Jets Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with Blowout over Titans

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets’ offense set the tone early. “We’re trying to play stingy defense and we’re trying to win”.

A possible letdown against the Tennessee Titans?

Fitzpatrick will be a free agent, and head coach Todd Bowles said he would like to see him back for another season. “We did a good job”.

The Titans (3-9) snapped a three game losing streak with a win over Jacksonville last week while the Jets (7-5) remain in the playoff picture. He’s thrown nine touchdowns and no interceptions over that stretch, bringing him up to 25 touchdown passes for the year.

-RUSHING OFFENSE: A-minus. RB Chris Ivory (22 carries for 101 yards) was able to stay on the field and produce his usual grinding effort in which he augmented a bunch of bruising short gains (he gained three yards or fewer on 14 carries) with a big play (a 32-yard run in the second quarter). Muhammad Wilkerson had three sacks for NY, which was coming off a stunning 23-20 overtime win over the Giants last week and had some wondering if there might be a letdown against the lowly Titans (3-10).

“That’s the media talking, it’s a trap game”, defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson said. The Titans have lost at least 10 games in consecutive seasons for only the second time since moving to Tennessee in 1997.

Fitzpatrick was 21-of-36 for 263 yards and three first half touchdowns in a 30-8 victory that ran the Jets’ record to 8-5 this season.

I don’t think so. It was the second pass for Andrews since graduating high school.

Following his signature performance of his rookie campaign, Marcus Mariota and the Titans will take on the Jets today at 1:00PM ET.

“It’s disappointing. We’re better than that”, the coach said. The Titans simply aren’t good enough now to make it easy on any team.

On whether this is the most complete game the Jets have played this year: “I don’t think we played a complete game”.

“Just keep doing what we’re doing and getting better”, Bowles said. However, Kerley appeared to be walking gingerly after a two-yard return and the Jets announced shortly thereafter that he was doubtful to return with the calf injury.

With temperatures an unseasonably warm 68 degrees at kickoff, the Jets got off to an encouraging start. The Jets are 7.5-point favorites in the game and the over/under is 43.5 according to oddsmaker Pincle. Searcy later left with a hamstring injury.

Mularkey said the Titans’ headsets went out on them, adding to the confusion. Both credit Fitzpatrick for his great communication with his wide outs, and said that he does it both on and off the field, which has led to a good sense of camaraderie for the Jets. And that doesn’t give us any reason not to still cover an uncovered receiver. CB Buster Skrine blanketed TE Delanie Walker (seven catches for 71 yards), who is Mariota’s lone reliable weapon. The Jets outgained the Titans 439-292 overall.

Mariota has had three TD passes in each of the Titans’ last two games and he has 19 on the season.

Brandon Marshall and the Jets caught Michael Griffin and the Titans in chaos and burned them for a long touchdown. Mariota lined up as a wide receiver on the play. After three plays Skrine grabbed an errant pass intended for running back Dexter McCluster, and again the Jets settled for three making the score 13-0.

But now the rookie will face-off against the fifth-ranked Jets defense that welcomes back their leader in the secondary, Darrelle Revis.

On the season Wilkerson is having, citing his 12 sacks: “His season is not measured on sacks, but I understand the run/pass thing”.