New York Jets: The Numbers Don’t Lie

Sept. 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Will Tukuafu (92) attempts to receive the ball as quarterback Alex Smith (11) looks on and New York Jets inside linebacker Bart Scott (57) gives chase during the second half at MetLife Stadium. 49ers won 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The Jets are 2-2, on top in the AFC East. It sure doesn’t feel that way, does it? The Jets were wiped off the field in every which way possible. The defense was trampled upon. Other than the Bills game, and moments in the Dolphins game, Mark Sanchez has not been good. The running game has not gotten off the ground, even in the 2 wins. The wide receivers are not gettin open, and other than Santonio Holmes, are not catching the ball when they get open. The defense can’t tackle.

These are just observations, things we as fans can see with the naked eye, that are going wrong with the New York Jets. However, even if you have not watched one down of Jets football so far, you can see why Jets fans are in great panic mode. Look at the numbers. The numbers don’t lie.

RUSHING DEFENSE:31ST IN THE NFL

The hallmark of a Rex Ryan defense is stopping the run. In the early years of Rex Ryan’s run, the Jets allowed nothing against the run. This year, it has been anything but. Even in the blowout win, CJ Spiller made the Jets defense look silly. Until Reggie Bush came out of the game, he was running through the Jets’ defense like they weren’t even there. The Jets make an interesting habit of arm tackling, and that doesn’t work. It’s obvious to all of us, but just look at the numbers. 31st in the league. The numbers don’t lie.

RUSHING OFFENSE:24TH IN THE NFL

Tony Sparano was supposed to bring this running game back to prominence. How has that worked out so far? Shonn Greene can’t get out of his own way so far. Bilal Powell has been only marginally better, and Joe McKnight has not been involved in the offense so far. The Wildcat has been more like a tamed Housecat, barely gaining a positive yard anymore. It has not been good. The numbers tell the story. The run first Jets attack is going nowhere so far. 24th in the league. The numbers don’t lie.

Sept. 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets offensive coach Tony Sparano speaks with quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) and quarterback Tim Tebow (15) during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

SCORING:15TH IN THE NFL

This offense has been putrid. Other than the first game, the offense has looked more like it did during the preseason. In this case the numbers don’t lie, but they are a little bit deceiving. The Jets are averaging 20.2 points per game. But, if you take out the game against Buffalo, guess what the average per game is? A whopping 11 points per game. 11. That is not going to win very many college games, much less NFL games. Not good. The numbers don’t lie.

DEFENSIVE SCORING:23RD IN THE NFL(TIED)

The obvious fundamental of playing defense is keeping the opposing team off of the scoreboard. If you give up too many points, you aren’t going to win too many games, especially when your offense is not scoring any points. The Jets are ranked 23rd in this category, giving up 27.2 points per game. Elite defense? No way Jose. How about “beatable” defense? That is much more like it. The defense has not been very Rex Ryan-esque. Look at the numbers. The numbers don’t lie.

PASSING OFFENSE:26TH IN THE NFL

Mark Sanchez, for the most part, has been God awful. Any Jet Press readers know that I have been a fan of Mark Sanchez, but lately, he has been harder and harder to defend. He talked about how he got into better shape this offseason than he has been in during his entire career. That translated into better numbers in the preseason, but not so much in the regular season.

Other than the first game of the season, Mark Sanchez has continued his maddeningly inconstent play that drive Jets fans nuts. For every great throw down the sideline to Santonio Holmes, he gets picked in the back of the endzone or on a screen pass. He doesn’t consistently make good decisions, and we all can see that. The numbers tell the story, the Jets are 26th in the league in passing offense. The numbers just don’t lie.

The Jets fans have a lot to be concerned about, despite the 2-2 record. We see all of the problems with this team, they are blatantly obvious. The numbers are obvious too, across the board.

The numbers don’t lie.