The Jets probably feel that they should be leading the Raiders by more than three points at halftime, but they’re just as close to not leading at all.
Chris Johnson was able to stretch into the end zone after catching a shovel pass from Geno Smith with 30 seconds left in the first half and the Jets lead the Raiders 10-7. It was one of several positive plays for Smith in the first half and he finished 15-of-20 for 154 yards while also running for 28 yards. Those positives were mitigated by a pair of turnovers, one of which led to the lone Oakland score of the game.
Derek Carr threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Rod Streeter after Charles Woodson’s interception, part of a strong start for the rookie. He completed his first seven passes on the way to going 9-of-12 for 59 yards, although you can tell by the low yardage that there haven’t been a lot of fireworks in the passing game. They haven’t been there on the ground either as Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden have mustered just 20 yards on seven carries for what’s been a risk-averse Raiders offensive approach.
The Jets have gone the other way, including lining Michael Vick up as a receiver and having him throw a pass after taking a handoff from Johnson on an end around. The pass, intended for Eric Decker, just missed and the Jets have been close on a couple of other deep balls during a half which saw them look like the better side. Any more miscues from Smith or a continuation of their penalty issues will make turning that into a win more difficult than it probably should be.