New York Jets: Player regression continues to be a major concern

The New York Jets have seen a large portion of their roster regress in 2019. And for a rebuilding team, that just can’t be the case.

The New York Jets are desperate for all of their stars to contribute. What’s worse is that players are regressing and having low points when needed most.

Quarterback Sam Darnold hasn’t had it easy. He’s missed a few games with mononucleosis earlier this year after coming off a strong finish to his rookie season. It took a huge toll on the team.

Darnold can’t do anything when the offensive line is barely pulling their weight to protect him. They let Darnold get sacked 37 times and hit 65 times. The Jets offensive line is among the worst in the NFL.

Darnold does not have much time to make a good decision before he’s brought to the ground. Darnold can’t help but throw the ball away in certain situations as the offensive line isn’t ideal.

Star running back Le’Veon Bell is another name who comes to mind when you think of player regression. Bell isn’t having the season of his life. The time off in Pittsburgh has clearly taken a toll on him.

Bell has just 449 yards and two touchdowns on 143 rushes. His leadership is great, but the play quality he’s bringing suggests too much time off was clearly just unhelpful for football purposes. Although some of his struggles are a result of the offensive line as well.

The Jets are rebuilding and patience is a virtue when it comes to rebuilding franchises. It all takes time to build a good team, but the Jets need their expected-A-gamers to bring it each week regardless of the team’s chances of making the playoffs.

Everyone counts and in nearly every department the Jets have struggled to maintain stability.

At the end of the day, Darnold and Bell are two names (and not the only) out of a bunch of guys who simply aren’t getting the job done. Blame is tricky to put out, and where to place it is on the entire team.

Fans are frustrated with head coach Adam Gase, who has a major role in this dysfunctional situation going on. Gase didn’t do a great job in Miami. He wasn’t the first choice among many Jets fans but now he’s the last.

With the Jets, he’s failed to turn this team around for the better and he has fans calling for his removal in his first year. Everyone has a part in this mess of a 2019 season. The Jets must each do their share and work as a team if they look to improve in the next few years.

It will be a long road and many years until the Jets are contenders because the whole team is struggling and sadly going backward.