New York Jets: Three takeaways from 17-16 home loss to Buffalo

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The offensive play calling was too conservative for most of the game and mostly held back Darnold’s arm. The Jets didn’t seem interested in taking deep shots down the field and relied on short passes to Crowder who took full advantage with 14 receptions and 99 yards on the day.

The plan was very safe for Darnold who seemed very ready for the deep ball plays in preseason. The second-year starter out of USC was 28-for-41, 175 yards on Sunday and that won’t be enough for most teams in the league. Head coach Adam Gase appears to have put the brakes on Darnold’s ability to take chances down the field with a speedy receiver like Robby Anderson readily available.

The Bills have a good defense, but it was almost too easy for them to play the short-yardage gameplan. The fear of a deep ball is significant in the offense establishing its presence on the football field. Buffalo was able to keep the Jets at bay long enough for the offense to finally figure things out and mount a comeback.

Finally, Darnold did an excellent job working with Bell for the first time, and the former Pittsburgh Steelers star proved his worth throughout the game. Bell finished with 92 yards from scrimmage, rushing 17 times for 60 yards, and catching six passes for 32 yards. He shockingly played every offensive snap after not playing in a professional football game in over a year.