadow New York’s special teams success in other areas. We’ll give him credit for hitting the game-winner against the Dolphins and accounting for 10 of New York’s 16 points against the Steelers. Other than that, the Penn State product was simply not good. With the way he performed in 2019, it’s safe to assume the Jets will have a new kicker next season.
Ficken was bad, but we can’t punish the unit as a whole too harshly because of him. The Jets boasted a solid enough special teams unit to earn a decent enough grade.
Grade: C+
