The Jets quickly established a winning formula through the opening quarter of the season: Chris Ivory’s punishing running style is complemented by Ryan Fitzpatrick’s efficient passing and an opportunistic, swarming defense that already matched last year’s total with 13 takeaways.
The elements combined for an auspicious 3-1 start that the team will take into an early bye week. But the Jets’ lone defeat, a 24-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at home in which Ivory was unable to play because of a sore quadriceps, underscored the degree to which Ivory has emerged as the focal point of a surging team able to turn last year’s 4-12 record into a distant memory with the arrival of Coach Todd Bowles.