Despite the Jets’ combined success on the field, it was their mistackling, drop balls, and their inability to score in the red zone, which contributed to their loss.
[Sports]
It seems TV commercials are as realistic as Republican presidential candidates – and some would say as realistic as the Jets making the play-off this year.
The Jets lost another game that they should have won, but the final score – Philadelphia Eagles 16 and the New York Jets 9 – speaks volumes of their inabilities to seal the deal to victory.
“It’s disappointing where we are – because of how much we have put in week-in and week-out,” said head coach Eric Mangini. “I thought there were a lot of good things in the game, just like there have been good things in every single game.”
For instance, the Jets held the Eagles to 16 points and forced a turnover in the red area, “but then those are punctuated by a missed tackle that turns a five-yard route into a long touchdown.”
And for the record, watching Jets tackle opponents is scarier than Ex-mayor of New York and presidential candidate, Rudolph Giuliani dressed in drag.
It was an inconsistent game to say the least, but there were some notable achievements by the Jets. For instance they scored on their opening drive for the first time this season when Mike Nugent kicked a 30-yard field goal – and he kicked two others, which was the seventh time in his career he has kicked three field goals in a game. And believe it or not, the Jets had zero penalties during the game, the first time in six seasons.
And defensive end, Kenyon Coleman and safety, Kerry Rhodes recorded their first sack of the season, as well as defensive tackle, Dewayne Robertson and line backer, Bryan Thomas who combined on a sack of Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb in the second quarter.
But the most distinguished Jets were running back, Thomas Jones, who ran for 130 yards on 24 carries, the second time this season he ran for 100 yards, and running back/kick returner, Leon Washington, who had three kick-off returns for a 37.3 average, including a long return of 51 yards.
Despite the Jets’ combined success on the field, it was their mistackling, drop balls, and their inability to score in the red zone, which contributed to their loss. Still, they had a legitimate chance to tie the game and send it into overtime in the forth quarter, when they were yards away from the end zone and one yard away from a first down with less than four minutes.
“They did a good job of cramming us and keeping us from getting it,” said quarterback Chad Pennington. “You know you are in four-down territory, so you don’t want to do something crazy on third down and try to create something that may not be there and then not have a chance on fourth down.”
The next play was a pass to wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who have been a good as gold, but he dropped a crucial pass earlier in the game. “It’s a play I should have made,” said Coles. “As for the ball, I don’t know if he (Safety Sheldon Brown) got a hand on it or not, but he was there.”
One can blame the loss on Coles, Pennington, the coaching staff, or the combined the mistackles, the drop balls, but the Jets are still an interesting team to watch despite their chances of making the play-offs are slimmer than most models waist-line.
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