The Jets performance on third downs during Sunday’s loss to the Bills was historically bad, as they went 0-for-11 in those situations. This has brought their total third down conversion rate for the season to a paltry 22.9 percent, a record low since the Pro Football Reference started collecting data in 1991. To put this in perspective, the next lowest conversion rates were achieved by the 2005 49ers and 2002 Cowboys, who both converted 24 percent of their third downs. Therefore, in order to avoid finishing the season at the bottom of the pile, the Jets will have to improve their performance to reach at least this level.
The responsibility for the majority of these failed third down attempts has fallen on quarterback Zach Wilson, although during Sunday’s game there was a change. In the third quarter, Tim Boyle took over for Wilson, and head coach Robert Saleh said that a decision on who will start against the Dolphins on the NFL’s inaugural Black Friday should be made on Monday. This change in quarterback may indicate that the Jets are looking to shake things up and find a way to improve their third down performance.