NY Jets Game Ball: Bilal Powell

The Jets won, which means we give out a game ball.

Over the course of the season, John B has two rules for a game ball. Whenever possible, he tries to avoid giving it to the quarterback, and he tries to avoid giving it to repeat winners.

As a result of these arbitrary and completely incomprehensible wise and sagacious rules, Quincy Enunwa won the game ball back in week two in order to avoid the no quarterbacks rule, when Ryan Fitzpatrick should have won it with his only game ball worthy performance of the season.  Fitzpatrick has played so poorly that the no quarterbacks rule seems a quaint nod to a wildly improbable circumstance, but I digress.  In any event, wise and sagacious rule number one prevented Fitzpatrick from winning the game ball in week two, which then went to Quincy Enunwa.  Now wise and sagacious rule number two (no repeat winners) rears its ugly head and prevents me from giving the game ball to the one player who most deserves it in week eight, the aforementioned Quincy Enunwa.

Enunwa was the biggest star of the game for the Jets.  He had 93 yards on 4 receptions. He broke up a sure interception early in the third quarter that might have ended the Jets comeback hopes before they ever got started.  Enunwa scored a touchdown on a great effort play in which he refused to go down, bouncing off of multiple would be tacklers.  And Enunwa made the 57 yard catch and run reception in the third quarter which set up the Jets' go ahead score.  Enunwa deserves the game ball, but wise and sagacious rules say he won't get it.

So who does get the game ball?  Bilal Powell.  Powell didn't get many opportunities in this game, but whenever he did something good happened. Powell scored the Jets first touchdown on a great 35 yard run early in the second quarter on a third and ten play when it looked like the Jets were in danger of being blown out.  Powell also had runs of nine and 20 yards to set up the Jets' final touchdown drive.  Overall Powell racked up 76 yards on the ground on only 6 carries.

One wonders why the Jets coaching staff refuses to play Powell more when he has been more effective than Matt Forte all season.  It is one of a long line of questionable decisions by the Jets coaching staff.  Nonetheless, Powell made the most of his limited touches on Sunday and deserves the game ball for his efforts.

Bilal Powell gets my game ball. Who gets yours?