The New York Jets are finally clicking under the proclaimed offensive guru that is Adam Gase.
Granted, it has come at the expense of two of the worst teams in the NFC.
The Jets are winners of two straight after a 34-17 beatdown of the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, tying a season-high in points scored in a single game with last week’s win over the in-stadium-rival Giants.
Sam Darnold had a banner day against the Redskins, posting a career-high four touchdown passes with 293 yards through the air.
The ground game also saw a boost in Washington, eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. A bulk of them came from Le’Veon Bell’s 59 yards and Bilal Powell’s 42.
New York’s defense, though, stole the show in Landover, MD as they dominated Washington rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who posted 214 yards while getting sacked six times.
Three of those came from Jamal Adams fresh off his AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors where he had a pair of sacks against the Giants.
Hot starts have now become commonplace for the Jets, as they scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the fourth consecutive game.
Darnold went 4-for-4 for 57 yards during New York’s first possession, capping off the seven-play drive with a 20-yard connection to backup tight end Daniel Brown. But the Sam Ficken missed the ensuing extra point.
The Jets would outgain the Redskins 145-13 in the first quarter.
After a promising drive was stymied in the Washington red zone early in the second quarter, the Jets were given new life when Ficken was run into by Jimmy Moreland for an automatic first down.
Two plays later, Darnold hit Robby Anderson in the back corner of the end zone from six yards for his second touchdown pass of the day.
Jets turnovers left the door wide open for the Redskins to get back into it, but the sputtering Washington offense provided little threat.
After putting together a clean game against the Giants to break a heinous four-game span that included nine interceptions, Darnold was picked off by linebacker Johnathan Bostick in the Jets’ next possession that led to a Redskins field goal.
New York turned it over on their very next touch when Vincent Smith fumbled the ensuing kick-off to give the Redskins the ball on New York’s 27-yard-line. Haskins and Co. would pick up a first down, but the drive sputtered on the 11-yard-line only to see Tres Way miss a 29-yard field goal attempt.
The Jets would extend their lead 17 in the final minute of the half when Darnold and tight end Ryan Griffin picked Washington apart.
The two hooked up for a 45-yard completion to get to the Washington 16-yard-line and finished off the three-play drive with a wide-open touchdown down the left sideline.
It took 43 seconds to go 82 yards.
Darnold set a new career-high with his fourth touchdown pass of the game early in the fourth quarter when he hit a wide-open Jamison Crowder for a 29-yard score.
Playing against his former team on Sunday, Crowder caught five passes for 76 yards.
The Jets defense managed to add a turnover on their sterling resume on Sunday during Washington’s next drive when Haskins was picked off by Neville Hewitt.
With their starting position on the five-yard-line, Le’Veon Bell picked up his second touchdown in as many games to tie the Jets’ season-high points output at 34.
Haskins and Redskins rookie running back Derrius Guice would pick up their first-career touchdowns with 10 minutes left in the game when the two connected for a 45-yard touchdown pass. It was Washington’s first offensive touchdown in 17 quarters.
