Silver Lining for the Jets Offense?

Oct 14, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano on the sidelines against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Jets won 35-9. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The Jets offense has been difficult to watch of late, hasn’t it? Since the Patriots game, which they probably should have won, the Jets have scored one offensive touchdown, and that covers the last two games. I don’t know about you, but it feels like a lot longer than that since the offense has played well. When the Dolphins scored a TD on offense last night, I actually found myself asking the editor of phinphantic.com, our Dolphins site, how an offensive touchdown feels. It seems that I have forgotten.

With that said, we move ahead to the final seven games of 2012, and we try to be optimistic. Granted, that is difficult. Anyone that has watched the Jets offense these days will find it difficult. Despite the consistent positivity from head coach Rex Ryan, it’s hard to feel excited moving forward. So I went on a hunt to find some positive things to hold onto as we go forward. My search was successful. They aren’t huge things, but they exist, and anything we find can help.

RUNNING GAME

You know how coach Ryan has said that the running attack has been better of late? With the team getting beaten up so badly, it seemed hard to believe. I thought how could that be? Nothing has looked good on offense at all. But, you know what? Rex is right. Take a look at the running attack for the first 3 games of the season, when the Jets went 2-1:

90 carries, 301 yards, 3.34 yards per carry

Now, take a look at the numbers over the last 3, which we all know, the Jets have lost:

76 carries, 295 yards, 3.88 yards per carry

Take a look at that, over .5 yards per carry better. Believe it or not, that is a pretty significant number. No I am not saying that averaging 3.88 yards per carry on the ground is the pinnacle of “Ground and Pound”. But what I AM saying is that compared to where they came from, this is a significant improvement. We can attest the decrease in rushing attempts to the fact that the Jets have been behind for almost every minute of these three games. But, keep in mind that the offensive line is learning an entire new blocking scheme with coach DeGuglielmo. The increase in production shows that they are starting to come around as an offensive line, and should only get better as we move ahead.

Nov 11, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller (81) catches a pass during the 2nd half against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated New York 28-7. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

HEALTHY DUSTIN KELLER

We know how Jeremy Kerley has been having a breakout season, but don’t underestimate the play of Dustin Keller. Finally, he is healthy and back to full speed, which only means good things for Mark Sanchez. They are the best of friends off the field, and that translates into the wonderful chemistry that they show on the field. Since he has returned from injury, he has been Mark’s Mr. Reliable, with 18 receptions out of 24 targets.

With the running game starting to step up, that progression will start to open up the holes in the defense. Defenses will start bringing guys up to stop the run, leaving room for Dustin to roam up the seams, and retain his status as Mark Sanchez’s most valuable weapon.

KONRAD REULAND?

The question mark is included for a couple of reasons. The first is the fact that Reuland has been a suprise. When the Jets picked him up, not many had ever heard of him, and most expected him to just make an impact in the running game. Nobody expected that he would be viable in the passing game, and he has been just that. In his limited use, Reuland actually has been quite reliable with 5 catches out of 7 targets. A pretty darn good percentage, wouldn’t you say?

The second reason for the question mark has been Sparano’s lack of use for Reuland lately.  He actually hasn’t been targeted since the game against New England(he made the catch for 11 yards).  Henceforth, the question mark.  If the Jets actually use Reuland, he is a reason to be optimistic.

As I said earlier, there isn’t a lot to hang onto with the Jets offense, as it has been pretty putrid.  But there are some positives out there.  When you brush through all the sand, there are some pearls.  They aren’t the biggest pearls, nor are they the shiniest.  But they are there, and should give us a little bit of hope as we enter the final seven games of the year.