Now that we've calmed down...

[Freemanm]

Well, after watching that debacle at MetLife stadium on Christmas Eve, it's taken me a good 48 hours to get back in to my right frame of mind (I barely enjoyed Christmas with my family because of that!). Anyway, it's not so much that they lost the most important game of the season, it's how they lost that really pissed me off. Just a few suggestions from a long-time Jets fan that hopefully isn't too reactionary:

1) The Jets Offensive line needs to be rebuilt. I think the retirement of Damien Woody hurt them more than some would care to admit. Obviously, Mangold's injury didn't help, but Matt Slauson and Wayne hunter in my opinion are career back-up/practice squad players at best, and Ducasse is still learning but imo did show improvement this season. The Rex and Mike didn't seem to have a plan B when Woody left. The Jets have gone from being ranked I think 8th in both avg. yards per carry in their running game and fewest sacks allowed to 31st this season.

2) Shonn Greene is not a starting-calibur RB. I know he's shown some flashes of brilliance, but his best game was was against the weak Raiders team in 2009 when he got 144 yards. He hasn't broken out as a starting RB, and after three seasons of watching him, he probably never will be.

3) I know I'm stating the obvious here, but Brian Schottenheimer has to go as an offensive coordinator. When I was at the Jets/Giants game, the fellow fans around me were calling him "Brian 'dump-pass' Schottenheimer." They shouted sarcastically "A 3 yard dump pass to LT/Dustin Keller? What a surprise!" After going to the game and seeing the entire field, I wholeheartdly agree. There were several pass plays in which Holmes and Plax were wide open, and Sanchez threw the dump pass to Greene or LT or Keller. That's the culmination of Schotty's creativity as an offensive play caller? Bottom line, he's gotta go and be replaced with either Callahan (remember what he did the year the Raiders went to the SB?) or an OC who understands things like timing patterns and West Coast offensive schemes. You've got the players to do it. Last season the Jets went to the AFC title game, so I think that covered up a lot of Schotty's weakness as an OC (not totally, remember fourth and goal on the Steelers' one yard line in the title game last year?). I hate to say this, but there's a reason why Marty Schottenheimer's Chiefs went like 13-3 every season and always, without fail, lost in the divisional round in the playoffs. Brian should go to another team and stop following what his father did.

Anyway, during the Jets/Giants game, when the Jets got the ball back with 5 1/2 minutes to go in fourth for the potential game-winning drive, they had to punt like one minute later on 4th and 14. It was the most important offensive drive of the game and perhaps the entire season, and THEY COULDN'T GET ONE YARD. The blame for that has to fall squarely on Schotty's shoulders. Sorry to anyone who disagrees with me here. I don't think he's a terrible OC, but his system clearly isn't working for the Jets.

4) Antonio Cromartie's a good CB, but he needs to learn how to tackle. 'Nuff said.

5) While I think Mark Sanchez is still a good QB, he's got to get over his biggest rookie tendency, which is that he holds on to the ball for way too long, and his downfield vision sucks. One of the things that makes Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, etc. so great is that they can, in a split second, check down and spot the 2nd, third or fourth receiver if the primary receiver is covered. When the Giants took that dump pass option away from Sanchez, he too often looked like a deer caught in the headlights. This has to fall on him and Schottenheimer.

6) By the way, Rex is still a great coach, I don't care what people say. Yes he's brash and has a big mouth, but what do you want him to say when reporters ask him how he thinks the Jets will do this season? Should he come out and say "Our goal is to squeak in to the playoffs and lose in the first round," or "our goal is to finish with a 500 record?" His only flaw is being too patient with Schotty but, thankfully, he'll probably get rid of him at the end of the season.

Anyway, thanks for listening.