Not much went right for the Jets in Week 5. Between sacks, turnovers and dropped passes, the Jets failed once again to look like a competent football team in a 31-6 loss to the Eagles.
Are we even sure Sam Darnold should return to this team? There aren’t any real offensive playmakers capable of overcoming the Jets’ porous offensive line and the team can’t get out of its own way. It will take a miracle for the team to dig itself out of an 0-4 hole.
As things continue to look bleak, here’s a look at who stood out — for reasons good and bad — on Sunday.
Stud: Neville Hewitt
Hewitt shined once again on defense for the Jets. He led the Jets with 10 combined tackles, a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit. He had a hard time matching up against Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (five catches for 57 yards and one touchdown), but Hewitt’s never been known for his coverage skills.
The loss of Avery Williamson for the season left a huge hole in the middle of the Jets defense, but Hewitt has stepped up admirably in his absence, especially with C.J. Mosley also missing time with a groin injury. Hewitt is playing for his contract after signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract this offseason.
Dud: Jets offensive line
Adam Gase decided to shake up the offensive line after poor play and injuries in the first four weeks of the season. It failed, as the Eagles sacked Luke Falk a season-high 10 times, the last of which knocked Falk out for the game. They had three sacks in the previous four games combined. One of those sacks led to a fumble recovery touchdown for the Eagles’ defense.
Falk is not a good quarterback, but he can’t be blamed for the team’s poor offensive performance. He was pressured constantly and never had a clean pocket to throw. The Jets only had 128 total yards of offense, and a lot of that can be attributed to the line. There’s no fixing this unit after another poor showing.
Stud: Vyncint Smith
Smith scored the Jets’ first offensive touchdown since Week 1 on an end-around 16-yard run. The rest of the team played horrifically but Smith took advantage of a short field following a special teams turnover by the Eagles.
Gase finally got a little creative with this play-calling and it worked. Smith took a pitch from Falk on the reverse and ran around the Eagles defense untouched for the score. It was Jets’ first score in 32 possessions.
Dud: Demaryius Thomas
The Jets traded a sixth-round pick for the veteran wide receiver because they desperately needed competent pass-catchers. Well, so far Thomas has been a bust. The 32-year-old receiver dropped a wide-open pass from Falk and finished the game with four receptions for 47 yards on nine targets (a team-high).
There’s a reason the Patriots were willing to part with Thomas, and it’s no real surprise he’s been unable to replicate the success he enjoyed in Denver. At best, Thomas is the third receiving option for the Jets on a team without any offensive firepower.
