New York Jets: Five Takeaways From Loss to Cincinnati Bengals

– Great debut for Forte

There was some uncertainty about the signing of Matt Forte this offseason to replace Chris Ivory. Forte has been a workhorse throughout his career with the Chicago Bears, and many didn’t know whether or not he would be able to hold up as he is getting older.

Despite the concerns, Forte can bring a new element to the Jets’ offense this season. With Ivory, defenses knew that he was going to be running the ball out of the backfield. While Ivory is a very talented runner, he didn’t pose much of a threat in the passing game.

Forte wasted little time showing that he is going to be a huge factor in the Jets’ passing attack this season. In Week 1, Forte totaled five receptions and 59 receiving yards. While we knew to expect Forte to have a nice day helping the passing offense, nobody could have seen the 22 carries for 96 rushing yards coming.

It was certainly encouraging to see how well Forte played, however, the Jets would be wise to not give him nearly 30 touches a game. Furthermore, Bilal Powell is certainly capable of contributing to the offense, and, we will likely see a lot of him on Thursday against the Bills.

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