Why the Jets Won't Make the Playoffs

Can you ever remember a more overhyped, overrated team ever in an NFL pre-season? Me neither.  Here are some reasons you need to recognize why the Jets will not make the playoffs this season.

 

1.       The Jets were 9-7 last year. They won their ninth game in the NFL’s last regular season game when the Cincinnati Bengals benched all of their starters to rest for the playoffs. Because of this, the Jets snuck into the playoffs. Let’s look more closely at the Jets 9 wins, shall we?

 

The Jets started off the 2009 season with two quality wins at 8-8 Houston and at home against a recovering New England Patriot team. I’ll give you those two wins. Then, they beat the 8-8 Titans who were an atrocious 0-6 to start the year.  After LOSING to the hapless Bills, the Jets beat the hopeless 5-11 Raiders. They then rolled off three straight losses before winning three straight against Carolina, Buffalo, and Tampa; whose combined record was 17-32. Wow!!!! World Beaters! Finally, after losing on their own field in December to the domed Falcons, the Jets got their remaining two wins against Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Two teams who had their starters benched for at least half of their respective games.

 

To recap: The Jets beat Houston. Beat the Patriots (and later lost by 17 to the same team when they were healthy), beat Tennessee who got off to a horrible start with Kerry Collins, beat the laughing stock Raiders, beat the laughing stock Bills, beat the 3-11 Buccaneers, beat  an 8-8 Carolina team who was playing for the first time without their starting QB, and beat two teams who benched their starters and had nothing to play for.

 

Other than the two teams who benched their starters to rest for the playoffs, the combined record of the 7 teams the Jets beat were 48-64. – impressive, indeed. I won’t even mention the fact that of their 7 losses….only two of them came against a team with a winning record. For real. But let the memory of the Jets two big playoff wins against an overrated Bengal team and an underachieving Charger team cloud how the Jets actually performed for the 2009 season. I’ll look at their actual body of work, thank you.

 

2.       Without question, the most important point on this list. The NFL is a QB LEAGUE. If you don’t have at the very least an above average QB, your team WILL NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. PERIOD. Let’s look at the 12 playoff teams last year and who they were quarterbacked by: Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco,  Carson Palmer, Phillip Rivers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and……Mark Sanchez?

 

Look – Not a coincidence most of the names on this list are studs. In fact….the only NON Pro-bowlers on this list? Joe Flacco – who should have made it last season over Vince Young….and You guessed it – Mark Sanchez. Despite what you hear in the media, an NFL QB cannot simply manage the game with a good line, running game, and defense. That is unless you have a truly dominant defense like Jim McMahon in 1985 or Trent Dilfer in 2000.  Do you think Mark Sanchez is capable of putting the Jets on his back and winning the game for them? No?

You know what’s worse than not being able to win a game for a team when its needed? Losing the game for them. Let’s look at Mark Sanchez’s passing numbers last year.

 

 

1.       Houston –       272 yards 1 TD 1 INT  (win)

2.       New England- 163 yards 1 TD 0 INT (win)

3.       Tennessee-     171 yards 2 TD 1 INT (win)

4.       New Orleans-  138 yards 0TD 3 INT (loss)

5.       Miami -           172 yards 1 TD 0 INT (loss)

6.       Buffalo-           119 yards 0TD 5 INT (loss)

7.       Oakland          143 yards 1 TD 0 INT (win)

8.       Miami-            265 yards 2 TD 0 INT (missed two wide open WR’s in end zone to lose game)

9.       Jacksonville     212 yards 1 TD 2 INT (loss)

10.    New England 136 yards 1TD 4 INT (loss)

11.   Carolina          154 yards 0 TD 1 INT (win)

12.   Buffalo            104 yards 1 TD 0 INT (win)

13.   Tampa                                    DNP    (win)

14.   Atlanta             226 yards  1 TD 3 INT (win)

15.   Indianapolis    106 yards 0 TD 0 INT (win)

16.   Cincinnati       63 yards 0 TD 0 INT (win)

2444 yards =  152 yards per game
12 TDs =    0.75 TD’s per game
20 INT’s =  1.25 INT’s per game

Does  an average game of 152 yards per game less than a TD an more than 1 INT seem like a typical game you want from a super bowl winning quarterback?  You want to rely on this guy when he has to make a big play in a big game to get the W for his team? Not me thanks.

Furthermore, when we dissect Sanchez’s games he did not win one game for them, but looking back, he sure did lose at least 5 games for them. The numbers don’t lie here. You are seriously expecting Mark Sanchez to win against a great coached defense in the playoffs? If you are, I have a bridge for sale you can buy. Granted Sanchez is bound to show at least marginal improvement, but he is not nearly ready for prime time. Which leads us to our final point…the schedule..

1.       Vs Baltimore (my pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl)

2.       Vs New England

3.       @ Miami (swept the Jets last year)

4.       @ Buffalo (worst team in NFL from my view)

5.       Vs Minnesota

6.       @ Denver

7.       Vs Green Bay

8.       @ Detroit

 

9.       @ Cleveland

10.   Vs Houston

11.   Vs Cincinnati (big time revenge game…count is as a loss right now)

12.   @ New England

13.   Vs Miami

14.   @ Pittsburgh

15.   @ Chicago

16.   Vs Buffalo

This schedule is actually ranked as the 16^th most difficult based on last year’s records, which is middle of the road. It doesn’t pass the eye test though. I’m not saying….I’m just saying. I see 8-8 in the Jets future. Don’t be surprised to see them go 0-3 to start the year.

Totally agree

Hmmm They are home against the tough teams and on the road against the weak ones.

Big Niner  ...totally agree.. too hyped of a team

Way too much hype and hoopla.  God help them if they start out 0-2.

Sanchez, though, will prove to be much better this year than last.

Balty would worry me if I were one of their futures backers this season. Too many wannabe sharps on them.

Would look much more under the radar (Pitt, NE, Miami, Tenn).  SD won't do jack diddly with "Norv Turner" in a big time playoff game----just not a SB caliber head coach.

Funny how no one, and I mean NO ONE is talking up NE this year.  Beware.

only problem I have with your argument is that you fail to mention their strengths... went 9-7 with a rookie QB, won 2 road playoff games with a rookie QB, were leading the Peyton Mannings in Indy in the AFC Championship, give them some credit, alot of additions to a defense that was already tops in the league. 

Not to mention Shonne Greene broke out late in the season plus we added LT... lot of potential and they deserve to be hyped.

Im a jets fan and i know all to well this teams shortcomings hystorically speaking so i hear you, but give them a chance before you start bashing them they did big things last year regardless of schedule... in any sport you have to get breaks... one could argue the Saints should've lost to Vikes in the NFC champ Farve had him near FG pos 

Iv been saying these things regarding Sanchez all of last year and this year, Problem is week one fits a powerfull system that has gone 19-2 ATS

bet any home favorite of 3 or less points if they won 9 games last season, if they are playing a team that won 9 games or less.

The thought of betting on a team with a hasbeen QB like Sanchez makes me Cringe but its the play.

Regarding Baltimore,

Ed Reed out up to maybe 6 weeks and Foxworth has been lost for the season, they are very green right now in the secondary, they have enough on the D-line and at Linebacker to compensate with a good pass rush, but they are playing the Jets in week one with a more than dominant O-line that will thwart the pass rush and make Sanchez look like a super star as he will pick the ravens secondary apart.

The only way the ravens win this game is if the Jets lose to starters for week one on there o-line.

 

Jets: Don't believe the hype!!

A lot of people are saying that the Jets are over-hyped.

So maybe they aren't. (if that makes any sense)

I think there is more true hype over the Ravens.

Looking @ their schedule I like them in games 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 15. That gives them 7 wins. Games 9-15 are going to be tough for them. Cincinatti is in a revenge situation and how will Sanchez perform in the cold at NE, Chi, and Pit and at home against Miami?

great job....i have the Jets at 8-8 this season too. They added some quality players, but I think the players they lost outweigh the additions.

I was agreeing with your argument at first then it came unraveled. Here are my issues;

1) You said "Despite what you hear in the media, an NFL QB cannot simply manage the game with a good line, running game, and defense. That is unless you have a truly dominant defense like Jim McMahon in 1985 or Trent Dilfer in 2000."
-The Jets don't have a truly dominant defense? How many times will an opposing QB have a rating over 100 against them this season? 1 maybe 2? Don't forget Rex Ryan was an integral piece of the Ravens great defense of the past decade.
2) What was the Jets record after their week 10 loss to NE? Sure he didn't "win" them those games but he didn't lose them either.
3) He came up pretty big in the playoffs. Other then the game at San Diego he had some decent numbers. Especially when you consider he was a rookie playing in the playoffs on the road.
4) Looking at his game log, you can tell he just had a few "rookie games" where he was just in over his head and threw 3 picks. It's not like he consistently threw a pick a game. You take away his game against Buffalo and NE and you take away 9 interceptions, nearly half of his season total.

Are the Jets over-hyped, perhaps but they are winning at least 10 games this season if you ask me. Their defense improved, Sanchez has a full season and off-season under his belt, their running game is still just as good with the addition of LT.

This is obviously just my opinion and time will tell us who is right but either way, good luck to you this season.

Fucking biased idiot, most likely a Giants fan.

I would refute your arguments, but most of them are ridiculous and extremely one-sided. 

Side bet on who wins more games this season?

How does it feel to be a Niners AND Giants fan in NY?

You must take a lot of heat for that, as you should.

fact of the matter is, they had a new coach with a rookie QB to start the season and by the end of the season last year, they were arguably the 2nd best team in the AFC....and to say that Sanchez doesnt have a load of talent himself, and around him, is laughable....also, the Jets probably have the best O-Line in football and one of the best tackling defenses combined with the best cover corner.....all this from a Raiders fan...Niner, put your money where your mouth is and take under 9.5....

Only way this even comes close to happening is if Sanchez regresses, which could I guess happen cause I think they made a mistake in letting T.Jones get away...  that running game covered for a lot of his screw ups.

But come on.  That defense is nasty.  Going to keep them in plenty of games.

They're overrated sure, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve at least a little of that hype.