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SEATTLE — Maybe Rex Ryan needs to stay away from the Jets offense. His involvement does not seem to be helping much.
The Jets coach talked last week about how he was attending the team’s offensive meetings and getting more involved this year on that side of the ball. Judging by the results, he may want to scrap that plan.
The Jets offense was pathetic in a 28-7 loss to the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. The loss drops the Jets to 3-6 and puts their playoff hopes on life support.
“Obviously, that’s a brutal loss right there,” a glassy-eyed Ryan said after the game.
It’s not hard to figure out what the Jets’ problem was on this day. The offense managed just 185 yards, 11 first downs and made one killer mistake after another.
The main culprit was quarterback Mark Sanchez, who committed two more turnovers to bring his season total to 13. He threw another horrific red-zone interception, his fourth of the year, that killed a nice drive and threw gasoline on the Tim Tebow fire.
Sanchez, playing on his 26th birthday, went 9-for-22 for 124 yards with an interception and a fumble.
Another dismal day by Sanchez has people questioning whether it is time to turn to Tebow.
“We’ll stick with Mark,” Ryan said. “We know he has to get better and everybody around him has to get better — coaches, players, everybody. … He gives us the best opportunity to win games.”
Ryan was pressed on why he believes Sanchez gives the Jets their best chance to win.
“That’s what I believe to be the truth,” a defiant Ryan said. “Why do I believe it? Because I believe it. I don’t care what you think or anybody else. In my heart, I believe it. Granted, I’ve had I don’t know how many years experience coaching football and I put my trust in him.”
Sanchez seems to have the support of the locker room, at least publicly.
When asked what he would say to those calling for Tebow to replace Sanchez, cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. “They can kiss my butt.
“Mark is our quarterback. At the end of the day, we could give a damn what anybody on the outside has to say. Mark is our quarterback and he’s going to continue to be our quarterback. There’s not going to be no division, talking about who needs to be our quarterback. Mark is our quarterback and he’s our only quarterback.”
If not now, then when would the Jets consider a quarterback change? The team is 3-9 over their last 12 games and 6-10 over their last 16, all with Sanchez as their starter. He has shown no signs of progress in his fourth season, instead continuing to repeat the same mistakes he’s made since his rookie year.
Sanchez said he’s not worried about his job security, and maybe that’s the problem.
“That never really crosses my mind,” Sanchez said. “I am too confident for that. We have won too many games together.”
The Seahawks looked like they might put the Jets away early. The Jets failed to convert on fourth-and-1 on their first drive, turning it over to the Seahawks. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson hit wide receiver Golden Tate with a pretty 38-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead.
The Jets defense responded after that, and put good pressure on Wilson (four sacks, seven hits). Muhammad Wilkerson returned a Wilson fumble 21 yards with 2:50 left in the first quarter to tie the game up.
The defense forced three three-and-outs after that first touchdown and two fumbles. The offense and special teams betrayed them with killer mistakes, something the Jets emphasized eliminating during the bye week.
The Jets, using a mix of Tebow and Sanchez, moved the ball to the 1 at the start of the second quarter. Tebow was in the game and confident he would score when tight end Dustin Keller had a false-start penalty, moving the ball back to the 6. Sanchez then telegraphed a pass to Keller that was intercepted by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman.
The Seahawks would score after another critical error, this one a muffed punt by Jeremy Kerley. Marshawn Lynch, who ran for 124 yards on 27 carries, scored from the 1 for a 14-7 lead.
The score did not get out of hand until the fourth quarter when the Jets defense finally wore out. The Jets know they have backed themselves into a corner with seven games left.
“We can’t let games slip away,” linebacker Bryan Thomas said. “We only have three damn wins. Three wins. Time’s slipping. That’s pretty much what it is.”