On Sunday the New York Jets once again played the role of the cardiac kids as the team rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Washington Redskins 34-19. The victory moves the Jets record to 7-5 and keeps Gang Green in contention for a wildcard spot in the AFC.
Offense
Offensive line solid- The Washington Redskins defense entered the game with one of the best pass rushing units in the NFL. The New York Jets offensive line did an excellent job protecting Mark Sanchez yielding zero sacks. The line also did a solid job winning the battles in the trenches for the ground game as Shonn Greene was able to rush for 88 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Comeback kid- Quarterback Mark Sanchez (19/32 165 yards, 1td) played well on Sunday spreading the ball around to 10 different receivers. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter Sanchez played his best capping it off with a nice pump fake and 30-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. You can call Sanchez many things but the kid is a gamer, and tough as nails, as evidenced by the way he bounced back up after being drilled by a safety on a play that was blown dead.
Shonn shines- Running back Shonn Greene had an excellent game on Sunday as he pounded the Redskin defense for 88 yards and 3 touchdowns. Greene’s physical style of running wore down the Washington defense and helped the Jets get the passing game going with some play action. This is the time of year where Greene usually explodes and we can only hope this trend continues as the Jets make their playoff run.
Why the wildcat? On Sunday the New York Jets brought back their wildcat formation with mixed results. The Jets were able to score a touchdown off of a direct snap to Greene, but were also stymied several times leaving the offense in second and third and long situations. I think the wildcat is nice to use once in a while, but in the end I think it just throws off the offense and ruins Mark Sanchez’ rhythm.
Tone Time- I honestly cannot remember the last time the Jets had a receiver like Santonio Holmes. Santonio caught another game winning touchdown on Sunday and just has a knack for making big plays with the game on the line.
Matthew Mulligan- Another game, another issue and incident with blocking tight end Matt Mulligan. The backup tight end had some issues with blocking and a false start which resulted in an incident on the sidelines arguing with another player. At some point the Jets are going to have to look in another direction at this position.
Defense
Sloppy tackling- The New York Jets defense inexcusably started off the game slow with poor tackling and terrible pass coverage. The unit appeared lifeless trying to arm tackle running back Roy Helu. To say this was a surprise is an understatement as this team is built around the swagger of this supposed physical defense. To the unit’s credit they bounced back strong in the second half and made plays when they had to in order to keep the Jets in the game while the offense was struggling.
Mayhem strikes- Linebacker Aaron Maybin had another explosive game racking up a sack, forced fumble, and numerous quarterback pressures. Maybin pressured from a variety of different positions which completely disrupted the Redskins passing game. I think it may be time for the Jets to start talking about a contract extension for Mayhem Maybin.
Pass coverage issues- Surprise, surprise the New York Jets defense once again struggled to cover a tight end. Redskin tight end Fred Davis lit up the Jets defense for 6 catches and 99 yards.
Special Teams
Punt return issues continue- Another game, another fumbled punt. Are you kidding me? This week’s culprit was rookie Jeremy Kerley. These fundamental mistakes are killing the Jets and giving opponents short fields to work off of. I cannot even imagine what is going through Mike Westhoff’s mind right now.
T.J. Conley- For some reason it always seems like that T.J. Conley shanks a punt at the most inopportune time. I find his inconsistency maddening and would really like to see the Jets explore other options at this position. Gang Green is often playing the field position battle, and I think with Conley they are coming up short.
Overall
The Jets got a must needed win on the road and you have to like the way the team finished off the game pouring it on the Redskins. I have several concerns with how the defense started off slow and with the offensive playcalling that emphasized the wildcat formation. At times the team played very sloppy and without discipline and that falls on the coaching staff. Gang Green has lost their margin for error and cannot afford to make mental mistakes that will cost the team games. Going forward Rex Ryan must work on getting this team to play at a higher, more consistent level.
Hats off to all of the Jets fans that went to the game as the J-E-T-S chants were ringing throughout the stadium as the clock winded down.