The Jets did what they had to do on Sunday. They completed the task at hand, defeating the New York Giants 34-27.
“Any time you win, it helps for the next week,” said the Jets’ head coach Adam Gase explaining how a victory keeps a team locked in and working to get better. “It’s a good feeling for them right now.”
But the same could have been said if it was the other way around, if the Giants had won.
Both the Giants and New York Jets share the same stadium. For various reasons, they’ve both had underachieving seasons. They each now sport two wins out of the 19 games that they’ve played, but the Jets now have another win streak after Sunday’s 34-27 victory. They also have pressure to improve that streak because they’re playing in Washington, D.C. this weekend, down 95 South to play an opponent who is also having an underachieving season. Washington only has one win, a rookie quarterback, and an interim head coach.
The Jets will need to pressure Dwayne Haskins, Washington’s rookie QB, the way they did Daniel Jones, the Giant’s rookie QB.
“For us, it was just about making sure we kept him in the pocket. It was a big concern of ours,” said Gase whose defensive unit logged 6 sacks, a season high, and held the Giants to 23 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordan Jenkins had two sacks each. Adams for 21 total yards, 11 for Jenkins. Linebacker James Burgess and defensive lineman Steve McLendon split a 10-yard sack, and second year defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd registered the first sack of his career.
Adams, voted the AFC Defensive Player Of The Week, also had two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery which he returned 25 yards for a touchdown on the Giants’ first possession in the second half. The first sack, an 8-yard strip sack on third down, was recovered by the Giants forcing them to punt. The second sack was a fumble recovery which resulted into a touchdown.
“He said he was going to do it before he went out there,” noted Gase recalling his thoughts about Adams’ score. “I just saw him in the end zone and said, ‘Well, I guess he was right.’”
Happy about contributing and a Jets’ win, Adams replied, “Yeah, I did. I told him, ‘I’m going to make the turnover. It’s going to be special.’”
Adams hasn’t been shy about his efforts to be a great Jet player. It’s his mindset. “That’s how I go out every Sunday, Monday, whatever it is. Wherever we play, I’m trying to be the best on the field, trying to be the best in the league.”
On offense, Jets second year quarterback Sam Darnold will need to show some more growth and improvement the way he did against the Giants on Sunday. Darnold orchestrated two touchdowns in the first quarter. The first, a 13-play, 75-yard drive resulting in a two-yard touchdown run by Darnold, and a 9-play, 50 yard drive ending with a 23-yard pass from Darnold to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.
“I think we’re really starting to roll,” said Darnold. “This offense is really getting its rhythm, and I’m excited to see where we can go the rest of the year.”
