Hopes were high when the New York Jets took on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Those hopes were largely dashed (at least for that night) sometime in the third quarter, when the game seemed out of reach and the New York Jets defense was largely overwhelmed by the San Francisco 49ers’ strong running game.
The team had a bad night, but that doesn’t mean every Jets player did. Which Jets players played well in Week 1 according to Pro Football Focus?
On offense, the five highest rated players were the following:
- Quarterback Aaron Rodgers: Overall grade of 86.2 in 38 snaps
- Wide Receiver Allen Lazard: Overall grade of 78.7 in 51 snaps
- Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson: Overall grade of 69.3 in 49 snaps
- Running back Braelon Allen: Overall grade of 69.1 in 9 snaps
- Guard Alijah Vera-Tucker: Overall grade of 67.5 in 51 snaps
On defense, the top five rated players were as follows:
- Cornerback DJ Reed: Overall grade of 72.7 in 72 snaps
- Inside linebacker Quincy Williams: Overall grade of 71.2 in 72 snaps
- Safety Tony Adams: Overall grade of 71.0 in 72 snaps
- Edge Rusher Jalyn Holmes: Overall grade of 68.4 in 16 snaps
- Inside linebacker CJ Mosley: Overall grade of 67.5 in 63 snaps
For anyone looking for good news, PFF seems to think Aaron Rodgers had a fantastic game. If this is a harbinger of improved statistical results in the coming weeks, the Jets should be back to their expected performance levels before long. Additionally, wide receiver Allen Lazard showed he can at least be competent, which is a notable improvement from last year when his role was significantly reduced due to consistently poor performance despite a fairly large contract.
That being said, the good news is hard to spot based on PFF grades. The normally highly touted New York Jets defense didn’t have a single player score over 75 points, suggesting that the defense’s woes were more a result of individual issues across the board rather than one or two players struggling and hurting the defense overall. While the 49ers offense is impressive, it’s worth keeping an eye on this week, as the Jets face a far less impressive offense in their matchup against the Tennessee Titans. If the Jets want to live up to expectations, their defense will need to make some significant strides in the next few weeks.
