The Jets fouꦗnd a way to beat the Bills 27-20 on Sunday despite committing 20 penalties and los🌜ing the turnover battle. The Jets need not apologize for the win, but they have to solve some issues if they are going to be a contender.
Here are the winners and losers💖 from Sunday’s game:
WINNERS
MUHAMMAD WILKERSON: This is what you call a complete day: two sacks, six tackles, five quarterback hits and one forced fumble. Wilkerson was a beast for Rex Ryan’s defense, cons🌸tantly in EJ Manuel’s face and shutting down the Bills’ running game. He jumped offsides a few times, but you can live with that aggression if it translates to this kind of production.
THE O-LINE: The big boys up front are stꦿarting to come together for the Jets. They held the Bills without a sack and opened up holes for Bilal Powell, who rushed for 149 yards. The addition of Will🎶ie Colon has been a strong one and credit Austin Howard for keeping Mario Williams quiet.
SANTONIO HOLMES: Who saw this coming? A year removed from a foot injury that cost him most of the 201ꦑ2 season, Holmes looked like his old self. He caught the game-winning, 69-yard touchdown from Geno Smith and made big grabs all day long. Holmes has a remarkable ability to not tip off the defensive back the ball is coming by keeping his han🐻ds low until the last second. If Holmes can regain his 2010 form, this offense will have much more firepower than anyone forecasted.
LOSERS
KYLE WILSON: Brutal. Wilson lost his cool ▨in the fourth quarter and almost cost his team the game. Two consecutive personal fouls (five penalties overall) were enough to keep the Bills offense moving on their game-tying drive. Wilson was benched to regain his composure and later came back into the game. Four years into his career, the Jets can’t rely on♕ Wilson in a big moment. He needs to clean it up.
VLAD DUCASSE: Wils💛on’s five flags were the only thing that overshadowed Ducasse’s four penalties. Ducasse has played well this year and had the best game of his career a week ago. His blocking was strong Sunday, but he can’t kill the offense with penalties. Holding and false starts have been a problem for him whenever he’s played in the past. It can’t happeౠn.
CHRIS IVORY: The risk when the Jets traded for Ivory was he could not stay on the field. That scou🐼ting report looks right. Ivory re-injured a hamstring Sunday, and who knows how long he’ll miss? The injury cost him mos꧃t of training camp and has bothered him in the past. In his absence, Powell had a career day. I wonder whether Ivory will every become the every-down back the Jets hoped for.