How the Jets lost.
The Jets were two plays away from victory in Week 11. In the game’s final minute, the Colts faced a third and goal from the New York four yard line. Victory turned to defeat for the Jets. How did it happen?
Anthony Richardson start the play in the shotgun with Jonathan Taylor aligned to his right. Taylor goes in motion before the snap.
Quincy Williams follows him. Williams will be covering Taylor if the play is a pass. For the Colts this is convenient since the play is a run in the opposite direction. Now the speedy playmaking Williams will be nowhere near the action.
Richardson is going to keep the ball on a run left.
The key player for the Jets is Micheal Clemons, the defensive end at on the playside. At the very least, the Jets need Clemons to set a hard edge. Ideally he will make the play himself, but at the very least the Jets need him to funnel Richardson inside where there will be help.
However, Clemons ends up pinned inside by tight end Andrew Ogletree.
This puts the Jets in real trouble. Instead of funneling Richardson to the inside where there are big linemen, Richardson is able to get outside, where there are only three little guys, safeties Jalen Mills and Isaiah Oliver and cornerback DJ Reed.
The Colts are able to block up Mills and Oliver.
The last unblocked Jets defender with any chance is DJ Reed, a cornerback with an offensive lineman bearing down on him. That matchup is not ideal.
Reed actually does an admirable job slipping the block, but the focus of getting around the lineman left Reed little time to prepare to make the tackle. It was a touchdown.
And with that, the Jets were on their way to another loss.