Michael Nania lists the New York Jets’ best and worst players against the Miami Dolphins, and stacks up the roster according to each player’s impact on the team’s performance to date.
Studs and duds + season-long roster rankings:
Week 2 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 9 vs. New England Patriots
Week 11 at Los Angeles Chargers
Each week this season, I will be laying out my picks for the New York Jets‘ best and worst-performing players from their previous game – but with a twist. Each player listed as a “stud” will receive a positive score ranging from 1 (solid) to 5 (dominant) based on their impact level, while each player listed as a “dud” will receive a negative score ranging from -1 (below average) to -5 (horrendous). The sum of all players’ scores will be equal to the Jets’ scoring margin from the game.
As the season progresses, we will get an increasingly good look at each player’s contribution to the team’s success (or lack thereof) up to that point.
Here are my studs and duds from the Jets’ 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Jets lost by 17 points, so the scores below add up to -17.
At the end of the piece is a ranking of the season-long scores for each player, showcasing the team’s most valuable and most detrimental players on the year.
Duds
Ashtyn Davis: -1
Ashtyn Davis played a mostly sound game, but he did give up a 13-yard touchdown to Mike Gesicki on a third-and-8 play with the score tied 3-3, drastically altering the course of the game. On the positive side, he allowed only one catch for five yards (not a first down) across the other three targets his way.
Jabari Zuniga: -1
Jabari Zuniga was not credited with any pressures over 13 pass-rush snaps, and has yet to record one in 38 pass-rush snaps this season.
Chris Herndon: -2
Chris Herndon had an illegal block above the waist penalty while blocking on a kickoff return that forced the Jets offense to start at its own 7-yard line. Offensively, he was not targeted over 14 routes run, rarely separating enough to warrant a throw his way. His pass protection did look solid, however, and he had some nice run blocks at the second level as well.
Ryan Griffin: -2
Ryan Griffin was obliterated in pass protection for a likely sack in the first quarter, taking a holding penalty to prevent it. He was also a primary culprit on a handful of unsuccessful running plays.
Lamar Jackson: -2
Lamar Jackson allowed 3-of-7 passes thrown his way to be completed for 46 yards, with all three catches moving the chains. DeVante Parker dropped a would-be first down against him, while Mike Gesicki dropped a slant that would have been a healthy gain on first down.
Sergio Castillo: -2
Sergio Castillo missed a 29-yard field goal to close the first half. Not counting blocked kicks, it is the first sub-30 yard field goal missed by a Jets kicker since Nick Folk missed a 24-yarder on the opening drive of a clash with the Patriots at MetLife Stadium in Week 10 of 2011. That happens to be the Jets’ most recent game on Sunday Night Football.
Greg Van Roten: -2
Greg Van Roten looked more like the early-season version of himself, allowing two pressures. One of those was a sack, and he was partially responsible for another sack that he was not knocked on. In the run game, Van Roten botched a few blocks to allow tackles on the ball-carrier.
Arthur Maulet: -3
Arthur Maulet allowed 5-of-6 passing in his direction for 44 yards and two first downs while also committing a 30-yard pass interference penalty on Jakeem Grant.
Harvey Langi: -3
Harvey Langi missed a pair of tackles and was victimized for a couple of big plays in coverage, giving up a 22-yard completion to Mike Gesicki on a third-and-2 play and also allowing a touchdown to Adam Shaheen. Gesicki had Langi beat for a third-and-5 conversion but could not track the ball as it traveled from the shadows into the sunlight.
Against the run, there were a good number of plays in which Langi contributed to allowing a big gain, either by taking a poor angle or allowing himself to be plowed downfield at the second level.
Sam Darnold: -4
A strong start to the game keeps Sam Darnold from earning a -5, but his mistakes in the second half and late first half were enormously costly. Both of his interceptions were about as bad as interceptions can get. He missed a wide-open Jamison Crowder for a touchdown – twice. His accuracy downfield was poor. He took a sack he had no reason to take.
The pieces around Darnold did enough for the Jets to score far more than three points. Darnold is the main reason the Jets did not find the end zone.
Pat Elflein: -4
Pat Elflein was only knocked with one pressure, but he lost a lot of reps in which he was lucky that his matchup either did not have enough time to reach the quarterback due to a quick release or was picked up by a teammate. He was also the most common culprit on failed rushing plays, although he flashed on a couple of pull blocks.
Conor McDermott: -4
Conor McDermott allowed two pressures and took a holding penalty while mostly struggling in the run game. The downgrade in athleticism is apparent when George Fant is not out there.
Studs
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