New York Jets: Turnovers prove costly in loss to the Bills

In a game that would have made more sense had it been played on Christmas Day (the Buffalo Bills wore red uniforms while the New York Jets wore green uniforms), the Bills walked away with a lackluster 22-17 win over the home team. The game, Bills coach Rex Ryan’s first at MetLife Stadium since being fired last off-season, saw Ryan’s defense cause four turnovers.

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The first three turnovers eventually led to the Bills taking a 22-3 lead; a lead they wouldn’t squander. After the game, Darrelle Revis mentioned that the Jets blew the chances that they were given.

“There’s a bad taste in my mouth, just how it all went,” said Revis to the New York Post. “Being down 22-3 is bad. It’s pretty bad to fall behind that much. We fought and we had chances during the game to make a play here or there on both sides of the ball and it just didn’t work for us.”

Those first three turnovers led to the Bills scoring 12 points. None, however, were more costly than the Devin Smith’s fumble (on a kickoff return) that led to a touchdown on that very play.

Despite all of this, the Jets had numerous opportunities late in the game and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. In the third quarter, Brandon Marshall’s 14-yard touchdown, which capped an 80-yard drive, cut the lead to 22-10. Eric Decker’s 31-yard touchdown in the fourth then cut the lead to five.

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The Jets then got a golden opportunity late in the fourth quarter when Bills punter, Colton Schmidt, mishandled the snap and was stopped on his own 13-yard line. Despite the great field position, New York didn’t come away with any points, as Todd Bowles decided to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal.

After the game, Fitzpatrick reflected on the chances the Jets got and the ones that they blew.

“You sit back and you look at the opportunities you guys already mentioned and countless others, it was just a very frustrating game,” said Fitzpatrick to the New York Post. “Especially, when they hand us the gift of dropping the punt and all that, we’ve got to be able to punch that one in.”

This loss will particularly leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Jets fans as no fanbase wants to lose to a rival, much less a rival whose head coach is your former coach.

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Rex Ryan reflected on that (his time with the Jets) while applauding the effort of his defense.

“Our guys stood on their heads and held them out of the end zone,” said Ryan to the New York Post. “It felt weird. Two things dawned on me that I am no longer the coach of the Jets: I was looking at the wrong side of the sheet when we were getting stats, and I spent six years coaching in green and white, and I look out there and my team is in red.”

Speaking of standing on one’s head, in light of reports that Fitzpatrick is going to undergo surgery on his left hand, an injury that won’t require him to miss any games, the ghost of Geno Smith will surely be looming over center. One hit to, what would be his surgically repaired hand, could lead to Smith getting his job back.

Try to remain calm, Jets fans.