Cole Tessler ’10
Staff Writer

Last week, Mark Sanchez’s inability to sustain drives put enormous pressure on the defense versus the Saints. This week it was the Jets defense’s inability to stop the offense and eventually put pressure on Sanchez.

The offense was solid, the running game pounded the ball for a 132 total rushing yards and two touchdowns. While Braylon Edwards, wide receiver acquisition from the Browns, had a spectacular debut making acrobatic catches at important moments, and getting five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.

But I wish the same could be said about the other side of the ball. The Jets defense looked TERRIBLE.

A team that only let in three touchdowns this season allowed five touchdowns. A team that was praised as one of the best defenses in the NFL looked like the worst on Monday, and here is why:

1. Jets Could Not Tame the Wildcat: Many Jets fans were not worried about the wildcat since Rex Ryan stopped it twice last year when the Ravens played the Dolphins in the regular season and the postseason. But every time the Dolphins set up in that formation, the Jets looked dumb founded.  The Dolphins ussed the Wildcat five times in the final drive for the touchdown to win the game, mainly because the Jets just had no answer to stop it. The Dolphins eventually racked up 151 yards on the ground, a huge chunk coming that being from the Wildcat.
2. Getting Off of Blocks: Before the game, people where saying that Chad Henne should be scared by the Jets pressure. Unfortunately, The Jets lineman and linebackers could not get off their blocks against the Dolphins’ offensive line. They made the Dolphins line, who gave up six sacks against an injured Bills defense the previous week, look like a group of hall of famers not letting the Jets get tackles at the line of scrimmage vs. the run game. Eventually the Jets did not get one sack on Henne.
3. The D could not produce in clutch moments: Twice in the fourth quarter the Jets defense needed to hold the Phins offense to protect the lead, but they failed to do so both times. The secondary let up a sickening play to Ted Ginn Jr. who beat cornerback Darrelle Revis for a 53-yard touchdown catch to give up the lead with about 10 minutes left. The Jets could not stop the wildcat on the final drive to let the Dolphins marched into the end zone to win the game.

Also, coach Rex Ryan deserves a big stake in the loss. On the final drive he had three timeouts which could have stopped the clock, gave the defense some rest to stop the Dolphins and and/or maybe given Sanchez some time to put a final drive together.

Instead, Ryan only used one timeout with 10 seconds left and the Dolphins scored a touchdown the next play.

Overall this was a devastating loss since the Jets could have won this game. Especially now, the Dolphins are back in the running for the AFC East and the Jets are again tied for the division lead with a 3-2 record.

You can tell the Jets defense is going to want revenge week eight when the Jets match up against the Dolphins again in the Meadowlands.