The Jets almost pulled off a comeback victory but fell short against the Vikings on Sunday, losing 27-22 in Minneapolis𝐆. Here are ꧒some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. There has been some focus on offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and his decision to throw the ball from the 1-yard line on third and fourth down on the Jets penultimate series. At the time, I did not have an issue with it but I 🥃decided to take a closer look to see if the criticism was valid.
I came away still tꦦhinking LaFleur’s decision was fine.
Here’s the first thing: If Mike White gets the ball a little further in front of Braxton Berrios on fourth down, the Jets score the game-winning touchdown. If Berrios could secure the catch after it hit his hands, the Jets score the game-winning touchdown. If that💜 happens, we’re not even talking about this.
Here is why I think LaFleur made the right call: the Jets offensive line got pushed around Sunday. They did not have a great game. If you look at the Jets’ previous drive when they got to the Vikings’ 3-yard line after a pass interference penalty, LaFleur gave the ball to Zonovan Knight on first down and he lost 2 yards. He then called two passes, one ended up being a White scramble. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, he called the White sneak that resulted in a score.
Now, go to the series in question. The Jets get to the 9-yar🧸d line with 2:17 left. They run a short slant to Corey Davis that gets them to the 4 and gives them a new set of downs. LaFleur now dials up runs on first and second down to Knight. Vikings defenders hit Knight in the backfield on both plays.𒀰 Knight manages to gain 3 yards on the first play by bouncing out of a tackle. He is stopped for no gain on second down. LaFleur tried a corner fade to Garrett Wilson on third down, but Wilson stumbled. Then the Berrios play came on fourth down.
I get that everyone thinks they can be an offensive coordinator but I think LaFleur’s reasoning was sound here. This was not Marshawn Lynch against the Patriots. Knight was making his first career star🧸t and the offensive line had been leaky all day. Again, the Jets were inches away from scoring the go-ahead touchdown here if White and Berrios connect.
The one area I will ding LaFleur on when it comes to the fourth-down play is that﷽ he went into an empty formation from the shotgun. Why not at least make the defense think you might be running? You’re giving the front seven the answer to the test with that formation. They know you’re throwing and can disregard the run.
Overall, I think LaFleur does a 𓄧good job𒁏. Offensive coordinators always take heat. It comes with the job. But LaFleur does not deserve to get killed for this one.
2. I stumbled upon a Vikings wrap-up show on late Sunday night where they were reviewing the game. It jumped out to me how much the perception of the Jets has changed this season. The Jets have long been the punchline for people and viewed as an easy win on the schedule.💞 But the analysts on this show were talking about what a great win this was for the Vikings against such a good Jets team. They also said the Vikings won’t see a defense as tough as the Jets again this season.
Who knows what will happen in the final five weeks of the season, but it is safe to say the Jets have turned the corner from the laughingstock they hav🦂e been in recent years to a team that is respected around the NFL. Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh deserve credit for making that happen.
3. Sunday was not Mike White’s best game, but it was still enough to convinceಞ you he is🐠 the guy moving forward. There should not even be a question about benching White right now. He looks so confident and poised out there. This is not even about Zach Wilson right now. It is about White deserving this shot. I don’t think the Jets have to declare him the starter for the rest of the year. That feels pointless to me. But Sal⛄eh knows he needs to keep riding with🍨 White until the wheels fall off.
White made several great throws in this game but the one that stood out to me the most was the fourth-and-10 pass to Corey Davis for 3🎀1 yards in the fourth quarter. White got drilled by Vikings linebacker Danielle Hunter on the play before. It looked like White was hurt. He stayed down on the turf for a bit. For him to shake off that hit and then deliver that t✱ype of pass on fourth down showed tremendous fortitude.
White has a little som👍ething to him and the Jets are feeding off of that righ🍷t now.
4. One of the great parts of my job is getting to see all of thꦍe different stadiums in the NFL. I had been to U.S. Bank Stadium only once before Sunday and that was for the Super Bowl in 2018. This was my first time at a Vikings game there, and wow, it was impressive. The stadium itself is beautiful with glass allowing in natural light even though you are in a dome. The gameday atmo🍸sphere feels like a college game. The fans do the “Skol” chant together and they have a big drum that they hit. They had a lot of cool promotions on the video screen and they even had fake snow coming from the roof before the game.
One consistent thought when I go to these stadiums is: how did the Jets and Giants get MetLife so wrong? This is New York/New Jersey. That stadium should be the best in the league. Yet, it feels so stale and uninviting. The stadium gets loud sometimes but there is no true atmosphere there. How did they not design the stadium so there would be a view of the mosꦯt famous skyline in the world? Why is it so … so … so … gray?
It stinks that New York fans are stuck with a bad stadium when so manyꦡ other great ones have been built in recen🦩t years around the country.
Revealing stat
Garrett Wilson’sꦦ 162 receiving yards mark just the third time this century that a Jets receiver has had that many. Jerricho Cotchery had 165 against the Ravens in 2007 and Eric Decker had 221 against t💫he Dolphins in 2014.
Surprising snap count
The Jets have made an adj🃏ustment to their defensive line rotation and Quinnen Williams is now playing more. Williams was in for 49 defensive snaps (72 percent) on Sunday. Williams had been playing less earlier in the year. The Jets love to rotate defensive linemen but it makes sense to have your best player on the field more.
Game ball
Garrett Wilson looks like a superstar. He dominated on Sunday with eight catches for 162 yards. He made big pl🍸ay after big play, none bigger than his 60-yard catch when he broke tackles to get down to the 11. Wilson is great with the ball in his hands. The Jets have found themselves a true playmaker.
