Contrary to the thoughts of The Empire, here I am The Writer X to talk about my beloved Jets. This may or may not be my last Jets entry of the season, and if it turns out it is. I just need to get these thoughts off my chest…First and foremost…The Jets are who we thought they were. No, Dennis Green we didn’t let them off the hook, but we shouldn’t be surprised about what has transpired these past weeks. This was a team that preseason was predicted to be .500 at best. Personally I thought maybe, possibly depending on what the wild card bench mark was set at they could squeak into the playoffs with nine or ten wins.
The Jets had a rookie head coach, were starting a rookie quarterback, and had a tough schedule to boot…And of as of right now where getting what comes with those ingredients. Pepper in key injuries, and some bad breaks and you have exactly what we should have expected… Winning streaks, losing streaks, flairs of brilliance, and flairs of ineptitude. An up and down roller coaster that will continue for the rest of the season.
As much as Jets fans loved Rex Ryan in September, they question him in November. Let me just get this out of the way…The crying incident, not even quite sure what to say. I don’t know if it bothers me, but having said that, I don’t know if it doesn’t not bother me. It just kind of confuses me.
I have no doubt that Rex Ryan is a great defensive mind, but I’ve begun to question if Ryan can be a great head coach. I love the fire, love the tenacity…but I don’t know if it works for a head coach, and maybe Ryan needs to pick and choose when he decides to be the same Rex Ryan with the media as he is with his players.
When Ryan was in Baltimore he didn’t have to face the media that often. When there was a question about his defense chances are the head coach answered it. Ryan was like a child that was seen but rarely heard from. Rex Ryan could be Rex Ryan, and it worked because it was done on the sidelines, on the practice field, in the locker room, not behind a podium for all the New York media to write about.
No matter what it may seem like I think, in Rex Ryan I trust. I do believe Ryan will turn out to be a great head coach, and I think he is going to learn from this year, and be better prepared for next year. The defense is there this year, and it going to be around next year…Rex Ryan can’t help the fact that he has an inexperienced and overwhelmingly indecisive quarterback in rookie Mark Sanchez.
Let’s make this clear, and never forget it…Mark Sanchez is a rookie quarterback, and just because he didn’t play like one through the first three weeks doesn’t mean at some in the season he wasn’t going to play like one. Right now that’s what we’re getting…a rookie.
I’m not trying to make excuses for him…Ever since the Tennessee game Sanchez has played well below par, but what did we really expect? Not every rookie signal caller can be Matt Ryan, or Joe Flacco. With only 16 career college starts it was unfair to expect that type of rookie campaign from Sanchez.
Sanchez has shown flashes of brilliance, and I believe we will see them again. Look how long it took Eli Manning to be successful; his first few seasons were downright nauseating, and at times Eli still looks lost out there. Let’s give Sanchez a second season before were ready to label him a bust. It takes a lot for a rookie to get acclimated to the NFL. Next year the honeymoon will be over, and trust me Sanchez is going to be legit, the rookie fanfare will have passed and it will be all business. It will also help if Sanchez has a playmaker like Leon Washington back on the field.
Injuries have not been the Jet’s friend this year. The aforementioned Leon Washington is arguably the most important skill player on the Jets offense. When he went down the Jets offense lost so much. Washington is a flat out burner, get him in the open field and look out. Leon can run out of the backfield, but he is probably most valuable coming out of the backfield and catching the ball. Sanchez loved having Washington as that safety net to check down too, and the Jets haven’t been the same on third down since Leon went down.
As bad as the Leon Washington injury was, no injury may have hurt the Jets more than Kris Jenkins. Since Jenkins went down the defense has taken a several steps back. There is no argument here, Jenkins is the most important player on the Jets defense, and while Sione Pouha has done his best, he just isn’t Jenkins. Jenkins doesn’t fill up the stat sheet, but any Jets fan knows the level of his importance. There’s a reason dude goes to the pro bowl year in and year out.
The Jets schedule isn’t a cake walk either. They have six games against teams who made the playoffs this year. Not to mention two games against the Pats, and games against the Saints, and Texans.
I almost went a whole post without talking about the game that unofficially ended the Jets season. The Jets got thoroughly romped by the Pats yesterday, absolutely disgusting. The Jets playoff hopes were severely hurt over the 3 game losing streak, and last night was Ryan’s last stand. Unfortunately his Jets troops were not up to the task, and the white flag waved on this season. Even if by some miracle the Jets reeled over six wins in a row and made the playoffs, they’ll be one and done. The Pats are the type of team the Jets will have to beat in the playoffs, and unless Sanchez goes all Eli Manning circa 2007 having some sort of out of body experience the Jets don’t stand a chance.
2009 was fun, but now its “over.” Personally I’m already thinking draft, and the 2010 season. Here it on the improp first…Jets, 11-5 next year and a playoff spot…LOCK IT UP…So unless the Jets take a dramatic turn for the better, or get even worse, it’s a been a fun season…See you in 2010.
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