Four years ago yesterday, on a thanksgiving night a collision has struck at MetLife stadium as quarterback Mark Sanchez collided with his right guard Brandon Moore and fumbled the ball in what it will be forever called the infamous “Butt Fumble.” That was one of the most embarassing games in NFl history and it is still talked about today. However something similar happened yesterday but this time it was a good thing for the Jets. It was a touchdown that came from Quincy Enunwa late in the fourth quarter to put the jets up by four. He landed on his behind in the corner of the endzone just enough for it to count as a score, this will be know as the “Butt Touchdown.” It seems appropiate at the time since it is the anniversary. However, on the next Patriots series, they ended up scoring the go- ahead touchdown that would eventually be the final as the Jets lose 22-17.
The game was actually a very competitive game between the two teams as they each went back and forth. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick after sitting out for three weeks finally got to start, didn’t show any rust or residual effects from his sprained knee as he went 22 for 32, for 269 yards and two touchdowns. The biggest upside was that he didn’t commit a turnover the whole game until the 59th minute when defensive end Chris Long came off the weak side for a strip sack. This was Fitz’s best game since week 2 in Buffalo, especially from a deep-passing standpoint. He completed 6 of 11 attempts for 151 yards and a touchdown from passes that were 15 yards or more in the air, including 4 for 4 to Enunwa.
The defensive line, led by Sheldon Richardson controlled the point of attack early in the game. Brady had a hard time staying on his feet, although the defense did not record a single sack all game. Richardson recorded two of the team’s four hits on Tom Brady. He also recorded a tackle for loss, unlike his partner Muhammad Wilkerson (two tackles). The line was disruptive all game and kept Brady out of his comfort zone.
The Jets played a solid game yesterday, something we haven’t seen since the week 2 game against the Bills. However, the Jets still lost and are now out of contention in the AFC east and possibly out of the playoffs if they lose next week too. Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t know if he will be the starter next week, Head Coach Todd Bowles hasn’t cleared the air yet. One thing is for sure the Jets are out of the postseason and should start building for the future and end what has been a frustrating and disappointing year.