The Team That Almost Was - 2015 Jets

July 6, 2024

The year is 2015, and the Jets are 4 seasons removed from their last playoff appearance, coming off a disastrous 4-12 season and looking to turn the page after firing Rex Ryan, the coach for the past 6 seasons.

In the offseason of 2015, the Jets brought in Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to become the head coach to help lead this team to the promise. Bowles brought in Kacy Rodgers as the defensive coordinator and Chan Gailey as the offensive coordinator to become his right-hand men in coaching. When the dust settled in the coaching changes free agency and trades came around. The Jets started their offseason quickly when they traded for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on March 11th in exchange for a late-round conditional draft pick the Jets then backed that on May 30th when they traded for All-Pro wideout Brandon Marshall. Gang Green In Free Agency the Jets brought in former Jet, All-Pro, and legendary cornerback Darrelle Revis who was coming off a Super Bowl winning season in New England, another former Jet and All-Pro CB Antonio Cromartie, and Bears CB Buster Skrine who was coming off a 4 interception season. 

The offseason acquisitions would eventually join a nice group of talent that was on the team the previous year. On offense, the Jets had running back Chris Ivory who was coming off an 821-yard and 7 touchdowns rushing season, wide receiver Eric Decker who was coming off a 962-yard and 5 receiving touchdown season, and 2 pro bowl offensive linemen, Center Nick Mangold, and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson. On the defensive side of the ball, the Jets had returning stars, Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson who was coming off a Pro Bowl year, and Demario Davis.

The main expectation for the 2015 Jets team was that they would be competitive but not a playoff team. Their season win total was set at 7.5 which was a team that was expected to be anywhere from a 6-10 team to an 8-8 team. The team’s schedule that year would be very balanced, playing Tom Brady and the Patriots twice, the Cowboys who were 12-4 the previous year, the Jaguars who were 3-13 in 2014, and the Giants who were 6-10 in 2014. The strength of schedule for them would be 18th in the league and a .488 opponent winning percentage. Overall the Jets offense was expected to be mediocre at best with the sticky QB situation they were in and the defense was coming off a bottom 6 season and were looking to make strides with offseason editions to help the secondary. 

One of the main stories heading into training camp would be, who will the starting QB be for 2015? The team had two main options, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith. In the year prior Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 2,483 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions through 12 games, and Geno Smith, on the other hand, threw for 2,525 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions through 12 games. Going into training camp it looked like the 25-year-old Geno Smith would win the starting job because he was the starter at the start of training camp and the season prior. Todd Bowles backed up the idea that Geno was the front-runner by saying ''I view it as an open competition, with Geno being the starter,” and going on to say ''It's his to lose.” referring to Geno’s current position on the depth chart But in early August shocking news came out of Jets training camp when Geno Smith got in an altercation with IK Enemkpali leading to his jaw being broken from a punch and keeping him out for 6-10 weeks. This crazy turn of events led to Ryan Fitzpatrick becoming the starting QB for the start of the 2015 season. 

The first 4 games went very well for the Jets going 3-1. In weeks 1 & 2 the Jets went 2-0 beating the Browns 31-10 and the Colts 20-7. Through the first 2 games, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 423 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, and runningback Chris Ivory ran for 148 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4.35 yards per carry. The next 2 weeks also went well for the Jets, losing to the Eagles 24-17 but rebounding against the Dolphins in London to win 27-14. The defense the first 4 weeks was lockdown allowing just 280.25 yards per game, 13.75 points per game which is the lowest in the league, and forcing 13 turnovers. On the offensive side of the ball, the Jets were doing great, not having a game below 320 total yards, WR Brandon Marshall having 400 yards and 3 TDs, and RB Chris Ivory coming off a 166-yard 1 touchdown game. The team was also 6th in the league in point differential with +40. Now heading into their very early bye week in week 5 the Jets looked like a top 10 team in the league.

After the Jets bye the Jets had a very mediocre schedule coming up play 3 teams who were under .500 in the next 5 weeks along with the undefeated Patriots and the 3-2 Bills. In week 6 the Jets played the 2-3 Redskins, in a game where they won 34-20 Chris Ivory had another huge game, rushing for 146 yards, 1 touchdown, and 50 receiving yards, the offense that game had the most yards they did all season with 474 yards. The next game the Jets faced the 5-0 New England Patriots, this game would be a huge test for the Jets' defense because at the time the Jets had the lowest PPG allowed in the league with 13.8 and the Patriots were 2nd in the league in offensive PPG with 37.2. That game did not go well for the Jets as they lost by one score and a scoreline of 30-23. The next week the Jets would get their first back-to-back loss of the season to the 3-3 Raiders and lose 34-20 which would be the biggest loss of the year for the Jets. In week 9 the Jets faced off against the 2-5 Jaguars, the Jets got out of that game winning 28-23 that game QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. The next 2 weeks the Jets would drop back-to-back games to the 4-4 Bills and the 4-5 Texans. Across those 2 games Brandon Marshall had his 2 worst games of the season combining for 8 receptions, 70 yards, and 2 touchdowns on 20 targets, Ryan Fitzpatrick also had his David Harris had 16 total tackles through those 2 games. 

At that point entering week 12 the Jets were sitting at 5-5 and tied for second in the AFC East and they needed to flip a switch to become a playoff team, and they did flip the switch becoming a winnings team. The Jets started their winning streak against the Dolphins winning 38-20, that game Brandon Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick were a killer duo, Marshall had 9 receptions for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Fitzpatrick passed for 277 yards and a season-high 4 touchdowns. The next week the Jets beat the Giants in OT in the “Sibling Rivalry” with a score of 23-20. That game Brandon Marshall and Fitzpatrick had another amazing game, Marshall had 131 yards and 1 touchdown on 12 receptions, and Fitzpatrick had 390 yards with 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Eric Decker also had his season-best game, receiving 101 yards on 8 receptions and 12 targets. The Jets followed that win up with 2 more wins, against the 3-9 Titans and the 4-9 Cowboys. Through those 2 games, the Jets allowed 12 PPG, Muhammad Wilkerson had 8 combined tackles with 3.0 sacks, and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 562 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. 

The next week on December 27th would be one of the most dramatic games of the past decade as they faced off against 12-2 Patiots at Metlife stadium as 3.5 point underdogs in the second to last game of the season. In a game that the Jets needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, Veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 296 yards and 3 touchdowns, Pro-Bowler Brandon Marshall had 115 yards and 2 touchdowns on 8 receptions and legendary CB Derelle Revis came up big by intercepting Tom Brady. As the game went on the game got closer and closer, to the point that the game went to overtime. The Jets won the toss and elected to receive, when they got the ball they drove down to the New England 6-yard line. On a 1st & Goal, WR Eric Decker ran a dig route to the corner of the endzone and Fitzpatrick hit an open Decker to beat the 12-2 Patriots in an upset that was a post-Christmas Miracle.

In the final game of the season the Jets traveled up to Buffalo to face off against a 7-8 Bills team that had nothing to play for, and the Jets on the other hand had everything to play for, it was simple for the Jets win and you to the playoffs or lose and you miss the playoffs. The game started very slow for the Jets after the 1st quarter they were down 7-0 the defense was holding their own but the offense was not doing anything, in the 2nd quarter down 13-0 the Jets scored their first points of the game thanks to a Brandon Marshall 17 yard reception, but after a field goal by the Bills that would close out the 1st half. With the score 16-7 and the Jets down they needed to act against Rex Ryan and the Bills. They did act fairly quickly as on one of the first plays of the first drive for the Bills the Jets defense recovered a fumble,  the Jets kicked a field goal on that drive to make the score 16-10. The Bills answered a few drives later with a field goal with 5 minutes to go in the third but on the next drive, the Jets responded with an Eric Decker touchdown to make the score 19-17 in favor of the Bills to close out the third quarter. On the first drive for the Jets, they would march down the field, and as everything would be going right for them Ryan Fitzpatrick would throw an interception in the endzone to give Bills the possession. With 3:53 left in the 4th quarter, the Bills would kick a field goal to make the score 22-17 and the Jets would get possession back and all they had to do was score a touchdown, they were clutch last week all they had to do is be clutch this week and they would be punching their ticket to the playoffs. With 2 minutes left, the Jets got a couple of first downs to find their way to the Bills 44-yard line but the worst happened the next play. On 3rd & 8 Ryan Fitzpatrick dropped back to pass but with the O-line crumbling in front of him he was hit as he was thrown forcing him to make a bad pass that was intercepted. Luckily the Jets got the ball back with 50 seconds, and with the ball at their 28-yard line Ryan Fitzpatrick dropped back and hit an open Kenbrell Thompkins but as he hauled in the catch a Bills defensive back came in and hit him forcing the ball to pop out but with the ball still in the air after the hit Thompkins went to catch it but dropped it, dropping a catch that probably would’ve been taken for a touchdown. On the next play, Fitzpatrick threw an interception to close out the loss and the season for the Jets.

Since 2010 the Jets have failed every year to make the playoffs and 2015 was their closest chance, 2015 was also the last year the Jets finished above .500. But as new eras came and went the Jets are still finding their way to a winning culture and a winning team.