Jets fans are left with a team playing out the string for the second straight Christmas.
Last year at this time, the Jets started Greg McElroy at quarterback to see if they had anything there. The answer was a resounding, “No.”
This time around, they are not turning to a backup but sticking with Geno Smith, who has had a season with some highs and a lot of lows. With the playoffs out of the discussion, the main focus of Sunday’s game with the Browns and the season finale with the Dolphins next week will be evaluating Smith further.
The Jets’ brain trust must determine whether to stick with him going forward, bring in someone for competition for him or move on completely and make finding a quarterback their highest priority.
Smith enters the game completing 55.3 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Five of those interceptions have been returned for touchdowns. He has not had a truly good game since October.
Still, Jets coach Rex Ryan insists that Smith is getting better. We just can’t see it.
“I’ve seen him improve certainly in a lot of areas,” Ryan said. “Statistically, it doesn’t jump off the chart, but I know he’s getting better.”
What areas specifically?
“ I think one of them that is, I think he’s accurate with the football, he’s more accurate with the football, but I think he’s done a nice job on the move,” Ryan said. “And I think the other thing he’s done is he’s used his legs better than he has at any point and this is going to his college career as well. … And the thing that I know has been greatly improved is the way he’s protected the football in the pocket and that’s something that’s hard to do. But, I’ve definitely seen that.”
It’s a meaningless game between a 6-8 team and a 4-10 team for most, but not for Smith. He has two games left to show the Jets decision-makers something.
A look inside the game:
Marquee matchup
Browns WR Josh Gordon vs. Jets secondary
The Jets have allowed 15 passes of 40 yards or more this season, and now they face the most explosive playmaker in the NFL lately. Gordon has been on a tear. He became the first player to top 200 receiving yards in consecutive games a few weeks ago and leads the league with 1,467 receiving yards despite missing the first two games.
The Jets likely will use multiple people on Gordon and not make this a one-on-one battle. If Gordon and quarterback Jason Campbell are clicking, it could get ugly.
“They try to get him off the ball where guys can’t get their hands on him or try to get him underneath routes where you can’t really get your hands on him at all, too,” Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “It’s a point of just understanding what they’re trying to do, how they try to use him. I think the best thing that he does is after the catch. I think he’s a big-bodied guy that has a lot of speed that if he breaks one tackle there’s no one there, he has a chance to take it to the house. He’s a big-play guy.”
Push the pile
There are not many exciting things to watch for in this game, but one player who has kept it interesting for the Jets this season is running back Chris Ivory. The big back is fun to watch run. He always runs hard and you’re never sure if he’s down.
Ivory ranks third in the AFC since Week 7 with 590 rushing yards. He has become more of a focal point of the Jets’ offense lately, and that should not change Sunday. It won’t be easy to find running room, though. The Browns are eighth in the NFL against the run and eighth overall in total defense.
Is eight great?
The Jets’ rallying cry is to now try to finish 8-8 this season as opposed to 6-10 or 7-9. Hey, it’s that type of season.
The Jets now must cling to the little things.
The truth is, any Jets fan would have been shocked if they were told before the season the Jets could finish 8-8. The predictions were for a 4-12 or 5-11 season. But expectations went through the roof when the team started 5-4. Now, here they are at 6-8, hoping for a .500 record.
The Jets already have locked up their third straight non-winning season. It’s the first time since 1994-96 they have done that. They have not had back-to-back losing seasons since 1995-96 when Rich Kotite was in charge.
Brown out
You think the Jets’ season has gone downhill? Take a look at the Browns’ year. They were 3-2 to start the year and have lost eight of nine since. They are on their third quarterback and have not won a game since Nov. 3.
That is the same week the Jets beat the Saints to move to 5-4. Both teams had a bye week that week and have gone a combined 1-9 since then. The Browns’ defense has blown fourth-quarter leads in their past three games.
Taking a look
The Jets will be looking at more than just Smith on Sunday. Expect them to give some younger players more minutes to evaluate them. The Jets’ roster is going to go through an overhaul this offseason with team flush with cap space and draft picks. They must figure out who are keepers and who they can live without.
“We’re going utilize our entire defensive roster the next couple of weeks, and we’ll get a chance to evaluate some guys who haven’t played as much,” defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said. “That’s part of it ,and yet we’re still going to go out and still try to win games. That’s what you’re here for.”
Numbers to know
14.3: Red-zone percentage for the Jets defense over the past four games. The unit has given up two touchdowns in 14 trips, the best mark in the NFL over that span.
1,467: The number of receiving yards for Browns wideout Josh Gordon, the best in the NFL. The Jets franchise single-season record is 1,434 by Don Maynard in 1967.
12-21: Rex Ryan’s record, dating back to the final three games of the 2011 season.
Costello’s call
There is not much to play for in this one between two teams going nowhere. I think Rex Ryan will devise a way to keep Josh Gordon somewhat quiet, and the Jets offense will score some points late.
JETS 24, BROWNS 13