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Jets Are Dealing with Christmas Past and Present This Week

Right now, as Christmas 2016 is in the rearview window, the New York Jets are 4-11. They’ve been out of the playoffs for weeks and now all that’s left is evaluations and diffusing fighting from within.

Todd Bowles just got out of the hospital. I feel for him. I also know that this season has gotten away from him. He didn’t choose the players but he’s been playing a lot of the wrong players at the wrong times making poor coaching decisions along the way. Some with embarrassing results.

Just before the half the Patriots were willing to let the clock expire and go in with a huge lead. But Bowles called a moronic timeout. Belichick then decided to open up the offense and Tom Brady aired it out. Got another touchdown before the half and walked into the locker room with a 27-0 lead.

Brady saw too many open areas of the field where Jets defenders were supposed to be. Too many players were running in space like first round pick, Darron Lee in the end zone. He’s not a good cover guy. Will he get better? Maybe, but under this coach it might take much longer.

The Jets will face Christmas past in Rex Ryan. There was some good with Ryan, as far as the Jets were concerned, but there was a lot of bad as well.

More Christmas cheer from Rex Ryan.

A photo posted by Joe Yerdon (@joe_yerdon) on

It’s been nothing but ad for him in Buffalo and he’s likely going to get fired after this game. Will he pull out all stops to beat his old team? You betcha. Will the Jets have that same fire? Nobody knows for sure.

Woody Johnson has been very silent while he watched the Jets lose in horrible fashion to the Dolphins, Patriots and maybe the Bills. Will this bother him enough to demand changes? One would hope so but a lot of fans are losing hope.

Bryce Petty was “fresh meat” for New England. He had his shoulder pop out and Ryan Fitzpatrick came in again, with no fire, and no real reason to care. Christian Hackenberg is still redshirted. He hasn’t thrown a pass this season. Why? Petty is hurt? Doesn’t he have to dress in this last game? Why was he drafted if he can’t get in at all? Some suggested he was so lost in the preseason that he just can’t play in the NFL currently. And if that’s the case the Jets will have to draft another QB and then try and sign a veteran, probably Tony Romo, to try and keep their fans interested.

Unless they nail the draft down this year with 3-4 roster players, they are going to start slipping. Will they reach the depths of the Cleveland Browns? It depends what happens with the offensive line, cornerbacks and quarterback position. It’s not pretty.

So, as you can see Christmas yet to come looks blurry at best. The Jets version of “A Christmas Carol” may not have a happy ending. It could, but they’ll need to have a major offseason overhaul. Can Sheldon Richardson and Brandon Marshall just get along? Maybe for another coach. Or one of them will likely be off the team before the 2017 gets underway.

Fitzpatrick photo by Lynda Wagner.
Rex Ryan photo by Joe Yerdon.

Russ_Cohen
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