The season’s bye comes at a bad time for the Jets, who felt like they were just hitting their stride. The first seven weeks of the season have not gone the way the Jets expected. At 4-3, they are still in the hunt for the playoffs, but they face a tough road to get there.
After the bye week, the Jets face three AFC East games out of the next four. With three conference losses already, they can’t afford many more hiccups.
The Jets coaches spent this week breaking down what went wrong and what went right so far. The Post thought it would be a good time to do the same thing. Here is the breakdown:
BIGGEST SURPRISE
Aaron Maybin. The Bills castoff has been a pass-rushing revelation. Maybin is tied for the team lead with three sacks and has three forced fumbles. The Jets were not that impressed with him during training camp and cut him loose. They brought him back after Week 3, and his speed has given the defense a new element. The next step is for him to learn more of the defense, so he can get more playing time.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Derrick Mason. Whether you believe he was a locker-room disruption or not, Mason was not producing on the field. Brought in to be the third receiver in the Jets’ revamped passing attack, Mason had little impact. He had 13 catches for 115 yards before general manager Mike Tannenbaum traded him to Houston.
BEST REBOUND
Wayne Hunter. The new right tackle struggled mightily in the season opener against the Cowboys — and it was not just DeMarcus Ware that beat him up. The performance had people panicking, but Hunter has played much better since then and has shown he can be a capable replacement for Damien Woody.
BEST MOMENT
The Jets trailed the Cowboys by 14 points in the fourth quarter on Sept. 11 before storming back to take the victory. Isaiah Trufant’s return of a Joe McKnight blocked punt made the MetLife Stadium crowd explode. Then, Darrelle Revis intercepted Tony Romo to set up the game-winning field goal by Nick Folk.
WORST MOMENT (on the field)
Nothing went right against the Ravens for the Jets offense. Baltimore’s defense embarrassed the Jets, constantly harassing Sanchez. It started with Ed Reed’s strip sack on the first play of the game. Sanchez threw a terrible pick-six in the third quarter that sealed the Jets’ loss and led to …
WORST MOMENT
(off the field)
After that Ravens game, receivers Santonio Holmes and Mason were not bashful while bashing their teammates. A week later, Mason was traded and Holmes took another shot at the offensive line. Guard Brandon Moore fired back and the Jets suddenly looked like team turmoil. Give Rex Ryan credit for putting his team back together again.
MOST ALARMING STAT
The Jets are allowing 126.9 rushing yards per game. That is 26th in the NFL. Ryan’s defenses have always been good against the run, so this is a big concern. The Jets say the numbers are skewed by a few big runs, but it’s hard to see this team going far if it can’t stop the run.
MOST ALARMING STAT
(RUNNER-UP)
The other half of Ryan’s formula for success has always been to run the ball effectively. The Jets got away from that early on, something Ryan admits was a mistake. They ran the ball better last week but still rank 28th in the league.
GREATEST REVELATION
Joe McKnight. Last year, the running back looked like he might be useless. This year, McKnight has become one of the best kick returners in football and has shown some versatility. The Jets have used him on offense, defense and special teams. The highlight of his season was the 107-yard kick return in Baltimore.
UNSUNG HERO
Nick Folk. The Jets kicker had to fight to keep his job in training camp. Early on, it looked as if Nick Novak might beat him out, but he has been a perfect 10-for-10 in field goals. He booted the game-winner against the Cowboys and sealed last week’s win against the Chargers with a clutch kick.
PREDICTIONS
Plaxico Burress will finish the season with fewer than 60 catches for the first time in his career when playing a full season.
Santonio Holmes will say something critical about the offense again.
Darrelle Revis will win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The game with the Giants on Christmas Eve will decide whether the Jets make the playoffs.
Fans will chant “Fire Schotty” at MetLife Stadium at least once in December.