Jets Studs & Duds Scorecard: Week 5

Following each Jets game this season, I’ll be participating in the post-game tradition of listing out the studs and duds of the Jets’ previous game — but with a new twist.

Each player listed, whether they were a stud or a dud, is capable of earning up to five points positively or negatively, depending on how good or bad their performance was. In total, the scores of each player listed will add up to match the Jets’ scoring margin from their game that week. This past Sunday, the Jets fell by 25 points to the Eagles, so the combined point total of every player listed below will add up to -25.

At the end of the season, I’m hoping this scorecard system will help us get a good look at which players had the biggest impacts on the team, both positive and negative.

As an added note, no coaches (or general managers) will be involved in these lists.

The studs earn the privileges of having some nice colors attached to their name, while the duds merely get tagged with various levels of badness.

• Studs: Gotham Green (5 points), Platinum (4), Gold (3), Silver (2), Bronze (1)
• Duds: Level 5 (-5 points), Level 4 (-4), etc.

Here are my studs and duds from the Jets’ Week 5 loss. Unlike Week 3’s game, the Jets lost by a score that was properly representative of their performance level, so the points are more fairly spread this time around.

Studs

Jamal Adams - Gold (3 points)

Adams had a strong game, hitting the right spots in coverage and making a big impact in run defense as he either stuffed runs or created room for someone else to finish the job. I am consistently impressed with how aware Adams is of the first down marker. He does a great job of keeping the football short of the sticks and not giving up that extra inch to move the chains.

Le’Veon Bell - Silver (2 points)

Bell got back on track after he was stifled against the Patriots. The box score doesn’t really reflect a turnaround (63 scrimmage yards vs. New England, 88 vs. Philadelphia), but Bell was clearly back to playing at a high level. Just like he was in Weeks 1 and 2, Bell was routinely making defenders miss as both a rusher and receiver, consistently gaining more yards than the situation presented him with.

The offensive line was abysmal once more, giving Bell a measly 4 yards before contact on 15 carries. Bell has now gained 12 yards before contact on the season.

Steve McLendon - Silver (2 points)

Watching the games unfold, it does not really seem like many Jets are defending the run all that well, but the team somehow ranks fifth in fewest yards allowed per rush (3.5). I think McLendon is one of the two primary reasons why, along with Adams. He is an enforcer, constantly tilting the trench battle in the Jets’ favor with his ability to create penetration. McLendon even put up some pass rushing numbers in Philly, picking up a sack and three hurries.

Trenton Cannon - Bronze (1 point)

Cannon had an active day on the punt team. Most notably, he got down the field quickly and recovered a punt mistakenly touched by Corey Clement. He also downed a bouncing punt for 56 yards and tackled Darren Sproles to hold his return to 4 yards.

Alex Lewis - Bronze (1 point)

Lewis was not credited with allowing a single pressure in his Jets debut. In Week 5, PFF had him as the 9th-ranked guard. Those grades are not gospel, but it’s nice to see any evidence of competency from a Jets lineman — especially one who was traded for by Joe Douglas. Rewatching the game, Lewis looked solid on a consistent basis. He was the only blocker (tight ends included) that was rarely part of the problem.

Brian Poole - Bronze (1 point)

Poole was toasted once by Nelson Agholor for a 20-yard chain-mover on 3rd & 4 in the third quarter, but that was the only catch he was tagged with allowing. He probably owes a lot of thanks to Trumaine Johnson, but Poole once again left a game having barely allowed anything. Picked up on a one-year, $3 million deal, Poole currently looks like the best bang-for-their-buck addition made by the Jets in the 2019 offseason, without much competition.

Vyncint Smith - Bronze (1 point)

(30-for-30 voice) What if I told you, that, through four games, Vyncint Smith (yes, that is how it is spelled) would have more touchdowns than Robby Anderson and Jamison Crowder combined? Well, that’s the truth. Mere days after joining the team, Smith scored 100% of the Jets’ points in Philadelphia, taking in a 19-yard run on a trick play.

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Duds

Demaryius Thomas - Level 3

Brutal game for the veteran wide receiver in his return. Thomas had two penalties as a blocker (although one call was questionable), just the second time in his career he’s had two penalties in a game.

The Jets had no chance of winning at the time, but Thomas also dropped an over-the-shoulder deep throw that was actually perfectly placed by Luke Falk (his only good throw of the game).

One should be wary when Bill Belichick is willing to trade a player, especially if it’s to a division rival.

Chuma Edoga, Ryan Kalil - Level 4

Rough debut for the rookie right tackle, who was credited with allowing two sacks and two hurries.

More of the same from Ryan Kalil, who was credited with three total pressures allowed (one of those a sack).

Perhaps a switch back to Jonotthan Harrison to coincide with Darnold’s return would make sense. Harrison is not a good center, but he is most likely a significant upgrade over Kalil.

We also know based on Weeks 14-16 of last season that Darnold is capable of having great success behind Harrison. That doesn’t mean Harrison was the key to Darnold’s late-season success last year (Harrison was OK at best in those games), but we do know an offense led by Darnold can be successful with Harrison in the middle, because we saw it happen.

We don’t know if Ryan Kalil can be in the middle of a successful NFL offense in 2019. It sure doesn’t look like too likely.

Kelvin Beachum, Brian Winters - Level 5

Beachum has taken a major step back this season. Previously a “you can get by with him” level left tackle, Beachum is starting to look unplayable. He was credited with allowing a team-high six pressures in Philadelphia (two of those sacks), and is now on pace for a career-high in pressures allowed.

Winters was credited with allowing four pressures (two of those sacks), and seemed to be a core issue with the run blocking. The Jets have given him every chance over the years to try and fully harness the potential he occasionally shows, but he continues to be a liability.

Luke Falk - Level 5

Falk was terrible, making poor decisions, throwing with awful accuracy, showcasing zero pocket presence, and processing post-snap at snail speed. Many of the nine sacks he took were his own fault.

The first-year starter finished 15 of 26 for 120 yards, while taking nine sacks for 52 yards. Falk is the first Jets quarterback to have back-to-back starts with under 100 yards of passing offense (pass yards plus sack yardage) on at least 20 pass attempts since Browning Nagle in 1992.

Luke Falk - Level 5

Falk was terrible, making poor decisions, throwing with awful accuracy, showcasing zero pocket presence, and processing post-snap at snail speed. Many of the nine sacks he took were his own fault.

The first-year starter finished 15 of 26 for 120 yards, while taking nine sacks for 52 yards. Falk is the first Jets quarterback to have back-to-back starts with under 100 yards of passing offense (pass yards plus sack yardage) on at least 20 pass attempts since Browning Nagle in 1992.

Trumaine Johnson - Level 5

The lasting gift from Mike Maccagnan that keeps on giving. Johnson took two penalties against the Eagles, one of them preventing what would have been a 46-yard toasting for a touchdown. It’s puzzling why the Jets bothered to play Johnson at all after benching him in each of the last two games.

Johnson’s contract may be the worst in football. The Jets will have to eat a $12M cap hit to get out of it after this season. As large as that is, it’s probably one of the easiest decisions Joe Douglas will make as a member of the Jets front office.

Leonard Williams - Level 5

Williams had just three games with zero pressures in his first five seasons. He has now done it in back-to-back games, the first time he has done so.

Week 5 also marked Williams’ second straight game with zero pressures, zero tackles for loss, and at least one penalty (he had two against the Eagles). He never had even one such performance over his first 66 career games.

In his contract year, Williams has no sacks, no tackles for loss, and no passes defended. He is on pace for career-worst marks in total pressures, quarterback hits, stops, stuffs, and penalties.

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Here is a look at the Week 5 scorecard.

Here is a look at the scorecard throughout the first quarter of the Jets’ 2019 season.