If only Rex Ryan could’ve coached the Jets like he coaches against them, he’d still be their coach.
Rex’s Bills weren’t much against the rest of the NFL this season, but they sure had Gang Green’s number — it was 17, which the Jets were held to in each of their losses vs. Buffalo, while the Bills scored 22 in both contests.
After a five-game win streak that put them in the driver’s seat for the postseason, the Jets came crashing down on Sunday. Needing only to turn back the not-so-mighty Bills to land their first playoff berth in five years, the Jets stunk up Ralph Wilson Stadium, finishing out of the money with Pittsburgh’s win over Cleveland.
Jets fans have so much to gripe about -- and plenty of time to do it -- with a long winter ahead, with the fact that they’re not Giants fans little consolation (OK, maybe just a bit more than a little) as the playoffs proceed without them. Where should they start?
How about with the very first play of the third quarter, when, following a first half in which the visitors were just plain awful, the Jets showed they were determined to sustain their stink, as former All-Word corner Darrelle Revis was penalized for attacking Buffalo receiver Sammy Watkins.
Revis may be the best to ever wear the green-and-white, but he’s proven that, at 30, he’s on the downside of his career and no longer able to effectively cover the NFL’s best wideouts.
Everyone knew Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor was keying on Watkins as his first, second and third option (the second-year WR was targeted on 15 of Buffalo’s 28 passes), and yet time and again he beat Revis for the ball.
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Taylor, meanwhile, did what’s he’s done all year as one of the few bright spots for Ryan’s underachieving squad: play mistake-free football and keep the opposing defense off balance with his mobility.
If the Bills QB made few errors, Jets signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick more than made up for that. In the days leading up to the game, Fitz was being mentioned as an MVP candidate and was playing the best football of his decade-long NFL career.
Against Buffalo, though, he was off all day, completing well less than half of his throws -- not including the three he connected on with Bills defenders.
The Amish Rifle threw his prettiest pass of the day with about 20 seconds left in the game, a rainbow to Kembrell Thompkins that would’ve given the Jets a real shot at the end zone -- and the win -- if Thompkins had held on to it. He didn’t, though, as Bills defender Mario Butler knocked the ball away. The play perfectly symbolized the day for the Jets. Needing only to hold on to the postseason slot that was all theirs for the taking, they clumsily dropped it.
Ten wins is nothing to sneeze at, especially for a team that won just four a year ago. And the future is very bright for Todd Bowles’ team.
But they still have to play Rex’s Bills twice a year.
