Jets Outlast Jaguars in Snoozefest

JETS 17
JAGUARS 10

Okay! Wake up, the game is over.

What happened?

The Jets won.

Why?

Because Mark Sanchez was told not to throw the football.

That basically describes Gang Green's 17-10 bore-fest against the equally inept Jacksonville Jaguars, as the Jets pounded Jacksonville with a consistent running attack of Shonn Greene and Bilal Powell, while quarterback Mark Sanchez took a back seat, and, as he has done throughout his Jets career, road the coat-tails of New York's running game to victory.

Sanchez did nothing to quell the storm of critics who want to see his head on a platter. He was ineffective all day, completing only 7 of 11 passes in the first half for 51 yards; his only highlight having been stripped of the football for a fumble that led to the Jaguars first points of the day.

Like they did last week, the Jets went into the half trailing 3-0, and, like last week, New York had to change its game plan and keep the ball out of Sanchez's hands in order to win. On the Jets opening drive of the second half, it was Greene who led the way for New York, carrying the ball six times for 29 yards and a touchdown that gave the Jets a 7-3 lead.

After another ineffective drive by the Jaguars, it was Powell who had to lead the Jets offense. He carried the football on all seven plays of New York's 46-yard scoring drive, including a 1-yard plunge for the touchdown to make it 17-3.

On the other side of the football, the Jets defense did a nice job against a Jaguars team that was plagued by a dozen dropped passes in key situations that could have made the difference in the game.

Even though the Jets held Jacksonville to 2-of-16 on third down, they couldn't shut the door on them. They allowed the Jaguars to drive straight down the field for a touchdown on 32 yard touchdown run by the third running back, Montel Owens. Then the Jaguars converted two fourth downs en route to the Jets red zone for the potential tying score; however, quarterback Chad Henne's misdirected throw ended up in the hands of Eric Lankster -- giving the Jets the victory.

Was it deserved?  Puh-lease. The Jets struggled to shut down one of the worst teams in the NFL and were well on their way to losing the football game. Sanchez was nonexistent, and one could argue he should have been pulled for a second consecutive week for playing ineffectively. However, Ryan was not going to do it. He benched Greg McElory and listed him as inactive because Joe McKnight had a headache. (Does that make any sense to you?) And you can forget Ryan going to Tebow, whom he clearly doesn't believe in, not a dot, not a jot.

The Jets have "lucked out" the last two weeks having played two dreadful teams in Arizona (4-9) and Jacksonville (2-11). They might be 6-7, bu as the football gods would have it, they are technically alive for a playoff spot, but let's get real: this Jets team is not going anywhere. Their offense is a complete disaster led by an ineffective quarterback, and their defense has been vastly overrated. With tougher opponents in Tennessee, San Diego and Buffalo on the horizon, it will be a real shock if the Jets win out.