Just when you thought the Jets’ quarterback situation could not become any messier …
Their new starting quarterback is picking MetLife Stadium out of his teeth this morning, and the third-stringer refuses to play the role he was brought to the team to play. Oh yeah, and the Jets lost 27-17 to the Chargers yesterday.
Greg McElroy proved ineffective in his first start, largely because he was sacked 11 times, one shy of the NFL record.
Tim Tebow conspicuously did not play a snap, despite being active. After coach Rex Ryan dodged questions about it in his postgame news conference, news leaked of the reason why. According to multiple sources, when Ryan informed Tebow last Tuesday that McElroy was starting and he would be the No. 3 quarterback, an angry Tebow told Ryan he no longer wanted to be used as a Wildcat quarterback.
Just another week in “As the Jets Turn.”
While Tebow will get most of the attention, the bigger issue is another bad loss for Gang Green. The home finale defeat drops them to 6-9, ensuring their first losing season since 2007 and first under Ryan.
McElroy’s first start at quarterback was tough to evaluate because he spent most of the day staring at the sky. He turned the ball over twice in the second half and was hit 16 times by the Chargers.
“Offensively, you ain’t beating anybody if you play like that,” Ryan said. “It’s as simple as that.”
With Tebow and Mark Sanchez watching from the sideline, McElroy was under siege from every direction. The second-year player deserves some of the blame for holding on to the ball too long at times but he barely had a chance.
“This is an incredibly disappointing loss,” McElroy said. “Everyone’s very disappointed. The locker room, everyone’s pretty down.”
As they should be.
The Chargers had as little to play for as the Jets in this one, with both teams having been eliminated from playoff contention before the game. Still, the Chargers showed more fight than the Jets on defense and were able to take advantage of a few second-half mistakes on offense.
“We got our [butt] kicked,” Jets safety LaRon Landry said.
For Ryan, this is his first losing season as Jets coach and it signals another step in the decline of the team under his watch. The Jets have seen a decrease in their win total in each of the last two years from 11 wins in 2010 to 8 last year and now the Jets can finish with no more than 7.
“It’s been a bad season, no question about that,” Ryan said. “I’m going to keep competing. I came here to win. I want to win a championship. That’s why I came here.”
Ryan’s bold move to bench Sanchez this week and go to McElroy did not pay off. Still, Ryan said he will stick with McElroy for the team’s final game next week at Buffalo.
McElroy finished 14-of-24 for 185 yards and had one interception and one fumble. If anything, he showed he can take a beating as he was hit 16 times. Defensive end Kendall Reyes had 3 1/2 sacks for the Chargers, abusing Jets right tackle Austin Howard. Linebacker Shaun Phillips had 2 1/2.
“When he wasn’t on his back, I thought [McElroy] did some good things,” Ryan said. “I thought he was poised beyond belief.”
The Jets went three and out on their first series and Michael Spurlock returned the Jets’ punt 63 yards for a touchdown to give San Diego a 7-0 lead two minutes into the game. The Jets responded with a seven-play drive capped by a Shonn Greene 1-yard touchdown to tie the game.
The Jets had no running game to speak of, averaging just 3.0 yards per carry and finishing with 59 yards on the ground. Both teams struggled on third down all day. The Jets went 2-for-11 (18 percent) and the Chargers were 2-for-12 (17 percent).
Greene made it 14-7 Jets with another 1-yard touchdown, this drive assisted by a pass interference call on Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer in the end zone. The Jets went into halftime with a 14-10 lead, their first halftime lead in five games.
It would not last long. The Chargers took the lead on their first second-half possession when quarterback Philip Rivers found Danario Alexander for a 37-yard touchdown over Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie. They extended the lead to 24-14 when tight end Antonio Gates beat Jets safety Eric Smith for a 34-yard touchdown later in the third quarter.
Now, the Jets must regroup and find some motivation to play the Bills next week.
“It’s hard,” wide receiver Braylon Edwards said. “At the end of the day, we’re human. You know we’re sitting at 6-9. We know we’re not going to the playoffs. Guys are probably thinking about a million and one things as well as the last game.
“This is where true professionals step up to the forefront and they can block out distractions for that last game and they can say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a game left to be all that I can be on the football field and what they expect me to be.’ ”The true professionals will come to the forefront and there will be some guys that aren’t in that category