The Jets either get completely embarrassed or find a way to win late by a miracle. Week 4 was the latter as the Jets scored with less than 20 seconds left as Breece Hall broke the plane just before losing control of the football to give the Jets a 24-20 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to move to 2-2. Let’s run through some studs and duds from the victory.
Stud - Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson gets a stud designation for hanging in there in his first start of the season after his knee injury and making some big-time throws on the final drive to get the Jets in position to score the game-winning touchdown with less than 20 seconds left. It was very nice to see the connections with Corey Davis, Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore. Even Tyler Conklin again got involved as the Jets continue to try and get him more involved in the offense.
Oh, and of course, let’s not forget the touchdown reception on the Jets’ version of Philly special that gave the Jets their first lead since the final 22 seconds against the Browns.
Dud - Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson also gets a dud designation because there sure were some painful throws. Late in the first half, when the Jets had a chance to at least kick a field goal and go up by ten, Wilson overthrew Jeff Smith and was intercepted by Cameron Sutton. The Steelers later turned that turnover into three points, making the score 10-6 at the instead of 13-3 or even potentially 17-3. That points swing was potentially a disaster for the Jets as it gave all the momentum to them going into the locker room.
The second interception wasn’t completely on Wilson, but still a killer end to a drive. So while Wilson deserves recognition for leading the Jets to victory, he was nowhere near perfect. He was 8/24 at one point but did go 8/12 after that, finishing 18/36 for 252 yards.
Stud - Corey Davis
Corey Davis came up big for the Jets Sunday, making a couple of big-time catches, especially in the fourth quarter, to put the Jets in a position to win. He certainly did not have any issues with drops against the Steelers. Davis finished with a team-high five catches (seven targets) for 74 yards and a touchdown that got the Jets within three, the second time he scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to get the Jets tow within a one-possession game.
Dud - Jets offensive line
It’s worth noting that the Jets are continuing to constantly shuffle their offensive line and did so not only before the game but during the game as well.
It was expected that Conor McDermott would start at left tackle for the injured George Fant. Instead, the Jets shifted Alijah Vera-Tucker over to left tackle and started Nate Herbig at right guard.
During the game, Max Mitchell went down, so McDermott ended up seeing the field anyway, playing at right tackle.
Regardless, the Jets couldn’t get anything going in the run game and Zach Wilson was far from comfortable in the pocket. Per TruMedia (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt), the Jets allowed 22 pressures, four quarterback hits and one sack. But this is where having Wilson back was key. If that happened during the first three of the season, that one sack is probably at least three or four with the statue-esque Joe Flacco. With Wilson, his mobility allowed that number to be limited to just one.
The #Jets allowed 22 pressures, 4 QB hits and one sack, per TruMedia.
Zach Wilson's mobility got the #Jets out of a lot of sticky situations today.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) October 2, 2022
The Jets also only averaged 3.4 yards per carry, rushing for just 98 yards on 29 carries against a Steelers team that entered as the league’s fifth-worst rushing defense. But the line, including McDermott (zero pressures allowed), held up at the end when they needed to, got the yards they needed when they needed it and that’s why the Jets are 2-2. But overall, not a perfect day for the front five again as a whole.
That being said…
Stud - Alijah Vera-Tucker
When you’re having a strong season at one position, it’s not easy to just up and switch to another position. But Alijah Vera-Tucker is a team player and also had experience at the tackle position, making the transition very smooth.
Yes, we noted the offensive line as a whole, but AVT deserves a lot of credit for just making this move in the first place after being asked by the coaches if he was willing to do so. Add in that he had another strong game and it equals a key reason the Jets made the comeback in the fourth quarter. He may not be a household name nationally, but he’s quickly getting there.
Stud - Defensive Line
Finally, some pass rush. The Jets came into Week 4 with just five total sacks. Against Pittsburgh, they scored three sacks. Quinnen Williams, Jermaine Johnson and Carl Lawson each had one. Williams and Lawson also each recorded two quarterback hits and a tackle for a loss, as the Jets were able to stifle the Steelers offense. At least when Mitch Trubisky was on the field. The Jets didn’t sack Kenny Pickett once but did intercept him three times.
Dud - Jets' third-down defense
Through the first half, it seemed like the Jets had started figuring out their third-down woes on defense. The Steelers were just 1/6 on third down in the first half. Then Kenny Pickett came in and everything changed, including the Steelers’ luck on third down. They were 5/6 on third down in the second half and finished 6/12 for the day, marking yet another game where the Jets allowed at least a 50% conversion rate to opponents on third down. That can’t happen next week against a Miami team with a ton of talent on offense, even if Teddy Bridgewater is starting at quarterback.
Stud - Lamarcus Joyner
Lamarcus Joyner easily had his best game of the season against the Steelers, racking up four passes defended and two interceptions to go with six tackles. Joyner helped thwart a few deep shots from the Steelers and came away with the interception on Kenny Pickett’s Hail Mary attempt on the final play.
Joyner struggled quite a bit during the first three games of the season, but he certainly started turning things around in Pittsburgh. We’ll see if that continues next week against the Dolphins.
Stud - Bryce Huff
Jets fans had been wondering why Bryce Huff had been inactive the entire season. He was good enough to be part of the edge rotation, so why not give him a shot and get him back out there?
New York finally made him active for the first time this season and Jets fans were rewarded for their patience.
This tweet tells the entire story.
Bryce Huff stats:
– Played nine snaps
– Three pressures
– #Jets pressure rate with Huff on field: 21.6%
– With Huff not on the field: 5.4%I'd say he's earned a role going forward.
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) October 3, 2022
He wasn’t out there much. But when he was, he was effective. It’s time to get him out there more.
