Week 1 is in the books for the New York Jets and…yikes. That was bad. It’s almost tough to pick any studs in this game. There were certainly were plenty of duds. Let’s run through some players on each side after what was a nightmare of a day for the Jets, as they fall to the Ravens in Week 1, 24-9.
Stud - RB Michael Carter
There wasn’t much to get excited about from the offense Sunday, but Michael Carter certainly was a highlight. Well, except for the dropped touchdown in the fourth quarter. Other than that, Carter did have 100 total yards. Carter ran well, averaging six yards per carry. Granted, he only rushed ten times, but the game got away from the Jets in the third quarter so they had to start passing more. Despite the fumble, you can still feel content with Carter’s performance.
Stud - WR Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson had four catches for 52 yards and he showed flashes of excellent yards-after-catch ability, including on a floating pass from a pressured Joe Flacco, though Wilson was stopped short of the first down. He also saw a couple of targets in the red zone. Expect more of those as the season progresses.
Dud - OT George Fant
As unfortunate as his situation has been and as unfortunate to even have to mention him, George Fant was a key reason the Jets were slowed up early on offense. He allowed two sacks against Justin Houston. The offense was already struggling without the sacks. Houston getting to Flacco was the icing on the cake. It certainly is tough to flip tackle positions twice in a month, the second one being just a week before the first game. Nonetheless, Fant left Jets fans wishing for a very speedy recovery for Duane Brown.
Dud - QB Joe Flacco
The offense as a whole was bad. There’s no denying that. But Joe Flacco did not help matters at all. He threw 59 times. That right there is not a recipe for success. Yes, he threw for over 300 yards. But it took over 60 dropbacks to get there. His interception was a poor one. He did get into a little bit of a rhythm at times, but just wasn’t consistent enough to sustain any sort of success. It got so bad that Jets fans started chanting for Mike White. They even chanted for Chris Streveler, who wasn’t even called up from the practice squad. It may be a long September for the Jets.
Dud - Jets offense
It wasn’t just Joe Flacco’s fault. The entire offense laid an egg Sunday. The receivers struggled to catch the ball, especially Corey Davis. Breece Hall fumbled. The offensive line allowed Flacco to be sacked three times. A fourth was wiped out by a Ravens holding penalty. And for all the talk about the tight ends, they were nowhere to be found. Well, Tyler Conklin did have three catches…but also fumbled. It’s only one game, but the worries that arose against the Giants in the preseason were certainly warranted.
Stud - Jets defense
While the offense looked bad, the defense did all they could to at least give the Jets a chance. Save for a few deep bombs, the Jets defense stood tall in Week 1. Kwon Alexander and Sauce Gardner were among the leaders, along with Jordan Whitehead.
There is reason to believe in this defense this year. They held the Ravens to just 11 rushing yards in the first half. Things fell apart in the second half, but the pieces are there. Now it’s just about bringing all the pieces together and getting some consistency.
Dud - Greg Zuerlein
Greg Zuerlein won the kicking battle against Eddy Pineiro. Perhaps a new kicking battle needs to commence. Zuerlein missed a field goal and an extra point and brought out even more boo birds than there already were. Not exactly how you want to prove you were the man for the job.
