The seat isn’t just warm anymore for Jets head coach Todd Bowles, it’s red hot.
It didn’t take long for the Buffalo Bills to help turn that hot seat into a heat advisory warning for the entire Jets’ coaching staff.
The Jets dropped their fourth-straight game with a 41-10 blowout loss to the lowly Bills, Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Matt Barkley threw for two touchdowns and LeSean McCoy ran for 107 yards on 24 carries.
In a game which brought back memories of the Rich Kotite era, the Jets reached new levels for embarrassing themselves.
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold sat out with a sprained foot, it was the best decision the Jets made. Because it would’ve been cruel and unusual punishment sending him out there this week.
Veteran Josh McCown came off the bench this week to start for Darnold. McCown saw limited action in the preseason and it showed in this game. He threw two interceptions, finished with zero touchdowns and was sacked three times.
Barkley was the fourth quarterback to start for Buffalo this season. He hadn’t started a game since the final game of the 2016 season. But the Jets made him look like Jim Kelly running the K-Gun offense in the early 90’s.
On the first play from scrimmage, the Jets gave up a 47-yard bomb from Barkley to Robert Foster. Buffalo had just called Foster up from their practice squad the day before. McCoy ran to the end zone, almost untouched, for a 28-yard touchdown on the next play. It was 7-0 before fans could take a bite of their hot dogs.
And then it went downhill from there.
The Jets were burned on a fake punt, allowed a touchdown to an offensive tackle-eligible player, and were called for multiple holding penalties on the same play. The defense looked like a row of open turnstiles.
This was all in the first half.
Buffalo went into the locker room with a 31-3 lead.
One word for this disaster … embarrassment.
We always hear talk from players about execution, and playing the game with heart and passion. The Jets were 0 for 3 this week.
Buffalo’s 186 total yards in the first quarter was the third-most they’ve had in the first quarter over the past 18 seasons. Giving up 31 first half points to a 2-7 team, with issues up and down the roster, is indicative of a defense which has quit on their coach.
There was very little evidence in the second half to dispute any of those observations.
The Blame Game
Bowles will get the blame for this, deservedly so. It’s his responsibility to make sure his players are prepared and ready to play. He, once again, failed to meet those expectations.
Bowles doesn’t deserve all the blame, his players failed him when he needed them the most. The offense, defense, and special teams pulled a complete no-show on their head coach. They deserve as much of the blame as he does.
This was as embarrassing as it gets. The Jets made Buffalo look like a high-powered offense. The Bills had only eight touchdowns in their first nine games. They put 42 points against a defense which is supposed to be one of the best in the league. Buffalo was a team starting their fourth quarterback in nine weeks.
Bowles, who’s been this team’s biggest defender, needed a win today. He needed his players to step up and prove they have his back. Proving it through their actions, not their talk. This team talks a good game, but they failed to show up when their head coach needed them the most.
What’s Next
All that’s left now for the Jets, at 3-7, is the bye week, and talk of a coaching change which seems inevitable.