The Jets are at 5-4, with seven regular season games remaining, and trying to overcome injuries to key players, individual lapses on both sides of the line and three losses out of their last four games. The Green and White and their fans watched Rex Ryan and his Buffalo Bills celebrating on theirMetLife Stadium turf.
Jets coach Todd Bowles must ask himself critically, “Where Do We Go From Here?” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked it in his fourth and last book before his passing. Soulful Singer Bobby Womack asked it in the title of one of his hit songs from his highly regarded “Poet” album.
“We made some good plays,” said Bowles. “I think we make some mistakes. We have to cut down on the mistakes, obviously.”
Yes! Obviously! No doubt. More mistakes can cause the Jets more losses and further complicate the question above when playing a “back to the wall” team such as the Houston Texans, who they play on Sunday in Houston in an AFC interconference game.
The Texans, featured on this season’s HBO series “Hard Knocks,” haven’t looked as good on game days as they did in the cable series, but they’re an improving opponent, compiling a 4-5 record to date. The 4 was a grinder to the end. In Monday night’s road game, they beat the top-ranked Cincinnati Bengals 10-6. They limited Cincy to zero touchdowns and had to use their backup quarterback for most of the game. Now 8-1, the Bengals had their first loss of the season.
Houston features the NFL’s media darling, defensive end and sack specialist J.J. Watt; DeAndre Hopkins, whose receiving skills are comparable to Odell Beckham Jr.’s; and first-round 2014 draft pick Jadeveon Clowney, who didn’t play Monday night because of a back injury.
Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose torn ligaments in his non-throwing hand are repaired, is expected to play this Sunday, although it hasn’t been confirmed.
“We have to see about his pain level,” said Bowles. “We have to see if there’s any difference in the way he took handoffs last week and the way he’s taking them this week.”