Now is not the time to panic after Jets 9-0 loss to Green Bay

As seen on Bleacher Report.

OK, so much for all that Subway Super Bowl hype the past week, eh?

The New York Jets finally had a stinker, a 9-0 shutout loss against a pretty good Green Bay Packers team. It was the first shutout against the Jets since 2006, when they lost a very forgettable 10-0 game to the Chicago Bears.

The Jets offensive game plan was so frightening on this Halloween Sunday that it left every Jets fan sick to their stomach—and it had nothing to do with candy.

The Jets had every opportunity to win this game. Statistically, the Jets defense held Green Bay to 2-of-14 on third downs, held Aaron Rodgers to 170 yards passing and kept Greg Jennings to 81 yards receiving.

But whenever the Jets had a chance to do something offensively, they shot themselves in the foot.

1. Steve Weatherford's failed fake punt for a first down, which was challenged by Green Bay and overturned, giving the ball to the Packers.
2. Brad Smith's fumble at the Packers 33, killing a great Jets drive.
3. Nick Folk missing a 37-yard field goal that would have tied the game at three.
4. Two interceptions of Mark Sanchez, both of which were not his fault and wouldn't have happened if Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller had held onto the ball.

For the die-hard Jets fan, this loss is crippling. Not only did New York lose a game, but they fell behind the Patriots in the AFC East standings after New England TKO'd Brett Favre and the Vikings 28-18. More importantly, it was a haunting reminder, on the most haunting day of the year, about years that have come and gone.

Many a time have the Jets gotten off to red-hot starts, only to fall flat in the NFL's second half.

• 1997: the Jets were 8-4, in first place in the AFC East after beating the Vikings 23-21. What happened? The Jets went 1-3, including a humiliating 13-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on the last day of the season, to miss the playoffs.
• 2000: The Jets were 6-1 after the Monday Night Miracle at the Meadowlands, and proceeded to go 3-6 the rest of the way to miss the playoffs.
• 2004: The Jets were 5-0, and went 5-6 down the stretch. Chad Pennington was injured for three games, and the Jets limped into the playoffs, beating San Diego in the wild-card round.
• 2008: The ultimate indignation: With Brett Favre at quarterback, the Jets were 8-3, in first place in the AFC East, and collapsed, losing four of five to miss the playoffs.

Here we go again? I sure hope not. Dare I say it...Same ole Jets? We'll see.

I have seen a lot of people bashing Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer. Deservedly so. There was no reason to have Mark Sanchez throw 38 passes in a game that was very winnable until the final minute. They should have run it more. Shoulda thrown in some more gadget plays. Rex Ryan should not have wasted two challenges on calls that could have gone either way. Shoulda done this. Shoulda done that.

Fact is, the season isn't over. There are still nine games to play, and one more game to play against New England in December.

The Jets draw a fairly favorable November with visits to the Lions (2-5), who are much better than their record indicates, the Browns (2-5), as well as home games against the inconsistent Texans (4-2) and bad Bengals (2-5). Who's to say the Jets can't be 9-2 a month from now?

The Patriots, in case you are wondering? They play the Browns and Lions, too, but also pay a visit to the Pittsburgh Steelers and welcome in the Indianapolis Colts over the next month. After a five-game winning streak, they are also due to lose somewhere in the next few weeks.

This is a perfect opportunity for Rex Ryan and the Jets. The flaws of this team are clearly on film now for Ryan and his coaching staff to dig into. They have to take advantage of the loss, point it out to the players and remind them that they have to clean it up or the losses will mount.

After five straight weeks of stellar play, miracle moments and hard-fought victories, the Jets (in the long scheme of things) were due for a stinker. Call it the NFL and the law of averages. You are never as good as you are when you're hot, and never as bad when you're not.

If the Jets want to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack in the cluttered AFC, they are going to have to toughen up, work harder and find a way to put this game in their rearview mirror so that they can slap around the Detroit Lions in a week.

They have to show more commitment to the running game. Shonn Greene has only carried the ball 77 times this year. The Jets should commit themselves more to using Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson in the backfield. Hey, Ryan is the one who always talks about ground and pound.

The receivers have to learn how to catch a football. Dropped passes were commonplace against the Vikings and Broncos, but it didn't kill the Jets in the end; however, it did kill them Sunday. Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller dropped passes that ended up as interceptions. And the drops kept coming all day.

Mark Sanchez has to regain some poise in the pocket. Enough running around the pocket and throwing the ball up for grabs. Sanchez has to get back to what worked the first five games of the year, when he didn't throw a pick.

If the Jets do that they can get back on track. That is what teams with aspirations as high as the Jets do during the course of a long season.