The Grades Are in for New York Jets' QB Joe Flacco After His First Start of the Season

Joe Flacco's first start for the New York Jets got a passing grade.

It’s another morning after hangover for the New York, who are now winless through the first five games of the NFL season after a 30-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The Jets didn’t do much right in the game, although they did seem a bit more efficient moving the ball, with 21 first downs a season-high and a sign that the offense was at least able to feign competency at moments. In SNY’s post-game coverage, the Jets offense was given a ‘C+’ grade by both Bart Scott and Chad Cascadden.

Both are former linebackers for the Jets.

“I think Flacco was efficient, the ball went where the defense dictated it. There were a lot of drops, that’s not on Flacco. That’s also not on the play-calling,” Scott said after the game.

“I think they had opportunities – like Flacco said, they didn’t stack plays together so that they could move the ball down the field and keep the drive going. They started in bad field position to begin with so they had to march 80 yards, 70 yards and that’s not just a recipe for success.”

Cascadden was in his first appearance of the season on SNY in place of Jamal Westerman.

The Jets, in addition to their season-best total for first downs, also had a season-high 123 rushing yards. It also marked a second-straight week where the Jets did not turnover the ball.

Flacco got the start in Week 5 for incumbent starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who was out with a shoulder injury suffered the week before.

Calling the performance “good but not great,” Cascadden’s grading saw some positives from the Jets offense he hadn’t seen in recent weeks. This was Flacco’s first start since Week 8 of the 2019 season.

He was 18-of-33 for 195 yards with a touchdown.

“You saw that ball came out a lot faster which I thought was really good – get the ball to the playmakers but then you did see those major drops, the non-conversions on third-and-shorts which were big deals,” Cascadden said.

“The drops were a big deal and, of course, some brain fart plays where they came out after a sudden change and get a penalty.”

Flacco was sacked four times in Week 5.