Silverman: Enigmatic Jets Must Join "Modern" NFL
By Steve Silverman
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Few teams were more disappointing in the 2011 season than the Jets.
The Jets were one of the top teams on paper prior to the start of the season and they should have been able to battle the New England Patriots for the AFC East title. Rex Ryan's defense was more than capable of dominating and the offense was supposed to be good enough with Mark Sanchez improving in his critical third season. There was also supposed to be an X-factor present with the "character" in the Jets' lockerroom that might be the determining factor in getting to the top.
It didn't work out that way and as the Jets approach the NFL Draft, it really doesn't look any better heading into the 2012 season. It probably looks a lot worse.
The Jets are considering using Tim Tebow as their "slash" player this year. When Tebow rolled out to his left and race by the Jets defense for the Broncos' winning touchdown in Week 11, he did more than hurt their bid for a spot in the postseason. The play created the belief that Tebow can be a dependable NFL player if he is used the right way. The Jets, of course, went out and got him after Peyton Manning put his name on a Denver Bronco contract. Now they have all the sideshow that goes with having Tebow on their roster.
Turning Tebow into a consistent and dependable player seems way off the charts. Especially when Tony Sparano is running the offense and he is going to have to come up with a scheme to use him properly. The Jets may have appreciated the effort the Dolphins played with under Sparano when it would have been much easier for them to lick their wounds and fold up after a miserable start, but that really means little in the NFL. When you are trying to win in the NFL, you need a coach who is capable of a lot more than getting his players to compete and play hard for 16 games. That's the bare minimum, and that's about the most that Coach Meatball is capable of providing.
When it comes to improving through the draft, general manager Mike Tannenbaum is under intense pressure. The Jets have needs all over the field, but they must address their offense and find a way to make it more productive. The game is now played by attacking on first down and making big plays. You need a quarterback who can get the ball down the field consistently and receivers who can get open and make plays after the catch.
Sanchez may or may not be good enough at the quarterback position. An objective look at his first three years shows that he is improving, but he has never given the impression that he will be in the Aaron Rodgers-Drew Brees-Tom Brady category. Sanchez needs weapons to compete at a higher level. The prospect of drafting Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd (6-2 5/8, 220, 4.44) with the 16th pick in the first round is probably the best scenario for the Jets building a more explosive offense. Putting him on the same field with Santonio Holmes would go a long way towards making the Jets a much more explosive team.
There are plenty of other needs that Tannenbaum is going to have to address over the weekend, including offensive line, inside linebacker and tight end, but the Jets have been trying to win with the running game/defense philosophy since Rex Ryan was hired prior to the 2009 season. That philosophy is simply not going to win in the NFL. No matter what Ryan says, there are questions about his understanding of that concept. You always get the feeling that Ryan wants to depend on his running game for field position and ball control while letting his defense dominate. He wants to physically punish his opponents with a nasty defense.
It just doesn't work that way. During the regular season, the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots had dominant passing games and rolled up big points and huge victories. While none of those teams won the Super Bowl, that style of play is now what most teams aspire to become.
The Jets appear to be far behind. How soon they start to catch up depends on what Tannenbaum can do to improve the team in the draft.
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman was with Pro Football Weekly for 10 years and his byline has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Playboy, NFL.com and The Sporting News. He is the author of four books, including Who's Better, Who's Best in Football — The Top 60 Players of All-Time. Follow him on Twitter (@profootballboy).
