In the Jets vs 49ers Week 14 matchup, Gang Green came out on top thanks to sticking to their fundamentals. Here are the top five takeaways from the contest.
Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets strong safety Calvin Pryor (25) and free safety Marcus Gilchrist (21) combine against San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) during the first quarter at Levi
The Jets finally broke into the win column and defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14 by the score of 23-17. It wasn’t pretty in the beginning of the game, but the Jets fought hard on both sides of the football. Again, it was like night and day for this team from what they have looked like this season.
With the win, the Jets are 4-9 and now have to prepare for next week’s game against the Miami Dolphins. In this game, improvements were made but they still made many mistakes. It was a small step in making this team better. They will look to continue to build on this win and look to finish their season on a high note.
This is an opportunity for the Jets to finish the season with something positive. Let’s a take a deeper look and break down the top five takeaways from the Week 14 contest.
Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty (9) throws the ball against San Francisco 49ers defensive end DeForest Buckner (99) during the overtime period at Levi
5. Bryce Petty steps up when it counted
In his second start of the season, quarterback Bryce Petty was able to lead his team to a victory with a stable performance. He was very careful with the football after throwing an interception.
Petty was able to go 23 for 35 in passing, threw for 257 yards but scored no passing touchdowns. Petty threw one interception but it didn’t hurt them late in the game.
He finished with a 49.1 quarterback rating which is a shaky performance by him. Petty struggled in the first half but in the second half, he played better. Petty will need to build on this performance because next week will be a test against a very good Dolphins defense. The offense kept the ball for a great amount of time in the second half.
The Jets offense kept the football for 41 minutes and 55 seconds compared to the 49ers that had the football only for 24 minutes and 30 seconds.
4. Jets defensive front line steps up when it was needed
After struggling the first half of the game, the Jets defense stepped up in a big way. They were able to make key defensive stops and set the rhythm for the second half of the game.
With putting pressure on quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the defense caused him to throw horrific throws. The defense only allowed 116 yards in passing.
They improved in the second half big time and made the correct adjustments which were very impressive. They finally stepped up and delivered a good performance for the most part.
The two quarterback sacks they achieved caused a 49ers drive to be stalled. They need to continue to use their speed and agility because they could cause major problems against any opponent in the NFL the rest of the way.
Dec 5, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) gathers in a second half touchdown pass against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
3. Wide receivers show up finally in a big way
The wide receiver and tight end corps of Robby Anderson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Marshall, Quincy Enunwa showed up once again when their numbers were called. These four players combined to total 196 yards of the 404 yards in total offense.
Anderson and Marshall were a no show these past few weeks and Sunday they rose to the occasion. They both had big plays as Marshall had on third down conversions and Anderson had a 26 yard to help secure the game-winning score on the next play in overtime.
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Anderson is still a raw player from being trusted but he made big catches continuing the momentum. If Petty can build a trust with his wide receivers than they could continue their success for the rest of the season.
They need to be a more physical group heading into their final three games. It is time for the entire group of receivers to step up and make the best out of everything going on.
Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi
2. Todd Bowles voiced his frustration and his team responded
Head coach Todd Bowles isn’t really an emotional type of person. Sunday, he let his players hear it at halftime since his team played horrific in the first half.
He probably gave a halftime speech like he did when they played Cleveland Browns. It seemed to spark a fire under the team and they played much better in the second half.
Many players on the team were shocked but understood the frustration he was dealing with. It got them motivated and it made them play at a higher level.
The defense played faster and quicker even though they didn’t cause any turnovers. He looked more emotional and vocal which is what fans and players want to see.
Dec 11, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New York Jets running back Bilal Powell (29) celebrates behind San Francisco 49ers cornerback Jimmie Ward (25) after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Levi
1. Commitment to the run game leads the team to victory
These past few weeks it has been like night and day in how the running game has been utilized for the Jets. Running back Bilal Powell stepped up big as he had 29 carries for 145 yards in rushing and two touchdowns.
They were very effective in the second half of the game and the running lanes opened up quicker. Powell looked like he was being very physical and was gaining major yardage.
He’s a dynamic runner who can make many people miss. If he can continue to do this it would make the offense more efficient.
They will need to establish the run game next week against the Dolphins. If they could continue this type of play, then it will allow the passing game to open up again and be effective as well. It would also lead to hopefully another Jets victory.
