What in the World Happened to the Jets

Remember that great game against the Buffalo Bills to kick off the season when everyone was healthy? The Jets scored 48 points and ran (and threw) all over the Bills. Now, to compile 48 points for the Jets it would be necessary to add up their points from the past four games. For a while it was feasible to attribute the Jets downfalls to injuries. They are without arguably their best offensive and defensive players for the rest of the season with injuries to Santonio Holmes and Darrelle Revis. The Jets also have missed wide receiver Stephen Hill, running back Bilal Powell, running back Joe McKnight, tight end Jeff Cumberland and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley at different points through out the season.

That being said…

The New York Jets showed this weekend that their problems are bigger than just a few injuries. After their by-week, they took on the Seahawks and lost 28-7. They scored no offensive touchdowns and fumbled a punt return. They gave up three passing touchdowns, something they did not do against Ben Roethlisberger or Tom Brady. They committed three turnovers, two of which led to touchdowns and one of which was committed in the Jets red zone. Mark Sanchez completed nine passes and the Jets offense rushed for 84 yards. The Jets fell to 3-6, their worst start in five years. They also managed to convince a devoted Sanchez and Jets fan that they are utterly a

disaster.

The Jets Biggest Problems

Rushing

Ideally, the Jets would like to go back to their play from 2009 and 2010. What many Mark Sanchez critics forget is that he was the quarterback that led them to back-to-back AFC championships in those years. This was during the height of New York’s ground and pound offense. This however, is a completely different team than two years ago. The 2009 and 2010 Jets only had five games combined where they achieved less than 100 yards rushing. The 2012 Jets already have 5 games where they were held to under 100 yards rushing. So what is the only similarity between these teams? They are 1-4 when achieving so few yards. It is clear that the ground and pound offense that the Jets so trademarked is not what it used to be. While running back has been the most inconsistent position personale wise, due to injury, the offensive line has to accept some of the blame as well. With three pro bowl offensive linemen, strong athletes such as Shonn Greene and Tim Tebow should be able to put together more offense than they are.

From flikr, by klubhead76

 Coaching

When the Jets hired Tony Sparano, there was hope for change for the Jets offense. No longer would there be ridiculous games where Mark Sanchez has to throw over 40 passes! The master of the Wildcat was going to put Tim Tebow to good use! The Jets were going to become a productive offense again! Thus far, none of those three objections have been fulfilled.  Sanchez attempted 54 passes against the Miami Dolphins. This is frankly unacceptable. Through 2009 and 2010, Sanchez averaged less than 30 attempts per game. This is the only kind of situation in which he can be successful. The Wildcat has not been utilized with any degree of success. It has been called at weird times, messing up Sanchez’s momentum and causing several delay-of-game penalties. This is not because the Wildcat is no longer useful in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers used it against the New York Jets this season and were able to run, pass and seemingly fly all over them. Needless to say, the New York Jets are clearly not a successful offense.

Quarterback

Mark Sanchez has the capability to be an NFL quarterback, but New York is not the place for him to do so. Sanchez was able to be successful in 2009 and 2010 with an offense that relies dominantly on their running game. While many teams are more focused on a passing game, there still is a place for players like this in the NFL—just ask Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers. One of Sanchez’s biggest problems is his confidence. He has a horrible poker face when it comes to his feeling when he throws an interception or is replaced at a critical moment by Tebow. While the Jets have made it clear they rely on him as their starter, his play does not reflect this confidence. It’s about the end of Sanchez’s time in New York. They are no longer using him the way they had originally intended and it is time for the Jets to find an identity. While Sanchez can be a NFL quarterback, he cannot put the weight of this mess on his back, he’s just not that strong.

This is not to be confused with a call to the heavens for Tim Tebow to swoop in to the quarterback position. Tebow resembles even less of a NFL quarterback than Sanchez does. This just means that the Jets need to revamp their offensive line, get a true number one running back, send Sparano a wake up call or let him go, and find a new quarterback.