Rex Ryan, the head coach of the New York Jets, has made some major changes to their offense since last season. With LaDainian Tomlinson nearing the end of his career, the pressure has been moved to the Jets’ passing game, with quarterback Mark Sanchez having to throw the ball more than ever.
The Jets’ rushing game has taken a pounding since the beginning of the season. Tomlinson was the star of the beloved “Ground and Pound” routine. Now the spotlight shines bright on running back Shonn Greene, who has failed to live up to expectations. From strictly a statistical point of view, Tomlinson had 435 yards in the first five games of being a starter in the 2010 regular season; whereas, Greene barely made half of that in the first five games of the 2011 season. Although stats don’t usually prove a player’s worth to a team, in this case they can’t be ignored.
While the rushing game was left in the dust, the pressure of scoring fell onto the shoulders of the Jets’ supposed-to-be-star quarterback. Sanchez has been the only one to throw the ball for the Jets in the regular season thus far, and he hasn’t taken them far. Although he has two full seasons of experience under his belt, he still doesn’t seem to be adapted to playing in the National Football League. He makes mistakes that are typical for rookie quarterback such as overthrowing the ball and taking sacks instead of throwing it away.
The lack of scoring from both the passing and rushing game could also be the mistake of the Jets’ offensive line, which has been having trouble blocking the opposing team’s defense. The line is still anchored by their star center, Nick Mangold, who is arguably one of the best centers in the NFL, but somehow Sanchez keeps on getting sacked and Greene keeps on getting tackled behind the line. The lack of chemistry could be a factor for the weak line. From last year, there have been many changes in personel. The players on the line are not used to working with each other, which has provided the quarterback with little protection.
The offense of the Jets has taken a turn for the worse this season. From passing to rushing to blocking, not much has gone right for them this season. For the Jets to have any chance at making the playoffs, Greene needs to be able to find and exploit holes in the defense, Sanchez needs to connect with his receivers, and the linemen need
to work together and protect the guys behind the line.
The Jets’ rushing game has taken a pounding since the beginning of the season. Tomlinson was the star of the beloved “Ground and Pound” routine. Now the spotlight shines bright on running back Shonn Greene, who has failed to live up to expectations. From strictly a statistical point of view, Tomlinson had 435 yards in the first five games of being a starter in the 2010 regular season; whereas, Greene barely made half of that in the first five games of the 2011 season. Although stats don’t usually prove a player’s worth to a team, in this case they can’t be ignored.
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| Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez warming up before a game. Credit to Marianne O'Leary on Flickr. |
The lack of scoring from both the passing and rushing game could also be the mistake of the Jets’ offensive line, which has been having trouble blocking the opposing team’s defense. The line is still anchored by their star center, Nick Mangold, who is arguably one of the best centers in the NFL, but somehow Sanchez keeps on getting sacked and Greene keeps on getting tackled behind the line. The lack of chemistry could be a factor for the weak line. From last year, there have been many changes in personel. The players on the line are not used to working with each other, which has provided the quarterback with little protection.
The offense of the Jets has taken a turn for the worse this season. From passing to rushing to blocking, not much has gone right for them this season. For the Jets to have any chance at making the playoffs, Greene needs to be able to find and exploit holes in the defense, Sanchez needs to connect with his receivers, and the linemen need
to work together and protect the guys behind the line.
Way to go Gregory, tell it like it is!!!
ReplyDeleteUncle Jeff
When this season is done. People will come to realize that the reason the Jets offense has been regressing is due to Schottenheimer. I hope the Jets don't make the playoffs so that it will make it more politically correct for the front office to do so. As long as he is heading up the offense the Jets will not live up to its full potential
ReplyDeleteWell said Greg!!
ReplyDelete