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The Jets’ defense on Sunday was completely destroyed in just one play from the line of scrimmage.
In a win-or-go-home game against the Seahawks, the team had been praised all season and was in the top five in the league in terms of yardage and points until Kenneth Walker broke through a hole and ran for 60 yards.
Two plays later, when tight end Colby Parkinson caught an uncontested ball in the end zone, it was a punch in the face followed by an uppercut. The defense didn’t stand up until it was much too late in the Jets’ final 23-6 defeat to the Seahawks, which eliminated them from the playoffs.
Walker fought for and received a stronger push on virtually every carry. Seattle’s Tyler Mabry, who was promoted from the practice squad for this game, caught another simple score as the Jets struggled to defend tight ends in the end zone.
Geno Smith, who the Jets had given up on in 2017, was there of all people to take a flamethrower to a season that had once seemed so promising.
Smith completed 18 of 29 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 8-8 Seahawks into the playoffs.
By the nine minute mark of the third quarter, Walker had gained 100 yards, and he ended the game with 133 yards. The Jets had no answer for Walker.
The Seahawks made this seem simple in the first half, as if they were taking on the Jets from the previous season, who finished lowest in the NFL in both yards and points allowed on defense. These Jets seemed to be different, and for a significant portion of the season, they were. But ultimately?
The defensive line was dislodged from the play. Quinnen Williams hardly made a dent in the stats. The most significant effort of Quincy Williams was a horribly missed tackle on Walker.
Early in the game, the pocket collapsed due to Kwon Alexander’s overplaying of Smith, which allowed him to flip the ball to Deejay Dallas for 41 yards and set up Mabry’s score. On the same drive earlier, Bryce Huff leaped offside to prevent a third-down stop.
The defense kept the door open for Mike White, and Sauce Gardner came to play with four pass breakups. The second half was much better than the first.
These consolation prizes, though, won’t mean a bit to the Jets as they attempt to understand why this season turned out so badly after beginning so well.
The defense, which gained notoriety by defeating Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers earlier in the year, was unable to hold its own against a group of players, the most notable of which was D.K. Metcalf, who remained silent throughout the contest.
The team that guided the Jets to a 7-4 start and a near-certain postseason place was ultimately largely to blame for the unceremonious fall.
»Jets’ defense crumbles under pressure«