Embarrassing. Pathetic. There is truly no way to sugarcoat the Jets disappointing performance against the Patriots on Monday night. The Patriots absolutely manhandled Gang Green as evidenced not only by the score, 45-3, or the total yards, 405, but by the look on Rex Ryan’s face at the end of the game.
Offense
Kill the cat- At what point will offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer realize how predictable his offense has become? The wildcat formation has become a joke as everyone knows Brad Smith is just going to run up the middle. In addition the formation tends to get Sanchez out of rhythm and usually results in a third and long situation. Enough with the gimmicks, how about developing a legitimate game plan that includes a conventional offense. Lets keep in mind that this is the same Patriots defense that was lit up by Shaun Hill and the Detroit Lions.
Struggling Sanchez- Quarterback Mark Sanchez had a terrible game but definitely did not get any help from his teammates. Between the mind boggling play calling, the dropped passes, and the receivers quitting on their routes, there were culprits all over the field. The passing game usually gets rolling when the Jets get Dustin Keller involved early in the game. Why do they continue to try to force the ball to the receivers? The repeated third and long situations is only a recipe for disaster.
Get a grip Santonio- So let me get this straight you are getting humiliated on national television and you showboat after a meaningless catch? Are you kidding me?
Defense
D for disaster- I think it is more than obvious that opposing teams have found a way to attack Rex Ryan’s defense. The Jets are having a hard time generating any type of pass rush, which is exposing their weaknesses in the secondary. Sure the loss of Jim Leonhard hurts, but guys like Jason Taylor and Shaun Ellis are really struggling to get to the quarterback. At some point Rex Ryan may have to reconsider his aggressive ways if they continue to allow huge plays in the passing game.
Special Teams
Nothing special- Was anyone really surprised that Nick Folk missed that 53 yard kick? I think it was more surprising that the Jets even put him in the situation. And what in the world happened to punter Steve Weatherford? A 12-yard punt? What an absolutely putrid performance by Weatherford.
Overall
The Jets were thoroughly beaten on and off the field on Monday night. Rex Ryan was completely outcoached by Bill Belichick while his team looked lost and overwhelmed under the big lights. This is as embarrassing of a loss that you can have in the NFL, and it happened in the biggest game of the year for the Jets. Unbelievable.
Moving Forward
You will learn a lot about Rex Ryan and his team based on the way they bounce back this Sunday against the rival Dolphins. Will the team come out angry and motivated to right the ship or will they be flat from an emotional letdown? It will be very interesting to see the psyche of this team on Sunday. In my eyes this is a must win for the Jets.
Playoffs
While this loss will sting for a while, the Jets are still in contention for the division. A win against the Dolphins combined with a Patriots loss to the Bears and Gang Green is tied for the division lead. Both teams have a tough remaining schedule so all is not lost just yet. While a first round bye would be nice, the goal is to make the playoffs. Once you are in, anything can happen as we all saw last year.