While the New York Jets’ (1-7) season seems to be effectively over, they have turned to Michael Vick to lead the way, as they head to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) who have strung together two consecutive wins and look to keep pace in the AFC playoff picture.
Although the Jets are hopeful Vick will play at a higher level having taken first-team reps all week, the Jets may feature a run-heavy game plan as they would be wise to keep a struggling Vick from throwing against a good Chiefs secondary. It would wise especially considering the fact that the Jets' offensive line has been poor in pass protection, earning a Pass Blocking Efficiency (PBE) of 76.9, tied for the 25th-worst in the league.
Chris Ivory (+5.6), who, up to this point has the third-best rush grade of all running backs, has been one of the Jets’ best offensive weapons this season, as he is the only Jets’ player at a skill position who has earned a green grade. With 113 total touches this year, Ivory has been able to produce an Elusive Rating of 77.5, fifth-best among running backs with at least 55 total touches. Furthermore, Ivory has been able to produce 4.7 yards per carry despite having one of the worst run blocking offensive lines in the league.
Regardless, Ivory has found a way to be effective and he’ll look to do the same this week as the Chiefs have struggled to stop the run, currently ranking in the bottom half of the league in terms of run defense with a grade of -9.7. The Jets' biggest concern may be the play of Dontari Poe, who has a Run Stop Percentage of 9.2, which is ninth-best out of defensive tackles who have played at least 84 snaps.
Here are three more notable numbers for each side:
New York Jets
Nick Mangold – With a PBE of 99.0, Mangold ranks third out of 40 centers who have played at least 94 snaps.
Jeff Cumberland – Cumberland has run a total of 231 routes, 45% of which have come out of the slot.
Muhammad Wilkerson – Wilkerson has earned an overall grade of +24.1, which currently makes him one of the highest-graded players in the entire league.
Kansas City Chiefs
Anthony Sherman – Sherman leads all fullbacks in pass grades and blocking grades, earning an overall grade of +7.5.
Rodney Hudson – Hudson has nearly been as good as Mangold, earning a PBE of 98.8, which is tied for fifth out of the 40 qualifying centers.
Alex Smith – Smith has only attempted nine deep balls (20+ yards) all season. Of those nine targets, he has completed three for 73 yards with two interceptions.
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