A review of four hot issues from the New York Jets 23-3 loss Sunday to the Miami Dolphins: 1. Triple option at quarterback: Unless they switch to the single wing, the Jets will have to name a starting quarterback for Sundays home game against the Oakland Raiders. Rex Ryan will consider all three quarterbacks -- the slumping Geno Smith, the unproven Matt Simms and the ancient David Garrard. Its a no-win selection. Smith, in a serious funk, needs a timeout. He needs to watch a week or two from the sideline, perhaps gathering himself for another shot at the end of the season. Simms isnt ready, but at least he has a live arm and young legs. Garrard, 35, is a grizzled vet, but he has a bad knee and hasnt played since 2010. Hed be a sitting duck in the pocket. My prediction is that Ryan will go with Simms, although hes been known to bypass the No. 2 in this type of situation. Does Tim Tebow/Greg McElroy ring a bell? 2. Blowouts are bad: The Jets 5-7 record isnt troubling; after all, we all expected this to be a rebuilding year. Its how theyre losing that sends up a red flag. A 20-point loss to the offensively challenged Dolphins at home? Theres no alibi. The Jets last four losses (in order) were by 40, 23, 16 and 20 points. Earlier, they lost by 25 points to the Tennessee Titans. The Jets have a minus-121 point differential, which is staggering. The only team with a worse differential is the Jacksonville Jaguars (minus-178). This league is built on parity, and theres no excuse for being noncompetitive in so many games. Yes, theres a talent gap between the Jets and probably half the league, but coaching and effort can narrow the gap. We havent seen that from the Jets in a month. 3. The Ed Reed jinx: The decision to sign Ed Reed hasnt exactly paid huge dividends. The Jets are 0-3 since Reeds arrival (hes a combined 0-11 with the Jets and Houston Texans) and their pass defense has gone south with him at safety. With the future Hall of Famer in the secondary, opposing quarterbacks have completed 67 percent of their attempts for 849 yards, five touchdowns (all over 27 yards) and only two interceptions. Its unfair to blame it all on Reed, as cornerbacks Dee Milliner and Antonio Cromartie have contributed to the mess, but the nine-time Pro Bowler has made no impact. In fact, he missed a tackle on Brian Hartlines 31-yard touchdown. Showing no accountability, Reed dodged reporters after the game. 4. Bad day for John Idzik: The general managers first draft pick, Milliner (No. 9 overall), was benched after a feeble tackle attempt on Mike Wallaces 28-yard touchdown in the third quarter. That makes three in-game benchings for Milliner. Idziks third pick, Smith (second round), was benched at halftime. Suddenly, his bountiful draft doesnt look so bountiful. Idzik inherited a tough salary-cap situation, but other than trading for running back Chris Ivory, his pro personnel moves are easy to pick apart, especially at quarterback. This team is woefully devoid of talent on offense, and some of that falls on the GM.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:44:57 +0000