The seemingly must-win contest for the third-place Jets comes after three straight losses—including the last one to their rival Patriots—putting them two and a half games out of first place, just five games into the season.
Said Head Coach Rex Ryan of their urgency Friday, on the Jet’s website, “Oh, we need it. There’s no doubt about it. We need to get back to winning and we know this team (Miami) is gunning for a win, as well—but yeah, we don’t need to lose another game.”
The unexpected slide has led to job status questions regarding their coaching staff (which Ryan compared to armadillos because of their thick skin), reported bickering among players, and even a slight change in offensive personnel.
The criticism of Schottenheimer’s offense by his players to Ryan was denied by the head coach last week but that doesn’t mean others haven’t chimed in. Said Ryan regarding the competency of his assistant coach, “Well, it’s funny, because you’ve been criticized two years in a row, we have gone to the AFC Championship Game. I understand we have not won it but there are a lot of teams that will sign up for that. So we must be doing something right. Brian is an excellent coach—one of the hardest working guys I’ve ever been around.”
As helpless and pitiful as the offense looked in the 34-17 Baltimore loss—in which the defense and special teams recorded their only touchdowns—the defense wasn’t exactly innocent in the other two defeats.
Oakland’s Darren McFadden lit up the normally stout Jets’ run-defense with 171 yards on the ground—including a 70-yard score—in the 34-24 loss. Two weeks later Patriots’ running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis went for 136 yards and two scores while Brady advanced 321 yards through the air in the 30-21 defeat.
While both performances could have been better had the offense stayed on the field longer, 24 and 21 points are enough to win a game—especially for a team known for its defense.
Whatever the reason for the losses, it’s led to finger-pointing among players (specifically Santonio Holmes) though Ryan downplayed it’s intent and significance. Said Ryan regarding the star receiver’s comments, “Sometimes when you make comments and maybe things are not interpreted exactly how maybe they show up in black and white—I don’t think, you know, he planned on it being a negative, or how it came out negatively.”
What has definitely been negative is the outcome of the Dolphins’ first four games. The winless ‘Fins are tied for last in the league with just two takeaways on the season while their defense allows 415 yards per game—fourth-worst in the NFL.
On offense signal-caller Chad Henne’s numbers aren’t much better than his woeful defense’s. The 26-year-old out of Michigan ranks 23rd out of 32 qualifiers with a passer rating of 79.0.
Meanwhile New York’s own quarterback, Mark Sanchez ranks just a few spots above him with an 80.4 rating through five contests. He will have a bit of a different look on Monday as rookie receiver Jeremy Kerley replaces 37-year-old Derrick Mason in the lineup as the third wideout.
Mason had accumulated just 113 receiving yards through five games while Kerley gained 35 in his first real playing time last week in New England.
How much difference the switch on offense makes is yet to be seen. Whatever the case though, a difference needs to be seen soon—armadillos are already near extinction.
