Calm down, Jets fans.
The past three weeks have been what everyone has expected from them all season. As usual though, they gave the fans high expectations and then just shattered their little hearts.
The 5-4 record going into the bye made everyone optimistic that they had a legitimate chance to make the playoffs in the weak AFC.
But, then came the Jets we all know and loathe. A 37-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills, a 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and a 23-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins. These types of performances are what everyone thought would happen all season, but they just decided to wait nine games.
If you thought the Jets would be 5-4 going into the bye week then you’re a liar.
Okay enough of that. Now what everyone is wondering is what Rex Ryan should do with Geno Smith.
Smith should continue to be the starting quarterback over Matt Simms.
I don’t care that Smith has been inconsistent all season and has been absolutely awful the past three weeks. I don’t care that he’s only thrown eight touchdowns compared to 19 interceptions this season. I don’t care that he’s thrown less than 10 completions the last three weeks.
He’s a rookie. The team spent a second-round pick on him in April, he deserves to have the chance to play for the rest of the season.
Even though the Jets are currently in 11th place and only one game out of the second wildcard spot in the AFC, it seems extremely unlikely that they will make the playoffs because of how they’re playing.
Because of all the circumstances, Smith should play. The Jets’ management and coaching staff need to further evaluate him and see if he’s the team’s quarterback of the future.
Smith has some great games, but more terrible ones. Right now, it’s looking like John Idzik will have to find a new quarterback this spring. With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was signed in 2011, they’re not paying Smith a ton of money, so they have the ability to pay another quarterback. Especially with Mark Sanchez most likely coming off the books after the season.
Smith has to play the last four games and these games ultimately have to decide what his future with the Jets will be, but who knows? He may be the team’s quarterback of the future regardless of how he does the remainder of the season.
On the defensive side of the ball, I have to admit I was wrong.
I was all for drafting Dee Millner with the ninth overall pick. I thought he was going to be a shutdown cornerback for the next decade and fill the void that Darelle Revis left.
Unfortunately, I was wrong. Yes, it’s only been 12 games, but he’s completely lost. He gets beaten every time the opposition goes long on him. He’s had plenty of chances to intercept a pass, but from what I’ve seen, he can’t catch at all.
On the other side, I was so wrong about Sheldon Richardson.
I hated the pick at the time. I, along with most Jets fans, were hoping that they would finally take an offensive lineman or offensive skilled player to improve their awful offense, but they didn’t and I was pissed.
They have no offensive talent and of course there was Rex trying to improve his defense, but this pick actually turned out to be great. Richardson has been a dominant force on the defensive line all season and is one of the lone bright spots on this terrible team.
Richardson along with Muhammed Wilkerson and Quinton Coples will give the Jets a solid defensive front for the future. Now, Idzik just needs to get a secondary that’s up to the NFL’s standard.
And here’s one last thought, Jets fans:
Stop booing. They suck. Stop wasting your energy and booing just sounds stupid.