by PATRICK ROBERTSON Staff Writer
The past offseason actually brought a surprising amount of hope for fans of the New York Jets, with head coach Rex Ryan promising that they will be better than ever. Optimism only strengthened with a week one win over the Oakland Raiders.
Seven weeks later, the Jets are 1-7. In those games, it seemed as if the Jets could not do anything right. In week eight against the Buffalo Bills, starting quarterback Geno Smith, in his second season out of West Virginia University, was pulled from the game after throwing three interceptions and only two completions in the first quarter.
Back-up quarterback Michael Vick did not do much better. While he did throw for 153 yards and rush for 69 yards, he threw no touchdowns, but he did have three turnovers.
Ryan made a joke at his press conference, saying the Jets are going to start Madison Bumgarner, the pitcher of the San Francisco Giants baseball team, who just won the World Series.
In reality, though, Ryan should not be joking around as his job is in serious jeopardy. Many people believe Ryan should have been fired after the 2012 campaign. He was attached at the hip with general manager Mike Tannenbaum, so when the Jets got rid of Tannenbaum, they should have done the same with him.
Ryan is a defensive coordinator; he is not a head coach, nor a manager. The same mistakes are made over and over again. He cannot figure out the quarterback position, and seemingly ignores the offensive side of the ball.
The Jets missed the playoffs last season, but they were better than most anticipated. Consequently, the players dumped Gatorade on Ryan after a Week 17 win gave them an 8-8 record. Ryan did not deserve that Gatorade bath.
Now, with a 1-7 record, the Jets are an embarrassment. It is not all Ryan’s fault, however; General Manager John Idzik, from the draft to free agency, has been horrible at his job. The combination of Ryan and Idzik doing beyond poorly at their jobs and the players failing to perform is never going to work for this team.
The Jets need a major reconstruction, starting with the coaching staff and the general manager, then the players. Jets are beginning to change their personnel on the field, adding Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin. Harvin went from the Super Bowl champs to the worst team in the NFL.
The Jets used him in desperation Sunday, as if hoping he would be some sort of savior, playing him more than could have been expected for someone learning a new offense. They tried getting the ball in his hands every which way — as a kick returner, a ball-carrier, and a receiver.
Offensive coordinator Marty Morhinweg granted him his wish to be a downfield receiver, taking him out of the slot, where he averaged six yards per catch in Seattle, and lining him up outside. Harvin said he had not been out there as much “since high school.”
Morhinweg is another problem for the Jets. He called a timeout right before a play that gave the Jets the lead. The refs called the play back because Morhinweg called a timeout when he is not even allowed to.
The entire team needs to be changed if they ever want to win.
Is it possible for the Jets to win with this team?