Jets flatline in Denver, season on brink of collapse

BRONCOS 17
JETS 13

Admit it, you could see it coming. The New York Jets have toyed with us all season long with inconsistent play from the offensive line, running game, quarterback, and defense. Yet 10 days ago they stood at 5-3 with a legitimate shot at the AFC East crown. In spite of all of their problems, and near losses to the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers, the Jets could have made this 2011 season something very special, especially in an AFC where there are no true dominant teams.

Yet, the Jets did what the same ole Jets always do, they find ways to lose.

While last Sunday's 37-16 smack down to the New England Patriots wasn't totally unexpected, falling short to a really bad Denver Broncos team was inexcusable.

Throughout the contest, the Jets played down to the level of their opponent, exchanging three and outs with a Denver Broncos team that couldn't muster any offense with the inaccurate Tim Tebow under center.

Yet, the real story of this night was the ineffectiveness of the Jets offense and their quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sanchez who has been inconsistent all season, put up a big time stinker in the Mile High city. His passes were inaccurate, his timing awful, his inability to get ride of the ball fast enough before getting sacked was common place.

The only time Sanchez looked half way decent was on three completions to Plaxico Burress at the start of the third quarter, then Sanchez went back into a funk, highlighted by a overthrow to Dustin Keller in the back of the end zone, that Keller caught...out of bounds.

The only reason the Jets scored a touchdown in this game was because of a fortunate bounce, when Bilal Powell, on his first Jets carry, fumbled the ball at the Broncos 1-yard line and Matt Slausen recovered it for the TD. It was clearly a bad sign of things to come.

Still New York held a 10-3 lead going deep into the third quarter, and the more uncomfortable that lead became, as the Jets offense couldn't get anything going. Finally late in the quarter, Sanchez did what everyone feared he would, he threw a interception that was brought back for a touchdown to tie the game at 10.

Sanchez wasn't the only culprit here. Jets special teams was bad as well. Nick Folk missed another cheap shot field goal in the first half, and Jets punter Nick Conley booted a 13 yard punt to help set up Denver's first score of the day, a field goal to make it 3-0 Denver.

In spite of all the poor play, in spite of all the mistakes, the Jets had the Denver Broncos right where they wanted them, at their own five yard line, trailing the Jets by three points with 2:30 minutes to go. With all the brash talk coming from the Jets defensive unit, combined with Tebow's lackluster performance, all New York needed was a three and out, a turnover, anything to swing the game in their favor.

It never happened. Jim Leonhard missed a sure safety of Eddie Royal, as the speedy reciever slipped by him for a first down. From the there the Broncos rolled, and so did Tebow Time. Tebow blasted through holes in the Jets defensive line for chunks of yards as he drove Denver to the Jets 20 yard line. On third and four with the game on the line, the Jets stupidly showed blitz on the play; reading this Tebow shifted to his left and dashed unscathed into the end zone for the winning score.

It was one of the most humiliating losses the Jets have had in the Rex Ryan era. At 5-5, the Jets are now at a cross roads. They have talked and talked and talked a good game, and have consistently come up small in big games, especially in games under the lights, where they are 2-3 this season.

Questions are now being raised about Sanchez, and righfully so, after a 24 for 40 night that produced only 242 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. This season Sanchez has shown little to no improvement from his first two seasons in the NFL, and it is obvious that he has regressed. He has only completed 57 percent of his passes and accumulated a 79 quarterback rating, which is right along with his career average of 55 percent completion and 72 quarterback rating.

Ryan continues to endorse Sanchez but, clearly the Jets have to begin the process of looking elsewhere for a quarterback. Sanchez was never a stud quarterback, he benefited greatly from a great supporting cast the last two seasons, and until this year was never asked to be the leader of the team. He was given that role and failed.

At the very least Gang Green could bring in a veteran quarterback who can compete for and push Sanchez for the starting job next season. Only then will we really know what Mark Sanchez is made of. Until then, the final evaluation process is under way.