There you have it folks, the 2012 Jets season is over. No playoffs, just two more games and we finally get to pull the plug. We needed to win the last five games in order to even have a chance of getting in. But I guess once the Jets realized they needed help, they decided to control their own destiny by losing. I held out hope as long as I could, but honestly, I'm not surprised. The caliber of play this year meant winning the last five games in a row, no matter how bad the opponents, was highly unlikely. And sure enough, we lost the third one, eliminating us from playoff contention.
There was a stark difference between the two sides of the ball, so let me get my compliments out of the way first. The defense, particularly over the past month, has really developed into a strong unit. The only reason we've stayed in games lately was because of them making stops when they needed to, which was every drive. They had two bad plays that lead to two Titan touchdowns, but I have no complaints for this group. Cromartie has really stepped up; I can't wait until Revis comes back so we can have an incredible secondary. Landry has proved he should be here to stay, racking up huge plays and interceptions throughout the year. I could go on, but really everyone on defense has advanced and contributed to the strength of the group.
But you cannot expect a defense to be perfect for every drive. Eventually, the offense needs to score points more often than the other team is allowed to. That's how you win games.
It's autopsy time for the Jets offense: This is a team that struggled to get anything going on almost every drive this season. It was pretty hard to watch to be honest. The two-quarterback system never worked, it actually backfired. Half of Tebow's plays were preempted by a timeout because no one could ever figure out who needed to be on the field. The Tebow package was supposed to confuse the other team. Instead, it only confused our own.
Also, it pains me to say this, but it's time for Mark Sanchez to go. He has lost all of his confidence. This was his fourth year, when he was supposed to ascend to the level of great or elite. Instead, he peeked, or maybe even got worse. I've been a vocal supporter through two years of bad play but now I'm starting to regret it. I tried to blame the people around him. He's had a rotating cast of receivers this year, which would make it difficult for anybody. But a great quarterback is supposed to elevate the people around him. Look at Peyton Manning. When he went to the Broncos, everyone wondered who exactly he was going to throw the ball to. But he used his leadership and technique to help the wide receivers already there to get on his level. Sanchez has never been able to do that.
He is also still making rookie mistakes that can only be blamed on himself. I can't possibly sit here and tell you that all four of those interceptions can be blamed on somebody else. One or two maybe, but not all of them. Especially not this one. Sanchez essentially submitted his resignation as starting QB with that play. You're trailing by four, so you need a touchdown to win. It's first down, with two minutes left in the game, and you're on your opponent's 20 yard line. If I were in that situation playing Madden, even I would know enough to run the football. Instead, he threw the ball into triple coverage on the goal line. Clearly Sanchez is not progressing.
Here's what I think needs to happen now. Sanchez is guaranteed $8 million next year whether he plays or not, so we know who our backup quarterback will be in 2013. Next, we still have two games left. Let Tebow start one and McElroy the other. Whoever does well can be our starter next year. If they both stink, go get Alex Smith.
Finally, GM Mike Tannenbaum needs to be fired immediately. He made a whole host of mistakes apparently, but only one is necessary for him to go: Sanchez's contract extension. We'll be paying over $8 million for a backup quarterback, and that is simply unacceptable. Also fire Offensive Coordinator Tony Sparano (as I've mentioned before) because he's clearly useless.
And then we'll go from there. This is usually the point when I offer some optimism, so...maybe next year? Don't worry, even though the next two games don't mean anything, I'll write about them anyway. See you next week.
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