Reviewing the New York Jets' 2015 season, position-by-position:
Position: Wide receiver
Overall grade: A-minus
Individual grades: Brandon Marshall A, Eric Decker A-minus, Quincy Enunwa C-plus, Kenbrell Thompkins C-plus, Devin Smith D, Jeremy Kerley F, Chris Owusu Incomplete.
Key number: 12 -- number of touchdown receptions with four wide receivers in the lineup, a league high.
Summary: Statistically, Marshall and Decker were among the top receiving tandem in team history. They combined for 26 touchdowns, 2,529 yards and scored in the same game 10 times, an NFL record. Marshall re-wrote the team record book, delivering the most dominant season by a Jets’ player since 2009. That was the year Darrelle Revis finished second in the NFL Defensive Player-of-the-Year voting. Decker thrived in the slot, a brilliant move by offensive coordinator Chan Gailey. He also capitalized on single-coverage opportunities when the defense was shaded toward Marshall. Decker was the league’s most-targeted player inside the 20 (28 targets) and he finished with 10 red-zone touchdowns, third in the league. He's a big reason why the team finished third in that category.
Enunwa and Thompkins exceeded modest expectations. Enunwa became a Gailey favorite because of his versatility. He's a rocked-up receiver who blocks like an H-back, allowing Gailey to use him in a hybrid role. The problem with Enunwa was that he had rocked-up hands; five drops in only 45 targets, per ESPN Stats & Information. Thompkins, plucked off the scrap heap in October, slowly gained the trust of the coaching staff and made one of the biggest plays of the season, his long reception in Dallas. On the flip side, he'll be haunted by his near-catch in the closing seconds of the final game. … This was a humbling rookie year for Smith, who battled injuries, shaky hands and concentration lapses. When healthy, he didn’t show much separation ability on vertical routes, his forte in college. A severe knee injury will impact his offseason, putting him behind schedule for 2016. ... Kerley, a reliable player in the past, was the odd-man out all season.
Playing-time percentages (based on 1,114 snaps): Marshall 95, Decker 81, Enunwa 47, Smith 28, Thompkins 25, Kerley 20, Owusu 11.
PT analysis: Marshall racked up the team’s highest percentage for skill-position players, playing through a high-ankle sprain around midseason. Decker would’ve been close to the 90-percent mark if he didn’t miss a game. The No. 3 receiver spot was a revolving door, based primarily on injuries and Enunwa’s four-game suspension. It started with Owusu. Then came Enunwa, Kerley, Smith and back to Enunwa. After midseason, Gailey dropped Kerley like a bad habit. He played only 26 snaps over the final eight games. Except for Kerley, Gailey kept his receivers happy by using them a lot. In fact, the Jets led the league with 401 snaps with four wideouts in the lineup, per ESPN Stats.
