Jets Continue Their Downfall By the Bay

49ERS 24
JETS 14

The dysfuntional showcase that is the New York Jets continued today in San Francisco as the Jets lost to a pathetic 49ers team that has a nobody for a quarterback and an over 40 year old Issac Bruce as its number one wide receiver.

If it is not obvious now then it never will be; the Jets are falling apart. What seemed like a season of hope and promise of better days is now shrinking back into the constant nightmares of mediocrity that Jet fans have seen for 40 years.

Brett Favre was not allowed to be Brett Favre, mostly because coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenhymer would not let Favre fling the ball around the ballpark against a young 49ers secondary. When Favre did throw the ball up, his receivers choked on him. Laveranues Coles, who criticized Favre on Saturday, intentionally gave up on a play down the sideline, allowing Favre's throw to fall incomplete. Coles ended the day with only one catch for five yards. Jerricho Cothery was no better with only one catch as well, and Leon Washington had only one rushing carry for a flimsy one yard.

It was a total meltdown by the Bay, and the Jets playoff hopes are now riding on the hope that other teams can lose. Miami and New England both won, pulling to within a threeway tie for first place in the AFC East. Both Miami and New England have easier schedules than the Jets do in the next three weeks and are playing better football.

Defensively, the Jets let quarterback Shaun Hill look like Steve Young. Hill completed one pass after another after another, flinging balls up and down the field to wide open receivers. For the day, Hill went 28 for 39 for 285 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Hill would have had three touchdowns if it were not for Joe Stanley's fumble at the one yard line, but, fortunately for San Francisco, Stanley recovered the fumble in the end zone to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead.

The Jets never responded well to San Francisco's energy. Even though they tied the 49ers twice, it was really based more on a couple of 49er mistakes than anything else. A David Bowen's interception of Hill set up Thomas Jones' touchdown to tie the game in the third, but with that the Jets were still a dispirited group.

The 49ers answered every challenge. Once the Jets tied it at 14, San Francisco went on a six minute drive that led to a Joe Nedney field goal to make it 17-14, 49ers.

The turning point in the game came when Leon Washington's 99 yard touchdown return was called back for a illegal block in the back. The Jets proceeded to go three and out. After that, San Francisco scored again as Hill hit Brent Johnson from three yard out to make it 24-14.

The Jets are in big trouble. They have to make one more west coast trip to Seattle in two weeks to play a Seahawk team that is long overdue for a victory. Then, the team gets to see old buddy Chad Pennington in the season finale, in a game that could determine the playoff fates of both teams.

The Jets have no one else to blame for this mess other than themselves. It is at times like these we have to question whether the Jets really have the metal to get into the playoffs. You also have to question the metal of Eric Mangini, who refuses to take his team to task, merely promising better play in the future. Well, coach, the Jets have NO future right now. WATCH VIDEO OF A SPEECH JETS FANS WANTED TO HEAR!