Ranking The New York Jets Top Problems

Now 1-3 on the young season, Todd Bowles‘s New York Jets are facing several team issues. We rank these problems now.

Around 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon, the realization that the New York Jets were going to fall to 1-3 hit home very hard. Even more abrupt was the idea that this Jets squad is now 1-3 with trips to Pittsburgh and Arizona looming. 

There are no breaks. It doesn’t get any easier.

This is exactly what many were afraid of coming into 2016. A terrific and surprising 10-6 a season ago against a cupcake schedule has now turned into a bitter disappointing begin to the fresh campaign.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three more interceptions on Sunday in the Jets 27-17 loss to Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. His interception total over the last two weeks now sits at an ugly nine.

The worst part about those struggles is that Fitz’s issues aren’t even the only alarming area of this team. There are issues abound.

Here are those issues, ranked in order of severity:

3. Lack Of Edge Presence

After the Jets Week 2 triumph over Rex Ryan and the Buffalo Bills, we raved about Todd Bowles‘s unique front four featuring Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon.

After Week 4 has ended, there will be no such raving.

Despite the talent of the front four, the scheme is simply not working. The lack of an edge presence is a killer. It’s one thing to have Big Mo out there, but to have both he and Sheldon manning the outside is too much beef and not enough speed.

Where was the pressure against a one-legged Russell Wilson? The man was playing with a sprained knee and a bum ankle and torched New York for over 300 yards and two scores. He was sacked twice on the day (L.Williams, Buster Skrine).

On a few plays, Richardson got a step on the tackle but couldn’t maintain a close enough angle on Wilson to contain him. He’s not nimble enough to play the edge. On the other side, Big Mo is much more effective out-quicking an offensive guard rather than out powering an offensive tackle.

Something needs to be done about this starting in Week 5. If that means moving back to a 3-4 with one of the beasts always having to be on the sideline, so be it.

2. Ryan Fitzpatrick

The popular culprit of the season comes in at No. 2. Even if he wasn’t playing horrible, the quarterback, and especially a journeyman like Ryan Fitzpatrick, would be blamed if the team isn’t winning games.

In this case, the blame is well deserved.

The guy who almost threw for 400 yards in Buffalo two weeks ago, is no longer here. He threw six interceptions in Kansas City and another three in Jersey against another terrific defense.

Make no mistake about it, Fitz may have just played the top two secondaries in the NFL. Still, it cannot be an excuse for his failures.

Fitz, Chan Gailey, and the entire offense is extremely simple and predictable.

On the Jets second drive of the game, they were pushed into a 3rd-and-13 situation near mid-field. Gailey dialed up one of his familiar and very recognizable middle screens:

It’s obvious why Gailey called the play. On a 3rd-and-13, the Jets understand Fitzpatrick’s limitations. They also understand how tough the Seattle secondary is. It’s a safe play to pick up yardage underneath in hopes to break it for 13.

The problem is New York runs these middle screens far too often.

In the 3rd-quarter on a 2nd-and-8, the offense’s predictability came into play. Fitzpatrick predetermined where he was going to go with the ball in a one-on-one with Brandon Marshall. Earl Thomas, the best free safety in football, read it brilliantly:

Fitzpatrick’s pre-snap reads are being snuffed out, unlike what we saw in 2015.

1. The Pass Coverage

As bad as Ryan Fitzpatrick and the passing game has been, it’s not focal point No. 1. The New York Jets pass coverage is, by far, the worst issue on the team right now.

Calvin Pryor and David Harris are being eaten alive by opposing quarterbacks. Look no further than the first touchdown of the game.

On a simple angle route from C.J. Spiller, both Harris and Darron Lee couldn’t come close to handling things:

There were two linebackers against the one running back. Harris showed himself way too hard on Spiller’s entry and had no chance to recover. Lee, who’s still learning about the pro game, couldn’t get over in time.

On this next play, Seattle’s second TD of the game, the Jets were in a basic Cover 3. Because of the play action, Darrelle Revis didn’t get depth and the receiver leaked in behind him. The biggest culprit on the play, however, was Calvin Pryor who was completely turned around in center field:

The other item of note is Sheldon Richardson’s play on the edge. While he gained a step on the tackle, he’s just not nimble enough to squeeze it down any further, leaving Wilson with too much space.

One alarming trend that continued on from Kansas City was the idea of Bowles leaving nickel (two linebackers) personnel in against a 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB set. Instead of treating Travis Kelce, or in this case, Jimmy Graham, like a receiver, he continued to treat him like a classic tight end who couldn’t move.

This action puts Pryor in a bad position of looking to guard Graham one-on-one. Graham or any of the new age TEs in this league will win this matchup every time. It also puts rookie Lee on Graham, and while he did a good job on this play, it’s not something you’d like to see:

Todd Bowles is continuing the madness that is matching up in an old-school type fashion that takes care of the run first. This can’t be done in today’s game. Instead, he needs to get an extra safety out there, like an Antonio Allen, and take out a David Harris.

Go dime when the opposition has a 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB personnel (when the TE runs and plays like a receiver). Dare the opposition to run the ball.

The frustrating part about this is that the Jets do, indeed, have the personnel to cover the opposition. But Harris is no longer an everydown backer and Pryor cannot be put in center field or in one-on-one coverage.

We, as fans, basically just witnessed a carbon copy defensive scheme that we saw in Week 3 at Arrowhead.