More consistency is needed

A few other things I want to get into regarding that game. It wasn’t aesthetically a great game, but it certainly didn’t lack intrigue and story-lines.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Tennessee Titans had one of the NFL’s worst defenses, and had given up an average of 41 points the previous three games. The Jets scored 16 points.

So this game was a major indictment of the Jets’ 2014 offense.

And for all those people who continue to obsess over weapons, this angle continues to be a tad overblown.

Will Brandon Marshall and Devin Smith help the Jets? No doubt, but weapons can’t fix all that ills a quarterback.
People who focus too much on weapons are being a little naïve.

Let’s look at a few passing plays that point out the quarterback has some work to do, regardless of weapons.

In the second quarter, Geno Smith rushed a throw to T.J. Graham down the deep middle, and the pass was incomplete.

This was a chance for a big play.

In the third quarter, Smith threw a third-and-five square out to Percy Harvin that was wide and low.

Also in the third quarter, on third-and-inches, Geno threw behind a wide open Harvin on a square out on the left side – he rushed it, setting up fourth and inches. The Jets went for it on fourth down and on a bootleg right, Smith threw to a wide open John Connor for a nine-yard TD.

Here is the point. It’s really hard to sustain drives with accuracy that is all over the map.

It’s no coincidence that the top-shelf quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, are consistently around 65 percent completion percentage.

Geno needs to nail these square outs, or make that pass to the speedster Graham more catchable.

Another issue that was a problem in his game and others – not getting the play off on time.

In the first quarter, the Jets were called for a delay of game.

Late in the third quarter, with under a minute left, the Jets had to burn a timeout because they weren’t going to get the play off.

As for the first delay of game, that was a real head-scratcher. The first quarter is heavily scripted. How do you come out and struggle to get a play off that early in the game. It’s not like the crowd noise was a problem.

I can’t sit here and blame it all on Geno, but we are talking about Week 14, and they were still having trouble getting plays off.

It will be interesting to see if the efficiency of the offensive operation improves under Chan Gailey . . .

Remember that pass late in the game that should have been a deep completion, but Eric Decker lost it in the lights?

Well honestly, Decker should have been called for offensive pass interference on this play. He pushed off to gain separation.

“He’s known for that,” said CBS analyst Steve Beuerlein.

And this brings up a question about the Jets’ likely starting receivers in 2015 – Decker and Marshall. Both are good, but neither has great speed – both in the 4.6 area. It will be interesting to see if separation is an issue.

July 17, 2015

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