Jets’ Future Bright with Rex’s Defense and Sanchez’s Potential

The Jets finished the 2009 regular season ranked number one in total defense, passing defense, points allowed and rushing offense. It didn’t translate into an 11 or 12 win season because parts of the Jets went AWOL in particular games. Their special teams took a day off in one loss to Miami and their defense was nowhere to be found in the other. Mark Sanchez threw five balls to Bills players in an overtime loss and the Jets held the Falcons to just a field goal until under two minutes left in the game and lost 10-7. The Jets lost five games by five points or less. 

A top rated defense and a top rated running game is a formula for success in the NFL. In the past, teams that have led the NFL in those two categories usually have had postseason success. The Jets were no different until they ran into Peyton Manning and the Colts Sunday in the AFC Championship. Amid all the disappointing regular season losses, the Jets still made a nice run in 2009, but it ended two wins short. What they did in the latter part of the regular season and playoffs is showing of a team that will be a contender for quite some time.

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Jets Must Keep Colts Close to Have a Chance

As the AFC Championship nears, everyone and their mother is giving insight into what needs to happen for the Jets to win this football game. You can’t just key on one side of the ball and say the Jets have to stop the Colts on third-and-long. Yes, they do, but they also need to convert on their own third-and-longs and slow down the pass rush of hectic defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. You can’t just focus on the Jets putting pressure on Manning. Yes, they do need to, but they also need to run the ball effectively on offense and not turn the ball over. Every little thing, every play-call, every snap, every read, and every decision will need to be near perfect for the Jets to win this game.

Everybody knows the Jets’ style of play. The question is whether they can be effective doing it. Will the Jets defense contain Peyton Manning and the Colts’ offense long enough to be able to stick to the running game? As long as the game is within 10 points, the Jets are going to stay on the ground. Once Peyton opens the flood gate and gets cushion, the Jets will be forced to throw the ball.

In all of the Jets’ wins this season, playoffs and regular season combined, the biggest deficit they have overcome was seven points and that happened in both of their playoff games. The Jets haven’t won a game this season when trailing by more than seven points at any point in the game. The Jets can win games when their down by one score because they don’t have to stray from their game plan. They can keep the ball on the ground and don’t have to ask their rookie signal caller to put the team on his shoulders to drive down the field. When the deficit grows and they need two or three scores to get back in the game, that’s when they have to abandon the run and have Sanchez drop back almost every snap and throw.

Mark Sanchez has attempted 25 or more passes in a game seven times this season and the Jets are 2-5 with the two wins coming during the first three weeks of the season (in comparison Jets are 6-0 when Sanchez attempts 20 or fewer passes). He has thrown seven touchdowns and 17 interceptions with a completion percentage of 52.8 in those seven games combined. It’s critical the Jets keep the Colts to within seven or 10 points at most. If Peyton and Co. jump out to a two score lead early, the Jets may have a chance, but if they’re down by two scores from the second quarter on, the Jets will have a steep hill to climb that they haven’t been able to climb before. Stay within one possession and the Jets will have a chance.

Jets Rookies, First Year Players Impacting Jets

It takes an entire team effort to get where the Jets are, but credit Jet rookies and first year Jets for changing the culture of the organization.

It starts with first year head coach Rex Ryan, who was brought over from the Ravens. Ryan is one of the top defensive minds in the NFL. Ryan brought over linebacker Bart Scott, safety Jim Leonhard, defensive end Marques Douglas and a few coaches with him from Baltimore and those guys are a big reason why the Jets’ defense has been so successful in their first year under Rex Ryan’s scheme. Without Scott, Leonhard and Douglas, the Jets defense would have probably been lost. They are the coaches on the field that know the defense as well as Rex does because they’ve been in his system for so long. Those guys have helped the Jet defenders learn the scheme. 

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Jets vs. Chargers; How They Match Up

When the Jets and Chargers meet Sunday in the Divisional Round of the playoffs all eyes will be on the battle between the Chargers offense and the Jets defense. This is the classic strength vs. strength match-up. The Chargers were among the regular season leaders in most offensive categories and the Jets defense led the league in total defense, passing defense, and points allowed.

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Sanchez, Jets Impressive in First Playoff Win Since 2004

Mark Sanchez’s smile and childlike demeanor running off the field after the game said it all. The Jets beat the Bengals 24-14 in the first round of the playoffs and the Jets rookie quarterback was impressive. Sanchez became the fourth rookie quarterback to win his first playoff start. 

Sanchez outplayed his fellow USC alumnus, Carson Palmer, and set a rookie record for completion percentage in a playoff game. Sanchez connected on 80% of his passes (12-15) for 182 yards and a touchdown.  

Another rookie, running back Shonn Greene, played a major role in the win. Greene ran for 135 yards on 21 carries and broke away for a 39-yard touchdown on a well drawn up play by Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Sanchez faked the run to the fullback up the middle and pitched it to the left to Greene which was wide open.

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Jets Apt to Fourth Quarter Meltdowns

By now everyone knows what Rex Ryan told reporters about how he considers the Jets the favorite to win it all this year. No matter what Rex Ryan says, the Jets are not the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They don’t have a reliable passing offense that is necessary to win games down the stretch. Fourth quarter comebacks are not the Jets forte and neither is stopping them. The Jets aren’t going to blow anybody out in the playoffs. They will need a fourth quarter game-winning drive or game-winning stop at one point to win a playoff game.

I’d really like to know if Jets fans have more confidence in Mark Sanchez putting together a late game-winning drive or the defense stopping one. The easy answer would be to pick the defense, but neither has happened in the regular season. In a handful of games this season the Jets’ defense played well up until the last few minutes and gave up a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. I know everyone is high on the Jets defense and rightfully so for being rated number one in several major categories, but you can lead the NFL in defense every year and it won’t matter unless you finish games. The Jets defense hasn’t shown us they can stop their opponents from scoring late in close games. Being the number one rated defense in the NFL and having a 9-7 record and just barely getting into the playoffs isn’t ideal.

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Jets Lose To Falcons, Lose Sight of Playoffs

Three words: Same old Jets. Did anyone expect differently? Really?

In a game the Jets needed to win, Gang Green laid a giant green egg. In what was probably their most winnable game of their final three weeks, the Jets couldn’t find a way to beat the Falcons. The Falcons scored a touchdown with 1:38 left in the game to beat the Jets 10-7.

Seeing how the Jets performed as a whole against the Falcons, there was no way they would have beaten the undefeated Colts or AFC North leading Bengals the next two weeks. The Jets defense did their job like they have done just about every game this season. Their special teams missed opportunities to score points and their offense couldn’t find the end zone other than a long pass in the 1st qaurter. The Jets can’t expect their defense to hold teams to single digit points every week. Their offense can’t score in single digits and expect to win. It doesn’t work this way.

For all of you Jet fans who look at the standings and see the Jets at 7-7, tied with four other teams, save yourself the misery and realize it’s over. Realize it’s over not only because the Jets are low on the tie-breaker totem pole and would need a ton of other teams to lose games, but also because the Jets have to play the Colts and Bengals, both of whom are better than the team they lost to today.

As good as the Jets defense is, and they are tops in the NFL, the team can’t win when their offense and special teams don’t get the job done. For all of the people who are blaming Jay Feely for missing two field goals, they may want to take a look at their quarterback who was picked off three times in the game. Don’t only blame Feely. Also take a look at the holder Kellen Clemens who bobbled a snap that would have been a chip-shot for Feely.

The Jets have lost games this season in torcherous fashion. They’ve been a tough team to watch every week. The next two weeks don’t get any easier. I feel bad for the Mets/Jets fan. For the Yankees/Jets fan, just think… you got your title. Be happy.

Sanchez Will Start Against Falcons

Rex Ryan has announced that Mark Sanchez will be the Jets starting quarterback this Sunday against the Falcons. Sanchez missed last week’s game with a strained PCL in his right knee which he suffered while diving for a first down the prior week against Buffalo. Kellen Clemens started in place of him in the Jets’ win over the Buccaneers last week. Sanchez will be wearing knee braces on both knees. 

“Mark will start at QB, no great surprise to anybody,” Rex Ryan said according to the Jets official twitter account. “He feels confident. He threw the ball really well today. He’s ready to go.”

The 7-6 Jets need a win over the 6-7 Falcons to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Defense Leads Jets Over Buccaneers 26-3

The Jets remain in the thick of the AFC playoff picture with a 26-3 win over the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. Their defense led the charge with an impressive day while Thomas Jones rushed for two touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. Rex Ryan’s defense was the story, holding the now 1-12 Bucs to three points and 124 total yards. 

David Harris picked off rookie Josh Freeman on the first play of the game and the defensive tone was set for the rest of the game. The Jets defense limited the Buccaneers to only 15 total yards in the first half and didn’t allow a first half first down. Darrelle Revis and Kerry Rhodes also picked off the Buccaneers’ rookie signal caller in the fourth quarter. 

Jay Feely knocked in four field goals in the first half and Thomas Jones broke through for a 33-yard touchdown and the Jets led 19-0 at the half. A Thomas Jones touchdown run was their only offense in the second half and it was more than enough. The Jets would have most likely shut the Bucs out if linebacker Bart Scott wasn’t flagged for unnecessary roughness in the third quarter. The boneheaded play by Scott was after the Jets stopped the Bucs on a third down. The penalty gave the Bucs a first down and they converted a field goal a few plays later.

Kellen Clemens, starting in place of the injured Mark Sanchez, wasn’t great, but he didn’t turn the ball over and didn’t make any costly mistakes. 

At 7-6, the Jets will have to win their final three games and get some outside help to earn a playoff birth. New England (8-5) and Miami (7-6) both won and remain head of the Jets in the AFC East.

For Jets, Buccaneers Game Comes at Perfect Time

Although the Jets didn’t want to lose Mark Sanchez for any game this season, their week 14 game against the Buccaneers may be the best game to lose him for. The 1-11 Bucs have a rookie quarterback, Josh Freeman, who, similar to the Jets rookie signal caller, has been inconsistent this year. Freeman doesn’t have a number one rated defense to back him up like the Jets do for Sanchez. In fact, the Buccaneers’ defense ranks in the bottom five in most categories. 

Arguably the NFL’s worst team, the Bucs host a Jets team that has won two in a row and have given up just one touchdown in those two games combined. The Jets defense will be able to hold down the Bucs. It’s the Jets offense and more specificly, Kellen Clemens, that has some people worried.

Kellen Clemens is set to start his first game since 2007. The Jets should be able to run the ball all over the Bucs allowing Clemens to not have to drop back more than 20 times. The Buccaneers have one of the worst run defenses in the league. Clemens hasn’t worked with the first team since training camp and this is the first week of practice he’s been throwing to Braylon Edwards, who was acquired from Cleveland during the season. 

Jet fans will worry until the final whistle blows Sunday afternoon, but they should be confident the Jets can win this one. The offensive line will make holes for Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene to run through and Clemens will make plays when he has to. Jet fans can start worrying again on Monday if Rex Ryan says Sanchez can’t play in week 15 forcing Clemens to be the starter against the Falcons.