Considering they could have been tied with Jacksonville for first place in the AFC South, this was the Texans' worst loss of the season. It was worse than their defeat at Carolina.
They can beat Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, but they can't beat Desmond Ridder, Bryce Young and Zach Wilson, the most heavily maligned quarterback in the NFL.
Grade: F-minus
Playing without Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz and losing Nico Collins on the second play of the game, C.J. Stroud had 91 yards, four sacks and a 54.8 rating when he left with a concussion that could cost him his next start at Tennessee and possibly more. He was outplayed by Zach Wilson, one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks, who threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns. Davis Mills didn't fare any better after completing 1-of-5 for 4 yards and a 39.6 rating.
Grade: F
Devin Singletary carried 13 times for 65 yards and averaged 5 yards a carry. In the first half, he had runs of 17 and 16 yards. He scored the team's only touchdown on a 1-yard run on the last play of the third quarter. Dameon Pierce carried four times for 9 yards. The Texans finished with 81 but had to abandon the running game when they fell so far behind in the second half.
Grade: D
Nico Collins had a 13-yard catch for a first down when he suffered a calf injury on the second play and was unable to continue. The other wideouts had trouble catching the ball and hanging on to it when they got their hands on it. Xavier Hutchinson led the wide receivers with two catches. John Metchie III was targeted five times and had one reception for 6 yards. Robert Woods had one reception for minus-2 yards. Noah Brown was shut out the second game in a row despite being targeted five times. He's been battling a knee injury and missing practice, but he's nowhere near the receiver he was when he had back-to-back games of six catches for 151 yards (Bucs) and seven for 172 (Bengals).
Grade: F-minus
We're going to put fullback Andrew Beck here because he's an extra tight end. He had a 26-yard catch on the only touchdown drive. Brevin Jordan replaced the injured Dalton Schultz and produced three receptions for 35 yards. The offense desperately needs Schultz to return from his hamstring injury when they play the Titans next week.
Grade: C-plus
The Texans rushed for 81 yards on 19 carries, a 4.3-yard average. Subtract runs of 17 and 16 yards by Devin Singletary and they averaged 2.8 on the other 17 carries. The Jets have a good defensive line, but they entered tied for 28th against the run allowing 136.1 yards a game. C.J. Stroud was under almost constant pressure when he dropped back.
Grade: F-plus
Jonathan Greenard had an outstanding game. He had six tackles, five unassisted, and two sacks. Maliek Collins and Sheldon Rankins also sacked Zach Wilson. Led by Greenard and Will Anderson, the Texans knocked down Wilson nine times. They had two each. Anderson got a lot of double-team blocks and didn't register a tackle. Overall, the linemen did a good job against the run. The Jets rushed 26 times for 79 yards, a 3-yard average. Greenard, Rankins and Derek Barnett knocked down Wilson two times apiece. Khalil Davis recovered the fumble that led to the Texans' only touchdown.
Grade: B
They played the run well but struggled in coverage, especially against running back Breece Hall. He was limited to 40 yards rushing but had eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. The Texans missed a lot of tackles when trying to bring him down. Christian Harris was in on a team-high 10 tackles, including a forced fumble. Blake Cashman (hamstring) was one of three defensive players who left the game with injuries and didn't return.
Grade: F
It may have been their worst performance of the season. They played against Zach Wilson, who had been awful this season, and he threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns and compiled a 117.9 rating. They couldn't cover Garrett Wilson, the Jets' best receiver. He finished with nine catches for 108 yards. Not only did the Jets' receivers get open, but they got a lot of yards after the catch.
Grade: F-minus
SPECIAL TEAMS
Matt Ammendola missed an extra point. Desmond King II had a 22-yard punt return but fumbled another one that, fortunately, Adrian Amos recovered. Cam Johnston was outstanding as usual. He was called on eight times and averaged 50.6 yards, including a 48.5-yard net. He put two inside the 20.
Grade: C-plus
This was the worst loss of the season for DeMeco Ryans. With so much at stake because the Texans are in playoff contention, his offense and defense were dreadful. The Texans played as if they'd never seen rain, much less played in it. They scored one touchdown and allowed three in the second half against a team that had scored two offensive touchdowns during its five-game losing streak.
Grade: F-minus
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
