Jets may very well be their own worst enemy

The New York Jets are overachieving so far this season but are their own worst enemy in the grand scheme of things.

The New York Jets have faced all sorts of adversity in the early stages of 2017. From being looked at as a potential 0-16 team to not be favored in a single matchup all year, the Jets have taken their accredited status of the league’s worst team and thrown it right out the window, sort of.

Now, sitting at 3-3 heading into Week 7, the Jets have shown flashes of what could be a bright future. They have not only overcome the media’s negative portrayal of themselves but have put up a fight against each team that they have faced so far. That is no doubt an important key to building a successful franchise in the NFL.

And while they have been halted by a few teams at this point of the season, it’s tough to make the statement that they were “beat” in those games. The unfortunate play calling by the refs last week could be one factor, but in reality, the Jets have lost games and remained stagnant at times simply because they have collapsed within themselves.

The Jets have kept up with their foes on the scoreboard through the majority of this year (their past three matchups have been decided by one score), but that’s not to say they have been playing outstanding internal football. While scoring points is the goal of the game, the Jets continue to hurt their own chances at doing so, rather than having opposing teams flat out stop them.

More from Jets News

For example, the Jets have already racked up 422 yards against them strictly from penalties this year. Now if you think about that, that is more yards than ANY team is averaging per game so far. Ouch. In a broad spectrum, it can be assumed that the Jets have at least one loss simply due to penalties against them.

And though some may not agree, it is hard to ignore the fact that the Jets have backed themselves up and put themselves in a tough position game after game due to penalties. They are currently averaging 8.3 penalties per game over the last three weeks, second worst in the league. And as mentioned earlier, those three games were all decided by one score, meaning the Jets could be much more lethal if they were to clean up those mistakes.

The Jets turnover differential hasn’t helped their cause either. On the year, the Jets have 11 total turnovers (6 INT, 5, FUM), and are one of only eight teams with double-digit turnovers. Some of the others? Cleveland, Chicago, and Baltimore – teams that have been sitting at the bottom of the league’s barrel as of late.

Turnovers are the epitome of a team’s loss. Josh McCown continues to hand the ball to opposing team’s late in the game, which only hurts a Jets team that is constantly playing in close battles. But it doesn’t fall just in the hands of McCown, the Jets need to be tighter with ball control as fumbles have occurred simply from scrambling to get a play off or rushing to even up the score. The Jets, like any team, are shooting themselves in the foot with their poor turnover differential, something that is holding them back from reaching their full potential as a football team.

Lastly, the Jets continue to lack synchronization in their defense. What do I mean? Well, while the young secondary has been playing triumphantly, or at least attempting to, the D-line has done the exact opposite.

The Jets rank second to last in the league with only seven sacks on the year. Muhammad Wilkerson and Leonard Williams look as if they are not playing to their full potential, which is killing the Jets chances at separating themselves in close games. While it can be argued that opposing offensive lines are limiting both of the Jets pass rushers who are each looking for their first sack of the year, that shouldn’t be the case heading into Week 7.

Watch NFL for FREE on fuboTV: Watch over 67 live sports and entertainment channels with a 7-day FREE trial!

Last year, the Jets had 27 total sacks, including seven from Williams and 4.5 from Wilkerson. The Jets ended the season with a record of 5-11. Right now, they’re on pace to finish well below that in terms of sacks, so there should definitely be a worry about their record reflecting that.

Things continue to look up for the Jets as they find some success amid a rebuild, but ultimately they are restraining themselves from blowing the rest of the league out of the water.

Must Read: Are injuries defining Muhammad Wilkerson?

Buffalo, Oakland, and New England didn’t win their matchups against Gang Green, but rather, the Jets lost by beating themselves, which you could say almost happened against Jacksonville and Cleveland as well. While some may say the refs are the Jets worst enemy (especially after last week), in reality, the Jets are their own toughest matchup this year, and they need to focus on overcoming that.

Home/Jets News