"We got our ass kicked," Rex Ryan said in the postgame news conference.
That sums it up.
Ryan said the team won't report to the facility Monday or Tuesday because they need to do some "soul searching." That, as well as learning basics of the game like tackling, holding onto the ball and moving the chains.
The Jets did none of that in a 34-0 slaughtering at the hands of the 49ers.
It was a loss as miserable and painful to watch as their Monday Night 45-3 massacre at the hands of the Patriots two seasons ago. Ryan called this one his worst losses. Though the deficit was only 10 points much of the game, the Jets were never really in it. As Alex Smith overthrew open receivers and 49ers defenders dropped interceptions, the score remained close but the Jets continued to trip over their own feet.
Mark Sanchez was horrible, again completing less than 50 percent of his passes and making some throws that would leave you scratching your head if he were a rookie. Sanchez is in his fourth year now.
The defense was not helped at all by the offense but didn't look a whole lot better. A wildcat run by Colin Kaepernick and option reads had the Jets on their heels throughout the first half. Kyle Wilson, stepping into the starting lineup after the Darrelle Revis injury, was burnt time and time again. Yet, he still found it acceptable to trash talk and wave his finger at receivers who blew by him but couldn't catch passes out of their reach.
Santonio Holmes crumpled onto the turf with what looked like a knee injury but was later revealed to be one to the foot, losing the ball in the process leading to a 49ers recovery and touchdown.
Robert Malone had a punt blocked late in the fourth quarter, when the stomping was in its final stanza, seemingly just to complete the circle of futility.
49ers backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick avoided the end zone not to rub it in, sliding down at the Jets' three yard line to limit the crushing.
It was that kind of day for the Jets.
Despite the three-hour embarrassment they hosted at MetLife Stadium Sunday, the Jets are actually still in first place in the AFC East at 2-2.
As bad as it was, it is only one loss.
But the rose colored glasses can be taken off after you digest the standings. They won't be staying that way for long unless a drastic change takes place.
Week 1 and the firing on all cylinders performance against the Bills is moving further into the rearview mirror. The Jets were lucky to escape Miami last week with their second win.
Luck never hurts but it can only mask chronic problems for so long.
The run defense is mediocre, still not establishing the edge. Run the ball outside on the Jets and you're probably gonna get the corner.
Receivers are running wild across the middle of the field, burning the safeties too often. Darrelle Revis' absence will only exacerbate that. As will Kyle Wilson continually being a step behind his man.
Then there's what will be the most scrutinized position this week, the quarterback. After a prolific first week, Mark Sanchez again looks unfit to be a starting quarterback. He's making poor decisions, overthrowing receivers, turning the ball over. Sure, he is severely lacking weapons. Dustin Keller and Stephen Hill were out, and now Holmes may too be joining them. At some point though the excuses fall flat.
Good quarterbacks make lesser players around them look better. The best, like Tom Brady, make average receivers like Deion Branch and David Givens, feasible options. Right now, it appears Sanchez needs a top five receiver to make him a legitimate option.
Sanchez has shown signs of promise. He has had a couple of playoff games that give you hope. But so did Chad Pennington and he proved not to be the answer.
It took about five seasons of 'close but no cigar' for the Jets to figure it out and cut the cord, benching Pennington halfway through the 2007 season for Kellen Clemens.
Clemens wasn't a great option but Pennington just wasn't cutting it either. `
2012 is starting to feel a whole lot like 2007. In that long season, the Jets watched Pennington be victimized week after week, back breaking pick six after back breaking pick six.
Nothing went right. They lost star linebacker Jonathan Vilma to a season-ending injury before Week 8. Head Coach Eric Mangini summed it up well saying, "It's not the same movie. It's the same ending."
Pennington proved that season he was not the Jets' quarterback answer. Clemens wasn't either. It was time to go in another direction.
By no means do I legitimately believe Tim Tebow is the solution for the Jets. I'm not sure he's more than a Wildcat quarterback. A lot of his 2011 success was a brilliant offensive scheme that I believe would have ultimately been squashed with more film analysis had it continued in Denver.
At this point though, Mark Sanchez has to prove himself. He is statistically among the worst quarterbacks in the league right now. It's hard to keep making excuses for that.
Cutting the cord on your first round franchise guy is not easy to do. It's tough to let go. But at some point, they leave you no choice. The Jets and Sanchez are not there yet. Week by week, though, it's getting worse and the calls for Tebow don't help it.
You can't place all the blame on one person or unit. Sunday's loss was a complete failure in every facet of the game. It is by no means the end of the season though. You move on and forward.
However, like Mangini in 2007, Ryan can't sit back and watch the same ending. Eventually, you wise up and change the channel before the part that makes you cringe or cry.
If days like this become the norm, heads will roll. Brian Schottenheimer was the first goner. A coordinator usually is. Beware though No. 6 - if not the head coach, the quarterback usually follows next.
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