Jets Playoff Hopes Still Alive

The Jets season has come down to a game by game scenario.  Each and every game has their playoff hopes  on the line. The Jets control their own destiny the rest of their way as of right now.  They hold the six seed in the AFC playoff race.  The problem is the tie breakers are not in their favor.  The easy way in for the Jets would be to win their last three games and finish the season 11-5.  That would give them the six seed and a chance to make a playoff run like they have the past two seasons.  The problem is that the Jets have to play on the road against a talented Eagles team, home against a Giants team with all the motivation in the world, and on the road against a Dolphins team who loves to play spoiler against the Jets in the last week of the season. (cough cough Brett Favre days)  It is not going to be an easy road for Gang Green, but if they keep playing the style of football we have seen the last couple weeks out of them, the Jets look like they can be a team to be reckoned with come January.

Jets Snap Losing Streak and Get Back to .500

The Jets were in dire need of a victory on Monday night facing the winless Dolphins.  It started off sloppy early in the game, but the Jets kicked it into gear after an abismal start to defeat the Dolphins 24-6 at Metlife Stadium.  The Jets moved to 3-3 with the win, including 3-0 at home and the Dolphins fell to 0-5 with the loss.

The Jets came out of the gate at home not as expected.  Their first four drives were all three and out.  They could not get one first down the first four drives.  They still held a 7-6 lead in the second quarter without having a first down thanks to a 100 yard interception return for a touchdown from cornerback Darelle Revis.  Many questioned whether it may have been a pass interference committed by Revis to get the pick, but nothing was called and Revis would weave his way through defenders to take it from one endzone to the other.

The Jets would finally get offensive yardage on their 5th drive as they drove down the field for a touchdown to take a 14-6 lead.  That would be the score at the half.  The Jets would get a field goal in the 3rd quarter to take a 17-6 lead going into the 4th.  The Dolphins offense was stagnant.  They could not get the ball down the field whatsoever in the second half.  The Jets defense dominated and Matt Moore proved why he is a backup quarterback in the NFL.  He struggled all night, especially in the second half.  The Jets would score early in the 4th quarter thanks to a 38 yard catch and run by Santonio Holmes with the help of a couple great blocks down the field.  The Jets had a 24-6 lead and would hold on by that score.

Mark Sanchez had an average game throwing 14 for 25 for 201 yards and one touchdown as well as a rushing touchdown.  Shonn Greene ran for 74 yards and the Jets finally got back on the winning side.  Meanwhile, nothing is going right for the Miami Dolphins.  They have struggled mightily all season.  Matt Moore, who was playing for the injured Chad Henne did not look sharp throwing 16 for 34 for 204 yards and an interception.  It seems as the Dolphins will be in the race for quarterback Andrew Luck this year as they are looking like they will have one of the top picks in the upcoming draft.

The key thing for the Jets is that they won the game.  This was a much needed win just to get them out of their funk.  Yes, they beat a team who has been awful and arguably the worst team in the league, but it was a win that could build them some confidence going into next week.  The Jets will face the surprising Chargers team at home hoping to get back over the .500 mark. The Dolphins face Tim Tebow and the Broncos in Miami.

Jets Lose 3rd Straight and Fall Below .500

The New York Jets had visions of a Super Bowl victory this season, but after five games they have a losing record and do not resemble the championship team they aspire to be.

So far this year, the Jets defense just has not been able to make the big stops and their offense has been extremely inconsistent. Sunday afternoon proved no different. The New England Patriots defeated the Jets in Foxboro Sunday 30-21. While Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and his offense played better than in previous weeks, their once highly touted defense was once again disappointing.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw for an impressive 321 yards and running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Patriots offensive attack dominated dominated the game. While Brady deserved lots of credit for his team’s performance, the sagging Jet defense played at times as if they were in another league. Maybe they are.

On the other hand, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had another average day, throwing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Fans waiting for Sanchez to have a “breakout” game will have to wait. Jets running back Shonn Greene ran for an unremarkable 83 yards and a touchdown against the Patriot’s swarming defense.

In all reality, the Jets just are not as good as they were predicted to be coming into the season. The offense has not been very aggressive and the defense has brought little pressure on the opposition quarterback and it has struggled mightily to stop the run. If the Jets want any shot at getting to the playoffs, they are going to need to get their act together on both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. If not, the Jets are looking like a team that will be on a couch in January watching the Patriots compete in the playoffs.

The Jets nest chance to redeem themselves with be a home game against the Miami Dolphins next Monday night. The meeting could be especially timely for the Jets because the Dolphins haven’t won a game this season and they lost starting quarterback Chad Henne to injury.

The Jets need to win this game to get back to the .500 mark and gain some confidence. Especially since they play the explosive and division leading San Diego Chargers the following week.