Bye Week Report: New York Jets

It's eight games into the football season and so far the Jets are breaking even at 4-4 with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach. The problem is that for the last four weeks the Jets have looked just plain broken.

They started off the season better than any Jet fan could have dreamed of. They beat everyone's favorite "this is gonna be their year, I swear I can feel it!" Houston Texans, followed that by spitting on Belichick's rings in a huge win against the "Brady's back! 18-0 take 2!" New England Patriots, and continued their run with another impressive victory against the "no way they can go 0-3, they had the best record in the AFC last year!" Tennessee Titans.

And so the "talk the talk, walk the walk!" New York Jets were born. Gang Green's next game, against the 3-0 New Orleans Saints, was considered a possible Super Bowl preview....and then they played the game. And if that wasn't bad enough, they played another one, and another one...

Looking back on the past eight games, the Jets have two wins against two good teams (New England and Houston), two wins against two awful teams (Oakland and Tennessee), one loss to a great team (New Orleans), one loss to an awful team (Buffalo), and two losses to one mediocre team (Miami).

Breakdown:

Mark Sanchez- The Jets traded up in the draft this past April to make Sanchez the #5 pick overall and the first franchise quarterback for the team since Joe Namath. A lot of pressure for a guy who had only started 16 games in college. But so far, Sanchez seems like he was worth the risk (and the money). Yes, he has single-handedly cost the team two games (though a lot of that blame has to go to the coaches), and yes, he ate a hot dog, but Sanchez has also shown some flashes of brilliance. Even the way the guy handles himself during press conferences is impressive. If the coaching staff doesn't dump the playbook on him and if they handle him properly (easier said than done, of course), he looks like he has all the skill to be the next Joe Willie.

Rex Ryan- The truth is, when the Jets were winning, nobody had a problem with Rex Ryan flapping his gums. Hell, it was actually pretty bad-ass! But when you lose three out of four, you're just an ass. The talk has officially become old. And now that the Jets have lost both of their games against Miami, Ryan's pre-season spat with 'Phins linebacker Channing Crowder seems kind of pathetic. It is refreshing to have a coach on the sidelines who has some personality and isn't afraid to speak his mind, but you have to know when to put the brakes on too.

And as for the actual coaching, it's been a mixed bag. The defense has been as advertised. Except for one bad game in their first meeting with Miami when the Jets had no answer for the wildcat, the D has been top notch. Though as the season progressed teams seemed to be figuring out their blitzes, but after the past two games it looks like the defense has made the right adjustments and they are finally not just getting to the QB, but sacking him.

The offense has not been as impressive. Even with a rookie quarterback, this offense should be better and it is being held back by poor coaching. After Sanchez looked lights out after the first few weeks, the coaches apparently thought that Marky-Mark could handle a wide-open playbook...not the case. Not only is he a rookie, he has fewer starts than most highly-touted rookie quarterbacks that come into the NFL. Add to that the fact that Thomas Jones has finally found his stride and there should be no reason that Sanchez should have to be slinging the ball all over the place.

Running Game- This is the strength of this team offensively and it should be. After a rough start to the season, Thomas Jones has been running like the man that led the conference in rushing last season. Losing Leon Washington for the season was huge, no doubt about it. To resort to cliche, he is "electric". A "play-maker" with "a lot of heart" and "a motor that never stops." Jets fans can only wish #29 a quick and full recovery for the 2010 season. Fortunately for the 2009 season (and beyond) Shonn Greene looks like a great pick for the team and has been making the most of what little action he's seen so far.

Passing Game- Besides the quarterback, this team came into the season with plenty of questions in the passing game. However, five weeks into the season, the Jets found the answer: it's name is Braylon Edwards. The Jets had a solid group of receivers (led by the vastly underrated Jerricho Cotchery), but the truth is that none brought to the table what Edwards does. He has bailed Sanchez out of many a bad pass and has scored a couple of impressive, physical TDs. Looks like he left those bad hands in Cleveland.

Unfortunately, it's not always best to spoil a baby with a shiny new toy. When Edwards first stepped on the field for New York, Sanchez seemed like he was intent on getting him the ball every time he dropped back to pass. There's no doubt that the Jets should be trying to get Edwards the ball, but that's something that the coaches should worry about, not Sanchez. Other than Edwards, the Jets have some good pass catchers: the previously mentioned Cotchery will become a bigger part of the offense once healthy, David Clowney is finally proving that he can play football in a month that's not August, and it's only a matter of time until Dustin Keller is a perennial Pro Bowler.

Defense- There isn't really a whole lot of mystery to this defenses philosophy- they're coming after you...all the time. And so far, it's working. Through eight games the only let down has been one lackluster performance in Miami where they let the wildcat roam free and seemed content with just looking at Chad Henne rather than getting anywhere near him. But other than that game, this defense has been as advertised, maybe better. Losing Kris Jenkins, however, is about as bad as it gets. Like with Washington on offense, the Jets just need to hope that he can come back at 100% next season. Still, this defense is loaded with talent. Bart Scott has solidified himself as the leader of the D, on and off the field, David Harris continues to get better, Kerry Rhodes is one of the best at his position, Darrelle Revis IS the best at his position, and the list goes on... If games were won on defense, this team would be 7-1. Unfortunately they're not, which brings us to...

Special Teams- It's rare that special teams alone costs you a football game, but when it does it hurts. And this last one hurt. Just when the Jets were able to put it together on both offense and defense, the kick coverage team lets two kickoffs of 100 and 101 yards get returned on them in the same quarter. Say what you will about having a shot at the end, but when you lose a game that you otherwise dominated by 5 points, the special teams flat out cost them the win. And after New York's two games against Miami, I'm convinced that they must have some kind of stake in Tedd Ginn's NFL career.
Other than their abysmal performance this past Sunday, however, the special teams have been solid. Jim Leonhard returning punts has been nothing spectacular, Justin Miller was just re-signed to give the team a spark in the kick return game, Steven Weatherford has been a serviceable punter, and Jay Feely is a great improvement over the failed Mike Nugent experiment.

The Jets are a team plagued by several things, one is inexperience. Both the coach and the quarterback need to improve if the team has any hope of making the playoffs. Another thing plaguing the team is injuries. If before the season you had to name the one offensive player and one defensive player that this team could not afford to lose for the year, those players would be Leon Washington and Kris Jenkins. Overcoming those injuries, as well as getting key players like Cotchery and cornerback Lito Sheppard healthy are key.

The Jets come out of their bye week against a Jacksonville Jaguar team that will most likely be 4-4 as well when they meet on Nov. 15. This will be a good test for the Jets to see where they are as a team and where they will likely finish this season.

Prediction: 9-7, no playoffs

Statement Game of the Week: Vikings vs. Steelers

Many are picking Atlanta vs. Dallas as the game of the week, but let's be honest here, neither team is making it to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are more inconsistent than Will Ferrell movies and they have a coach who seems lost at times. I mean he literally looks lost and confused- as if he wandered onto the sideline and forgot where his seat was.

Then you have Tony Romo. While he is probably the most athletic quarterback in the league (I said quarterback- sorry Michael) he is still not polished enough to win those big games in December. His decision making is always questionable and for now, he's got a big old monkey on his back that continues to strangle him in big situations.

Let's not forget that they have an ego-maniac for an owner. Jerry Jones is a walker away from being the next Al Davis (scary thought Dallas, but the truth always is). And as for the Falcons, well they are just too young. I am sold on Matt Ryan, but not the whole team. They have the talent, but '09 is too soon. They are playoff bound, especially in the weak NFC South, but will fall short. At least for this year.

This brings us to the only other game of relevance in a week of gimme' games. The Vikings and Steelers are two of the most Super Bowl ready teams in the league and both come into this week with something to prove.

The Vikings are undefeated thus far, but aside from last minute victories against the 49ers and the Ravens, they've had a fairly unimpressive path to that 6 and 0 record. This is an opportunity for the Vikings to knock off two AFC elites in back to back weeks. A solid win against Big Ben and the Steelers top notch defense could legitimize their chances at a ring. A loss here and the two wins against the 49ers and Ravens look like flukes, not to mention that the Favre-haters will begin their "too old" chatter (depending on the fashion of the loss, of course). This is an important game that can set the Vikings up for the rest of the season. A 7-0 start, with a sizable lead in the NFC North is not a bad a deal.

Roethlisberger and crew need this game just as much, if not more. It's hard to question a 4 and 2 start, but is it just me or is it a little disappointing. Losing back to back games against Chicago and Cincinnati was unexpected to say the least. It just so happens that those two teams are playing each other this week as well. The result of that game doesn't matter though. The Steelers must beat the Vikings to either stick with Cincy or get that one game lead they need in the Division, if the Bengals fall to the Bears.

Ben is putting up excellent numbers so far this year. He's been asked to do a lot and has responded. The Steelers of old they are not. The offense resembles the Rams of the early 2000's more than the Bill Cowher bruisers of only a few years ago. And they will need that explosive passing attack against the Vikings if they want to pull out the win at home. The Vikings have the ability to hold on to the ball with their running attack and can keep you from using yours. Minnesota ranks 9th in rush defense and Mendenhall and crew only rank 15th in rush offense. Now the Steelers bolster the second best run defense in the league, but A.D. just proved he can run on anyone last week when he put up 143 yds on 22 carries against a historically great run defense in the Ravens.

The x-factor here will be Brett Favre. What Brett will the Vikings get? If he continues his play from the previous six weeks the Steelers will have a hard time coming out on top. But if Pittsburgh can rattle him and cause a few miscues, we could see the Vikings offense implode.

I'm saying this one will be close, but I have the Vikings coming away with the win, 28-23. Brett Favre is just too comfortable with this offense and is looking like he did two years ago with the Packers (and they went to the NFC title game). The Vikings have given up tons of passing yards late in games this season, but look for Jared Allen and friends to get the pressure on Big Ben early and often. Sorry Pittsburgh fans, looks like recent history will repeat itself as the undefeated team knocks off the defending champs yet again.

Sanchez, Savior?...Not Yet

If you told me six weeks ago that the Jets would have started the season 3 and 0 with wins over the Texans (the sexy preseason Super Bowl pick), the Patriots (with Brady back at the helm), and the Titans (the reigning AFC South Champs) I would have called you crazy- among other things. But three weeks into the season with a rookie coach and rookie quarterback the Jets were just that. The big 3 and 0.

Mark Sanchez had a completion percentage of 59 and had a 2 to 1 touchdown to interception ratio (4 TDs and 2 INTs). Now the numbers weren't out of this world, or Brady-esque by any stretch, but they were solid for a rookie quarterback. He was managing the games and making special plays when it was least expected (Exhibit A: TD run against Tennessee). The defense was exceptional as well. They only let up 33 points- with the first offensive touchdown given up in the second quarter of week 3. But expectations for this team began to shift and shift fast.

Now six weeks in we have seen a reversal of what we saw in the first three weeks, literally. Sanchez now has a 1 to 2 touchdown to interception ratio (5 to 10 respectively) and the defense has looked powerless at times (How about a sack? I'd settle for a little pressure!). Everyone jumped the gun here- myself included. The success was quick, but didn't linger as long as most New York fans would have liked. With that being said, don't jump off the band wagon too soon.

Sanchez has shown the accuracy and arm strength needed to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL and Rex Ryan does know how to coach up on defense (He's only been the mastermind behind the definition of defense in Baltimore). While the Jets have fallen three straight now, they are still 3 and 3. Don't let the exceptional start skew your expectations for this young team. Braylon Edwards has only been in New York for two weeks now and is still get acclimated to his third quarterback of the season. The parts are there, but patience is needed.

Now I'm aware that a major part of this team is gone now. Kris Jenkins is gone for the year and he is arguably the most significant part of this defense, but it's not the defense I'm worried about. Rex will be fine. He has plenty of other toys to tinker with while trying to make up for the loss. The problem I do see is the nurturing of Sanchez.

Schottenheimer is on a hot seat. The only seat hotter than his is Jim Zorn's and Zorn is melting as we speak. If Schotty doesn't get his offense back on track he will find himself on the wrong side of the city that doesn't sleep. The play calling was excellent the first three weeks. Sanchez attempted his fair share of passes, but wasn't asked to take control of the game, put it on his shoulder and sling the ball around like he's number four of last year. The kid's a rookie and he was treated as one for the first three weeks. But when he dipped his head and spun into the endzone against the Titans, all reason went out the window for Mr. Schottenheimer. I don't know if he mistook Sanchez for John Elway or what, but he decided from that point on to put way too much of the offense in his hands.

Luckily Sanchez's worst performance came in week six and not later (Keep your finger's crossed). This should give the Jets a solid two weeks to get ready for the Dolphins at home, considering they have a bye in Oakland this weekend. If Schotty can smarten up and go back to the ways of old, the Jets will be just fine. If he continues to give Sanchez the keys to the Ferrari, we're likely to see another car accident like we saw against Buffalo. But if he just lets him take the Camry out on weekends and slowly lets him work his way into Monday, you'll see the slow and natural maturation of a fine young driver...I mean...quarterback.