After Bilal Powell’s big day, do the Jets need Le’Veon Bell?

The Jets ran the ball effectively despite playing with Le’Veon Bell.

The Jets’ 22-21 win over the Dolphins showed something that could shape how Joe Douglas evaluates his roster at the end of the season: New York didn’t need Le’Veon Bell for the run game to be effective.

Take that with a grain of salt given the Dolphins are one of the worst run defenses in the league and Bell is still one of the most dynamic players in the NFL. That said, the idea that New York’s backfield could succeed without Bell is not without its merits and should give Douglas something to think about when deciding to keep Bell past this season.

Consider Bilal Powell’s day as the Jets’ workhorse running back with Bell out sick. The 31-year-old Powell tallied 74 yards on 19 touches for a healthy 3.9 yards per attempt. His rushes were the second-most for a Jets rusher this season (Bell had 21 in Week 2), his yards were the highest for a Jets rusher this season (Bell had 70 in Week 7 vs. the Patriots) and his yards per attempt ranks third for a Jets rusher with at least 12 rushes in a game all season.

Yes, it came against the Dolphins’ 31st-ranked run defense, but Bell only tallied 66 yards on 17 attempts when he played Miami five weeks ago.

So looking at it from a purely statistical perspective, Powell ran better in Adam Gase’s offense than Bell did. Powell had 20 yards on the Jets opening drive and ripped off a couple of nice medium-yardage runs in the first half. He doesn’t offer the same receiving skillset Bell does, but Gase has already proven in the past he doesn’t plan on utilizing Bell’s dual-threat ability as well as the Steelers did, which almost makes the point moot.

Powell isn’t the long-term answer for the Jets at running back. He’s old and has never shown he can be a true bell-cow back. Neither is backup Ty Montgomery, who saw an expanded role and finished with 61 total yards on 12 touches. But after seeing the combination of Powell and Montgomery tally 104 rushing yards against the Dolphins, it begs the question: Is Bell an expensive luxury that the Jets don’t need moving forward?

Bell has been ineffective during his time in New York either due to usage, Gase’s offense or because of his age (he’ll turn 28 in February). Bell is on pace to average only 88.2 scrimmage yards per game this season, which would be the first time he didn’t average at least 100 yards per game since his rookie season in 2013.

But that doesn’t mean the Jets should necessarily end the Bell experiment early.

For one, Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million contract that he signed last offseason would be hard to move on from. There would be a $17 million dead cap hit in 2020 if they did. His contract also makes trading Bell difficult even after the Jets reportedly fielded offers from him at the October trade deadline.

Bell is also a great asset for Sam Darnold and takes the pressure off the rest of the offense. Despite his down season, defenses still respect Bell as a playmaker and key in on him whenever he sees the field. He saw at least 90 percent of the Jets’ offensive snaps the first three weeks and was an important safety valve for the Jets quarterbacks early in the season.

But Bell has slowed down the stretch. His production and offensive snaps have decreased rapidly since Week 9. Whether it’s fatigue or something else, Bell hasn’t looked as fresh as he did early in the season.

This all goes back to the underlying theme that Gase doesn’t need a workhorse back in his offense. While Powell’s 19 rushes were high for a single Jets running back, it was also unusual for the Jets to run the ball 32 times as a team. It was the most attempts by the Jets since Week 11 against the Redskins when the Jets rushed 33 times. Outside of those two games, the Jets typically average 23 rushes per game – 27th in the league.

Bell is on pace to finish with 244 rushing attempts if he plays the final four games of the season, which would be his lowest over a full season since his rookie year and the second-highest of any running backs in a Gase offense since he became an offensive coordinator in 2013.

Is that usage worth a $15.5 million cap hit in 2020 and up to $44 million if Bell plays out his entire four-year contract? Probably not.

Powell and Montgomery aren’t better running backs than Bell. That’s obvious. But their ability to operate just as effectively in Gase’s offense as Bell did in the previous 12 games at a fraction of the price should weigh greatly on the mind of Douglas as he sees all of the holes on his roster.

Jets vs. Dolphins: Game info, where to watch, notes

Here’s everything you need to know for the Jets’ game with the Dolphins.

The New York Jets will look to get their first win in the AFC East on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins won the first game between these two teams down in Miami, 26-18. It was the most embarrassing loss of the season for the Jets at the time, but last week’s loss to the Bengals has topped it.

The Jets are completely depleted in the secondary. Jamal Adams is missing his first game with an ankle sprain, while Brian Poole is out with a concussion and Arthur Maulet is doubtful with a calf injury. Meanwhile, Le’Veon Bell will miss his first game of the season with an illness.

With Bell out, the Jets are going to need both Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery to pick up the slack. Powell has had some good moments this season as he hits the hole a lot quicker than Bell, who is a patient runner. Sam Darnold is also going to need to have a better game than he did last week.

Defensively, the Jets need to get pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick. Andy Dalton had way too much time to throw last week and the secondary couldn’t hold its own. If the Jets get pressure on Fitzpatrick it could force him to make some bad throws and interceptions.

As for the Dolphins, they are coming off a win over the Eagles last week and improved their record to 3-9. It’s been a rough season for them, but they’ve found some success as of late and have always given the Jets trouble in their matchups.

Here’s everything you need to know for Sunday’s game:

Who: New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins
When: 1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, December 8, 2019
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV/Radio: CBS, ESPN 98.7 F.M. For a Spanish broadcast check out 1050 AM ESPN
Livestream: fuboTV (try it free)
Line: Jets -5

Avoiding the season sweep among Jets vs. Dolphins pregame storylines

The Jets avoiding the season sweep to the Dolphins is among the pregame storylines for this week’s game.

After an embarrassing loss to the Bengals last week, the New York Jets will look to avoid the season sweep when the Dolphins come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Dolphins had their way with the Jets in a 26-18 win in October. At the time, the Dolphins were a winless team, which made it look even worse. With both teams out of the playoff race, so the loser of this game will be in a better position for the 2020 NFL draft.

With that being said, let’s take a look at this week’s pregame storylines.

Can the Jets avoid the sweep?

Coming into 2019, everyone looked at the Dolphins as an easy victory. For the Jets, they’ve been a challenge.

In the first matchup, Ryan Fitzpatrick torched the Jets defense for 288 yards and three touchdowns while Sam Darnold struggled. Since then, Darnold has improved drastically, but Fitzpatrick is still playing quality football.

Given the injuries the Jets have on defense, Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins have a great opportunity to come in and light up the scoreboard. If the Jets were to lose this game, it would be the topper for a forgetful season.

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Jets vs. Dolphins: Standings implications among 4 things to know in Week 14 clash

The Jets surprisingly lead the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed, but that will be the least of their concerns in their Week 14 clash.

How worse could the Jets get?

Well, a second loss to the Dolphins would certainly push the Jets below rock-bottom in an already-disappointing season. Though the playoffs are essentially unattainable in 2019, pride still exists and that’s what the Jets will be playing for in Miami in Week 14.

Injuries struck the Jets hard again this week, with starters Le’Veon Bell, Brian Poole and Jamal Adams all unlikely to play. That leaves only five players on the team who have played every game this season, as pointed out by The Athletic’s Connor Hughes. It’s not an excuse for poor play, but certainly a huge factor in the Jets’ pitiful 4-8 record.

Here are four things to know for Week 14.

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Jets vs. Raiders: Possible history for Jamal Adams, test for New York’s cornerback duo among pregame storylines

Jets Wire breaks down New York’s Week 12 matchup with the Raiders with four pregame storylines to keep an eye on.

Don’t look now, but the Jets have a chance to make it three wins in a row when the Oakland Raiders come to town on Sunday afternoon.

Oakland has been one of the AFC’s resurgent teams so far this season, sitting at 6-4 and positioned well to challenge for a Wild Card spot. However, the Raiders have not been good away from home in 2019, giving New York a legitimate chance to climb to 4-7 after a disastrous start to the season.

What should Jets fans be keeping an eye on before kickoff? Let’s take a look at some intriguing pregame storylines.

Possible Presidential History

The man who calls himself the President will have a chance to make history when he takes the field against the Raiders on Sunday.

Jamal Adams is only two sacks away from tying Adrian Wilson’s NFL record for sacks in a single season by a defensive back (eight). Three sacks against Oakland would give him sole possession of the record.

Adams has been on fire lately, but given how solid the Raiders’ offensive line has been in 2019, it’s hard to see Week 12 being the week Adams makes history. Either way, he’s getting close to etching his name into the NFL record books only three years into his career.

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Raiders poor road numbers among things to know in Jets’ Week 12 matchup

The Jets will face a red-hot Raiders team that doesn’t perform well outside of Oakland.

There’s a sense of optimism in the air as the Jets look for their fourth win of the season and third in as many weeks when they return home to take on the Raiders in Week 12.

New York returns home to play a Raiders team that is atrocious away from Oakland, and the implications of this game could affect the AFC playoff picture – just not for the Jets.

The Jets want to win now to prove to their fanbase they have the capability to compete in the future, but it won’t be easy against a team that’s been on a hot streak of its own. The Raiders have won their last three games behind a run-heavy approach and a defense that’s sacked the quarterback 10 times in the past two weeks to improve to 6-4.

Oakland will be the Jets’ biggest test since the Patriots in Week 7 despite the fact they lost games to both the Jaguars and the Dolphins before back-to-back wins over the Giants and Redskins. However, the Raiders have been atrocious away from home this season, which gives the Jets a legitimate chance to emerge victoriously on Sunday.

With that being said, here are four things to know about the Jets’ Week 12 game.

Raiders’ road woes

When the Raiders play away from Oakland, they’ve been one of the worst teams in the league so far this season.

Oakland is 1-3 in road games this season and has allowed an average of 32.8 points in those games compared to the 24.6 they allow at home.

The Raiders’ defense has been particularly bad on the away from home, ranking near the bottom of the league in sack percentage (2.8%), yards per pass play (8.2), passer rating (118.5) and passing touchdown percentage (8.6). This bodes well for the Jets’ offense if they don’t turn the ball over and find the right spots to hit on Sunday.

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Andre Robers takes more shots at Jets

After not being offered a contract following a career season, ex-Jet Andre Roberts pulls no punches when comparing the Bills and Jets.

Former Jets wide receiver and kick returner Andre Roberts still has some hard feelings toward the organization.

Roberts is still upset that the Jets did not attempt to re-sign him following one of the best seasons of his career. He hopped on the 17 Weeks Podcast with fellow Bills WR Cole Beasley’s and didn’t pull any punches about Gang Green.

“It’s so much better than being in NJ,” he said of playing for Buffalo. “The organization is better from top to bottom,” he said.

With Roberts returning kicks, the Bills lead the league in kick return average. Roberts is third in the NFL in that category. Buffalo is averaging 8.5 yards more per kick return than the Jets.

It’s not just returning kicks either, as Roberts is the ninth highest-graded punt returner in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

In his first and only season with the Jets, Roberts led the NFL in kick return yards and was a first-team All-Pro selection for the first time in his career. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl and was named to the AP All-Pro first team.

Roberts racked up 324 punt return yards and 1,174 kick return yards — both career bests. In Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, Roberts returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown and posted a career-high 215 total return yards in his best showing of the season.

Andre Roberts ran it back 99 yards

(via @nyjets) pic.twitter.com/ryqXH0tDAw

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 23, 2018

It’s no mistake to say the Jets miss Roberts returning kicks. Letting him go was one of the more head-scratching decisions that Mike Maccagnan made this past offseason when the Jets former general manager was still in charge.

New York has not seen enough production from Trenton Cannon, Vyncint Smith or Ty Montgomery to make an impact in the return game this year.

Roberts also shined the light on the culture and power structure between the Jets and Bills. He pointed out that Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane actually speak to one another, where it was apparent that Maccagnan and Todd Bowles rarely did. Instead, they both directly reported to CEO Christopher Johnson.

The disparity in the two teams can be seen in their records this year. The Bills are 7-3, while the Jets are 3-7. Roberts is correct and instead of merely labeling him as bitter, the entire Jets organization might want to look in the mirror before they allow another Roberts to slip through the cracks.

Jets should stick with committee approach at running back

Le’Veon Bell, Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell combined for a season-high 115 yards on 33 carries in the Jets’ 34-17 win on Sunday.

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The Jets’ ground game soared on Sunday afternoon, thanks in large part to Le’Veon Bell spending more time on the sideline.

Adam Gase’s committee approach at running back took 11 weeks to get off the ground, but the strategy worked well at Washington. With injuries to the offensive line and the Redskins possessing a weak run defense, New York ran for over 100 yards for the first time all season in the 34-17 win.

Bell played 39 of 71 snaps, finishing with 20 touches for 92 total yards and a score. Bilal Powell and Ty Montgomery played 16 and 15 snaps, respectively. The two combined for nine carries for 53 yards. As a team, the Jets set season highs in rushing yards (115) and carries (33).

The Jets have been forced to overwork Bell because New York’s pass protection has been poor and he is the best pass-blocking back on the team. However, with Jonotthan Harrison and Tom Compton doing a good job of filling in on the offensive line Sunday, the Jets were able to deploy veterans Powell and Montgomery in the backfield.

This allowed Bell to get some rest in hopes of keeping him fresh. This is his first full season back after sitting out the entire 2018 season, and he is also dealing with some injuries to his knee and ribs.

“We’re trying to keep him as fresh as possible throughout the game but at the same time give him his touches,” Gase said. “I feel like he’s had a lot of touches this entire year. We’re trying to make sure we keep him rolling throughout the rest of the season. We still got a lot of football left.”

As for Bell and Montgomery, neither has seen much action this season. That changed on Sunday, though, and their involvement worked out well for Gang Green.

“I just think all those guys, they deserve to play,” Gase said. “They practice hard every day. We’re trying to mix in some of the runs that we’re doing. There’s certain things those guys do really well.”

Whether or not the Jets will stick to their committee approach remains to be seen — success against Washington’s run defense isn’t much of an accomplishment — but another try is certainly worth exploring. The Jets are more dynamic when they use multiple backs, and Bell being banged up only gives Gase more incentive to mix things up.