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So why are the Jets not playing well, and currently sittting at 1-4? Here is my overview on what is going on . . .
There were high expectations for the New York Jets in 2016, after going a surprising 10-6 last year.
But after getting off to a 1-1, they have turned into hot mess, losers of three straight by a combined score of 82-33.
What is wrong with coach Todd Bowles club?
Where do we start?
While it’s easy to point a finger at quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who has thrown 10 picks in five games, he isn’t their biggest problem; it’s their pass defense.
They are paying cornerback Darrelle Revis $17 million guaranteed this year to be a shutdown cornerback, and he’s playing more like a journeyman.
In the Jets’ first two games he got beat for long touchdowns by Cincinnati’s A.J. Green and Buffalo’s Marquise Goodwin.
At 31, Revis has lost a step, and speed receivers are pulling away from him with regularity. He also doesn’t have much quick twitch left, so shifty receivers tend to cut away from him.
But he’s not the only Jets defensive back struggling. The team’s second and third corners, Marcus Williams and Buster Skrine, have had rough seasons, and 2014 first-round pick, safety Calvin Pryor, has given up a number of big plays.
On top of their secondary issues, 2016 first-round pick, linebacker Darron Lee, picked to improve their linebacker coverage, has been inconsistent, showing rookie growing pains. In time he should be very good, but they might have rushed him into the lineup too quickly.
And exacerbating the Jets’ pass coverage issues is a pedestrian pass rush. After a seven-sack performance against Cincinnati in their opener, the Jets have just four sacks in the last four games. Their vaunted defensive line of Mo Wilkerson. Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams haven’t been putting enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and this is exposing the team’s secondary.
On the other side of the ball, after an offensive explosion against Buffalo in Week Two, they have taken a big step back since, with a significant problem being forced passes to wide receiver Brandon Marshall. And shoulder injuries to the team’s No. 2 receiver, Eric Decker, and talented rookie Jalin Marshall, haven’t helped matters.
Fitzpatrick played well in the Jets’ first two games, a close loss to Cincinnati and a win over Buffalo, but since then he has struggled.
One reason “Fitz” is having a hard time is the team’s porous pass defense. Because the defense is giving up so many points, the Jets have had to constantly play catch-up and become pass-happy, and that historically is when Fitzpatrick gets into trouble. He’s a good game-manager who does well with a solid running game and strong defense. But when he’s forced to be “Air Fitzpatrick,” he leaves his wheelhouse and becomes turnover prone.
Also, the Jets’ coaches haven’t done a good job with half-time adjustments, and after staying competitive in the first half of the last three games, the bottom dropped out in the second half.
And their running game has slipped the last three games, but that is partly do to falling behind and having to abandon it.
A brutal schedule to start the season hasn’t helped either.
Throw all of these factors into the hopper, and you can understand why the Jets are a dumpster fire right now.
October 12, 2016
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