Most overlooked plays in New York Jets’ 16-17 loss to Buffalo (part 2)

Michael Nania highlights the most crucial moments that went overlooked by the stat-sheet during the New York Jets’ Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Many of the occurrences on a football field that most directly contribute to the outcome of a play do not get recognized in the box score, and are often not even visible on the television screen. With this series, those overlooked moments are going to get the recognition they deserve. I will be looking back through each of the Jets’ 16 games in 2019 and pointing out some of the most crucial off-the-stat-sheet plays in each. After looking at the first half of the Jets’ season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, we move on to the second half, in which the Jets blew a 16-0 lead. 3RD & 2 AT NYJ 44 (Q3, 13:25) Sam Darnold was physically limited by the complications of mononucleosis in this game, but he did make some solid plays with his brain. This 3rd & 2 play is one of those moments. Adam Gase shows off an interesting wrinkle as he lines Jamison Crowder up in the backfield, who motions into the left slot. Nobody follows Crowder, tipping off zone coverage. Crowder is uncovered, but it's no lock that Darnold can get him the ball safely. Darnold needs to read the two defenders on that side. It's possible the outside corner could shift inside while the safety rotates outside to cover Ryan Griffin's vertical route over the top. If that happens, neither player would be open and the play would likely be dead. If both defenders stayed put, Crowder would be open for an easy first down. Darnold notices the safety beginning to drop a tad before the snap while the outside corner stays home in the flat and tags Griffin. Crowder is the easy choice. Darnold gets the ball out quickly under the heat of two unblocked defenders for a first down. Good pre and post-snap recognition. 3RD & 10 AT 50 (Q3, 12:53) The entire Jets offense hangs Darnold out to dry on this third-and-long play. Five players run routes, each covered man-to-man, and none of them are able to create any separation whatsoever. Upfront, Kelvin Beachum and Kelechi Osemele allow the pocket to collapse around Darnold, closing down any escape lanes. 4TH & 15 AT NYJ 45 (Q3, 12:10) The Jets defense would pick up a safety under a minute after that sack on Darnold. How did it get set up? Great special teams play by Brant Boyer's unit. Lachlan Edwards drops a beauty inside of the five. Trenton Cannon (#25, highlighted) blazes by his man and gets in position to down the ball at Buffalo's two-yard line. 3RD & 10 AT NYJ 49 (Q3, 05:24) In hindsight, this momentary lapse of control from Henry Anderson was a major turning point in the game. Josh Allen throws an incomplete pass on third down and the Bills would have punted the ball back to the Jets in a 16-0 hole with under 20 minutes left in the game. Instead, Anderson decides to give Allen a shot well after he releases the ball. The Bills wound up scoring a field goal on this drive. Killer penalty from Anderson. 2ND & 3 AT BUF 22 (Q4, 14:21) On their first defensive drive without C.J. Mosley, the Jets allowed Buffalo to drive 85 yards for a touchdown on the strength of three rushes for 10+ yards by Devin Singletary. At the middle linebacker position Mosley would have been in on this play, Neville Hewitt does an awful job as he is dominated at the second level by tight end Lee Smith. Jamal Adams also makes a very rare mistake as he is knocked out of the hole by pulling center Mitch Morse. Quinnen Williams gets pinned inside by the left tackle. You may have wondered how there was so much open space on the outside - outside cornerback Darryl Roberts took eons to recognize the run play and continued attempting to cover John Brown until he was already 15 yards downfield. It only would have taken one of these Jets defenders executing their assignment better to prevent this long run. It goes to show how many successful blocks are needed to spring a successful running play. 2ND & 4 AT NYJ 35 (Q4, 12:38) This 12-yard run by Singletary showcases the value of strong edge-setting. The Jets cover up the point of attack very well, as Leonard Williams, Adams, and Hewitt gain leverage into the C-gap. Just one lost battle can cancel out the good work by multiple other defenders. Tarell Basham is moved to the inside by Smith, leaving his back to the edge. That's a golden invitation for the running back to bounce outside. A strong edge-setter is like a great long snapper. The job is simply about making costly mistakes like Basham's as infrequently as possible. There isn't an eye-catching way to execute the role, but it is very important nonetheless. Despite this mistake, Basham set the edge well for the most part in 2019. 2ND & 5 AT NYJ 18 (Q4, 11:12) Lee Smith quietly carried the Bills back into this game. You already saw him throw the key block on Singletary's first two big runs. Here he is doing it again. Smith (#85, inside tight end on right) gets to the second level and pins Hewitt - who sinks in too close because of the jet sweep motion - to the inside. Harvey Langi (#44, over the tight end on right edge) and Bronson Kaufusi (4i-tech over right tackle) are also pinned inside. With these three wins, Singletary has an unimpeded lane to the outside with two pullers leading him. It's a 3-on-2 advantage for Buffalo before Singletary even touches the football. Adams and Brian Poole are sealed to the outside by the two pullers, opening up a mammoth lane for Singletary. Also take note of Blake Cashman getting flipped over on the backside by the left tackle (#73 Dion Dawkins). Cashman should have been able to range over and fill the gap. His brutal play is arguably the primary reason that this run breaks loose. Marcus Maye makes a phenomenal tackle to save the touchdown (although Allen would scramble in on the ensuing play). Plenty of Jets messed up on these runs, but it all boils down to the drop-off from Mosley to Hewitt. It is highly unlikely that Mosley would have been sealed out of the hole by Lee freakin' Smith on either of those plays. He is excellent at keeping plays in front of him and putting himself in the right position, possessing top-notch football IQ and the ability to evade blockers in space. Cashman and Hewitt did not show those traits in relief of Mosley, and it cost the Jets a victory. Check out the analysis of the first half of this game here.