After back-to-back losses — Sunday’s 37-16 humiliation against New England, and Thursday’s 17-13 Mile High Meltdown in Denver — coach Rex Ryan couldn’t narrow the Jets’ woes to a single problem, admitting his team had issues in “every area.” But the Jets’ once-stout offensive line has to be near the top of the list.
With the line’s pass protection inconsistent and its run-blocking impotent, the Jets’ problems up front have made it impossible to be the ground-and-pound team that Ryan longs for, and Thursday’s loss underscored that fact.
“On the offensive side of the ball, obviously the running game, we had 28 attempts, but we only averaged three yards a carry,’’ Ryan said. “Our pass protection has been inconsistent. Sometimes, it’s really good. Sometimes, it’s really bad. So, those are things that concern me.’’
The Jets were held to 83 yards rushing on 28 carries. They allowed three sacks, six tackles for losses and let Mark Sanchez get hit seven times. Against New England’s porous defense Sunday they were worse, surrendering five sacks, six tackles for losses and eight hits on their quarterback.
“We all talked about the run and things like that, but it’s more than that,’’ Ryan said. “How can we run the ball more efficiently? Are there different things that we can do? Are some of our techniques different? I think we’ll get better.”
Expected to be a franchise left tackle, D’Brickashaw Ferguson will have to get better. But it was right tackle Wayne Hunter who was beaten by Denver’s Von Miller for a 9-yard sack on third-and-10 from the Jets’ 18 with under a minute to play Thursday.
“[Hunter] was going up against an outstanding football player.,” Ryan said. “Von Miller, I think, will be a Pro Bowl player this year. If not this year, he’ll be one next year, and that’s going to be tough on anybody.”
* Running back Shonn Greene sustained a rib injury, although X-rays were negative.
* Ryan said he was unsure of the status of defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson who appeared to be limping. But he said of Wilkerson, Mike DeVito and Sione Pouha “that’s the best our front three has played. They absolutely dominated the inside running game.’’
* Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was fined $7,500 for spiking the ball in Jets cornerback Donald Strickland’s direction last week after scoring a touchdown.
Additional reporting by Brian Costello