Zach Wilson and the Jets Stall Against the Patriots Once Again in the Playoffs
When Zach Wilson returns from injury, can the Jets finally compete to be a winning team?
After going down to their third straight elimination game, and falling in the last second of regulation in last week’s loss to the Patriots, the New York Jets sit at the bottom of the 2013 NFL playoff picture.
And after a slow start in week two, where the team’s offensive struggles continued despite some offensive contributions, things are about to get worse.
The Jets’ top three receivers in 2012 were combined for only 48 catches. That’s a far cry from the likes of Braylon Edwards, who had 111 catches in 2012, but was injured for weeks.
And now the team has a new, young quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who played poorly in his first start while playing under center.
There is only so much that a young quarterback can do when he’s behind receivers that aren’t making great plays. The Jets will need to throw the ball to get the ball into their wide receivers, which is their forte, but they have been a disaster when it comes to running the football.
With only 16 attempts to go this year, the Jets are now averaging under 0.8 yards per carry, and have been outscored by over four touchdowns to zero. It might be time to let Mark Sanchez go, even if it means losing his top receiver.
Sanchez was in a similar position last season, but he was able to win his team a division title despite the lack of run plays. To be fair, the Jets’ offensive line only had one sack allowed all year. They did miss on some big plays, but overall were able to consistently run the ball until the team was down by several scores and needed a quarterback change.
The team’s running backs have also been their problem. They were second to last in the NFL in total rushing yards on a per carry basis, and have only given the Jets only a 4.2 yards per carry rushing rate this year.
