Mid-season grades for the New York Jets

[JetNation]

At the halfway point of the season the New York Jets are 6-2, which puts them in first place in the AFC East and ties them for the best record in the NFL. Here are my mid-season grades for Gang Green.

Quarterback: B Sanchez- 1,692 passing yards 10tds 5 ints,  1 rushing td- Mark Sanchez is much improved in year two cutting down on erratic throws and poor decisions.  Sanchez has a much better grasp of the offense and has been very effective late in games.  Mark is starting to become a threat in the offense, which is something that could not be said last year.  Needs to improve: Completion percentage which currently stands at 53.5%.  Early game effectiveness as Sanchez seems to be a slow starter.

Running backs: B+ The New York Jets ground game led by backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene ranks 4th in the NFL averaging 148 yards a game.  Tomlinson has also been very effective catching passes out of the backfield as he is tied for the team lead with 30 grabs.  Needs to improve: Distribution of carries.  Tomlinson is showing some signs of slowing down and it is time to get Greene more involved in the game plan.

Wide Receivers: C The Jets receiving group has made some big plays, but continues to have issues with drops and fumbles.  Needs to improve: Reduction of turnovers, improved separation from defenders.

Tight End: B+ Through 8 games Dustin Keller is having a Pro-Bowl caliber season with 30 catches and 5 touchdowns.   Needs to improve: The Jets need to get Keller more involved in the game plan.  When Gang Green gets Keller involved early in the game it seems like the entire offense opens up.

Offensive Line: B+  The Jets offensive line has only allowed 12 sacks and 18 quarterback hits, which is amongst the best in the NFL.  Matt Slauson continues to progress and should get better as the season moves on.  Brandon Moore is having a Pro-Bowl season.  Needs to improve: Reduce penalties, blitz protection

Offensive Coordinator: C Brian Schottenheimer continues to frustrate the masses with his inconsistent playcalling.  Schotty goes from handcuffing the quarterback, to airing it out too much.  It appears at times that the offense makes plays in spite of the play calling.  Needs to improve: Less predictability on offense, get Keller more involved in the game plan, get Greene more carries.

Defensive Line:  B The Jets defensive line has played well especially considering that they lost defensive tackle Kris Jenkins early on.  The run defense has been stout and there has been decent pocket containment.  Needs to improve: Generate more pressure on the quarterback

Linebackers: B+ The Jets linebackers continue to make plays all over the field.  David Harris has to be one of the most underrated defensive players in the NFL.  Needs to improve: Coverage of running backs and tight ends, pass rush

Secondary: C The Jets secondary has struggled at times, especially when Darrelle Revis was hobbled with an injury.  Antonio Cromartie has been solid but Gang Green has had some problems at the nickel back and safety positions.  Needs to improve: Reduction in blown assignments, communication throughout secondary, limit penalties.

Defensive Coordinator: B+ The Jets added several new parts to their defense and continue to have one of the best units in the NFL.    That is saying a lot as they have had to play without Kris Jenkins, Darrelle Revis, and Calvin Pace.  Needs to improve: Better pass rush, pass coverage especially at the nickel back position.

Special Teams: B+ Both Nick Folk and Steve Weatherford have had solid seasons, with Folk completely exceeding expectations.  Brad Smith has been consistent in the return game, with Jim Leonhard and Kyle Wilson doing decent jobs in the punt return department.  Needs to improve: Kick coverage, limit penalties.

Head Coach: B+ The Jets entered the season with huge expectations and for the most part the team has lived up to them.  Gang Green is in first place in the AFC East and is tied for the best record in football.  Needs to improve: Clock management, reduction in penalties, reduce turnovers

Offensive MVP: LaDainian Tomlinson

Defensive MVP: David Harris

View the full article

[Maxman]

Interesting with the defensive MVP. During the game last week Harris and Scott received some kind words, from Gus Johnson I think, about how good they were against the run. Harris is so important to this defense yet he isn't mentioned as much as he should be. All he does is go out and play, making a bunch of tackles along the way.

He is unlike other athletes today, the whole contract situation, he kept that quiet. He is one player I hope is a NY Jet for his entire career.

[faba]

kellar has disappeared the last number of games - need to get him the ball- he is one receiver that has not dropped passes.

need to get better pash rush and better management of the game from Rex.

[Aten]

Quarterback: B Sanchez

Sanchez had three great games and has otherwise been unable to hit the broad side of a barn at ten paces. I haven't seen similarity scores but Derek Anderson circa 2007 springs readily to mind. This is either an A or an F depending on whether you think that's good or terrible, but it certainly isn't a B.

[sh4dy15]

Sanchez had three great games and has otherwise been unable to hit the broad side of a barn at ten paces. I haven't seen similarity scores but Derek Anderson circa 2007 springs readily to mind. This is either an A or an F depending on whether you think that's good or terrible, but it certainly isn't a B.

lol this is why NY is an impossible place to play. We're 6-2 and hate to break it to any Sanchez haters that are still left but it is BECAUSE of him not in spite of him this year.

[ylekram]

lol this is why NY is an impossible place to play. We're 6-2 and hate to break it to any Sanchez haters that are still left but it is BECAUSE of him not in spite of him this year.

+1

what would the jets record be if sanchez was playing at last years level with the rest of the team playing at this years level?2-6?3-3?kid still has a lot of room to improve,but he is making strides in leaps and bounds from last year

[Midget Love 20]

POTW -- very well said all around. Some of the grades you can argue - or + for some but overall they're in the same ball park.

On offense coordinator improvements -- giving Sanchez more flexibility/running a hurry up offense is a must as well

[Aten]

what would the jets record be if sanchez was playing at last years level with the rest of the team playing at this years level?

Sanchez is playing at last year's level.

[SenorGato]

Sanchez had three great games and has otherwise been unable to hit the broad side of a barn at ten paces. I haven't seen similarity scores but Derek Anderson circa 2007 springs readily to mind. This is either an A or an F depending on whether you think that's good or terrible, but it certainly isn't a B.

I'm thinking D+ because he's been better than I expected. The fact that his 3 best games came against the division rivals got him some points. That plus the WRs have failed the offense as much as Sanchez has lately...in fact, probably a little more. Gotta respect the guy for responding when D's are putting the onus on him.

Look at me...saying nice things about Sanchez the pro...f*ckin guy...leading two minute drills...getting D+s on his report card...Guy is showing signs that he can be the man here...of course last guy who did that went and tore his shoulder to shreds...but lets not go there.

Sanchez is playing at last year's level

.

Yes, but the good thing is that it's more of the level he played at in the playoffs...which is infinitely more workable with than the a$$hole who played the regular season in '09....even if it's not all that good. There's at least a moment or two of competence...

[slats]

Sanchez is playing at last year's level.

No he's not.

Outside of completion percentage, and it's cousin yards per attempt, Sanchez has improved across the board. Jets are throwing for 50 more yards per game than last year. He's got a 2-1 TD-int ratio, where last year he was nearly 1-2 in that department. He had 12 TD's in 15 games last year, he has 10 in 8 games so far this year. He fumbled 10 times, losing three, last year. This year he hasn't lost one of his 3 total fumbles. His passer rating is up from 63 to 79.4.

I get that he's not quite Joe Montana yet, but to say he's not improved is either a lie or ignorance.

[sh4dy15]

Sanchez is playing at last year's level.

hahahaha OK

Hater.

[Aten]

I get that he's not quite Joe Montana yet, but to say he's not improved is either a lie or ignorance.

Okay. Which? Am I saying that Sanchez hasn't improved even though I don't believe it to be true, or am I somehow unaware of one or more of the numbers you reference?

[sh4dy15]

Okay. Which? Am I saying that Sanchez hasn't improved even though I don't believe it to be true, or am I somehow unaware of one or more of the numbers you reference?

Year Team G Att Comp Pct Att/G Yds Avg Yds/G TD TD% Int Int% Lng 20+ 40+ Sck SckY Rate

2010 New York Jets 8 254 136 53.5 31.8 1,692 6.7 211.5 10 3.9 5 2.0 74T 23 7 12 84 79.4

2009 New York Jets 15 364 196 53.8 24.3 2,444 6.7 162.9 12 3.3 20 5.5 65T 34 8 26 195 63.0

Ok lets see where to start....

Half way through this season hes on pace for more completions, more attempts, way more yards, more yards per game, higher TD%, HALF the Int's, lower INT %, 9 yd longer pass, more 40+ yd passes, less sacks, and a higher QB rating.

Now I ask you...outside of completion percentage, which is extremely close, where HASNT he improved?

[T0mShane]

I think the Sanchez grade is a little high, too. It's great that he's not throwing the ball to the other team as much anymore, but he has long, frightening stretches of abject cluelessness that really make you wonder if he'll ever really get it.

[GangisGreen]

Rex gets a B+???

Should be a C at best. This team has struggled with discipline, between penalties and blown asssignments we have been fortunate to win the last three games and lost two as a result of this. I also think the Defense struggles sometimes because Rex is stubborn with his blitz calls. Teams are ready for his blitz packages and they are picked up leaving our cb's out to dry. Though we all hate Shotty, it is Rex's ultimate resposabilty to see the problems with the offense and address them. Rex has been terrible with both the use of challenges and time management. I know many of you will disagree with this, but Rex has been getting on my nerves this year.

[SenorGato]

Rex gets a B+???

Should be a C at best. This team has struggled with discipline, between penalties and blown asssignments we have been fortunate to win the last three games and lost two as a result of this. I also think the Defense struggles sometimes because Rex is stubborn with his blitz calls. Teams are ready for his blitz packages and they are picked up leaving our cb's out to dry. Though we all hate Shotty, it is Rex's ultimate resposabilty to see the problems with the offense and address them. Rex has been terrible with both the use of challenges and time management. I know many of you will disagree with this, but Rex has been getting on my nerves this year.

Good call...Rex has alot of things to improve on gameday himself...this is a pretty excellent summation of the worries. I'm not so worried about the D because his D's in Baltimore tended to show up strong in the 2nd half, but the little things a HC does (clock management, penalties, timeouts, challenges, etc.) have been pretty crappy.

He made a smart decision yesterday because he said he's going to be moving a couple coaches up to the booth. Good idea, because burning two timeouts like they did Sunday because the personnel set up was so poor on D should not ever happen again.

[JetsFanInDenver]

Schotty gets a C ?

That's too generous.

[SenorGato]

Schotty gets a C ?

That's too generous.

F to the 900th power.

[JetsFanInDenver]

F to the 900th power.

lol... Sure you are so serious!

[dbatesman]

I haven't seen similarity scores but Derek Anderson circa 2007 springs readily to mind.

Haven't looked at any advanced metrics, so this is based on a quick glance at P-F-R, but: 2005 Eli Manning?

[Aten]

Now I ask you...outside of completion percentage, which is extremely close, where HASNT he improved?

Basically? Passing. This is a sample size problem. The C% and Y/A which have failed to improve are based on all of the throws. The TD and INT numbers you guys love so much are based on a couple dozen. This means that they're inordinately skewed by a handful of plays breaking one way or the other for reasons not having anything to do with how well Sanchez is playing. An awful lot of the difference is simply that the defenders have started dropping picks and Braylon has stopped dropping touchdowns. It's not that he hasn't improved at all or has gotten worse, and it's nice that he's cut down on the fumbled snaps and sacks caused by holding the ball forever, but he hasn't improved enough as a passer to project as even a league-average quarterback going forward.

[sh4dy15]

Basically? Passing. This is a sample size problem. The C% and Y/A which have failed to improve are based on all of the throws. The TD and INT numbers you guys love so much are based on a couple dozen. This means that they're inordinately skewed by a handful of plays breaking one way or the other for reasons not having anything to do with how well Sanchez is playing. An awful lot of the difference is simply that the defenders have started dropping picks and Braylon has stopped dropping touchdowns. It's not that he hasn't improved at all or has gotten worse, and it's nice that he's cut down on the fumbled snaps and sacks caused by holding the ball forever, but he hasn't improved enough as a passer to project as even a league-average quarterback going forward.

Sounds to me like your just grasping at straws for ways to make him look bad. Our WR's make catches and you're not saying any of this because he has 2 300+ yard games in a row with a higher completion%. Theres certain stuff that falls on him but dropped passes do not.

I'm glad your one of the few that feel like this though because this is our QB for the future.

[Aten]

I'm glad your one of the few that feel like this though

Yeah. I'm gonna be seriously outnumbered when reality becomes subject to popular vote.

[sh4dy15]

Yeah. I'm gonna be seriously outnumbered when reality becomes subject to popular vote.

Talk to me in 2 years when you can truly start judging this kid and he's an elite QB in this league.

[dbatesman]

Basically? Passing. This is a sample size problem. The C% and Y/A which have failed to improve are based on all of the throws. The TD and INT numbers you guys love so much are based on a couple dozen. This means that they're inordinately skewed by a handful of plays breaking one way or the other for reasons not having anything to do with how well Sanchez is playing. An awful lot of the difference is simply that the defenders have started dropping picks and Braylon has stopped dropping touchdowns. It's not that he hasn't improved at all or has gotten worse, and it's nice that he's cut down on the fumbled snaps and sacks caused by holding the ball forever, but he hasn't improved enough as a passer to project as even a league-average quarterback going forward.

Well, the positive DVOA is encouraging. But even that is tempered by the fact that going up 24 percentage points only moved him from 35th to 27th, which essentially means he's gone from laughably inept to merely bad. It also doesn't help that Freeman is making similar DVOA improvements (+36 percentage points, 39th to 22nd) but is also making significant leaps in completion percentage and YPA.

[jason423]

Haven't looked at any advanced metrics, so this is based on a quick glance at P-F-R, but: 2005 Eli Manning?

Manning is the far better comparison. Anderson was in a completely different track. At the time I said he either beat the odds or would be a journeyman 1 year wonder that would have the upside of a long backup career. Clearly number 2 is what you have to look at.

Anyway I wrote a piece on Sanchez and the rookie QB numbers you look for in year 2. If you go based on QB rating you are looking for a 17% improvement from year 1 to year 2. I dont have the extensive sample size of DVOA to work with, but with the limited stats there all you want is a positive DVOA. Those rookies who jumped into the plus category all have worked out to a pretty good extent. Those that did not cross that number are the Joey Harringtons of the world.

[Irish Jet]

Football outsiders and pro-football focus are the devil.

[Matt39]

Football outsiders and pro-football focus are the devil.

Not to mention, transvestites.

[T0mShane]

Football outsiders and pro-football focus are the devil.

I used to be reeeeally resistant toward them, but I have to admit that it's kinda cool when those metrics are used as predictors and are proven correct. I'd imagine in five years they'll be a staple part in how people talk about football.

[Blackout]

fair assesments

[GimmeShelter]

I think the Sanchez grade is a little high, too. It's great that he's not throwing the ball to the other team as much anymore, but he has long, frightening stretches of abject cluelessness that really make you wonder if he'll ever really get it.

I agree and have to hope that it is a matter of needing more experience. Other than Stafford being made of glass, he sure looked more polished than Sanchez on Sunday. Sanchez has improved however.

[CTM]

Manning is the far better comparison. Anderson was in a completely different track. At the time I said he either beat the odds or would be a journeyman 1 year wonder that would have the upside of a long backup career. Clearly number 2 is what you have to look at.

Anyway I wrote a piece on Sanchez and the rookie QB numbers you look for in year 2. If you go based on QB rating you are looking for a 17% improvement from year 1 to year 2. I dont have the extensive sample size of DVOA to work with, but with the limited stats there all you want is a positive DVOA. Those rookies who jumped into the plus category all have worked out to a pretty good extent. Those that did not cross that number are the Joey Harringtons of the world.

wow dude.. didn't realize you we're updating that regularly.. i just spent 40 minutes reading quite a few of your articles. Nice job

[CTM]

I used to be reeeeally resistant toward them, but I have to admit that it's kinda cool when those metrics are used as predictors and are proven correct. I'd imagine in five years they'll be a staple part in how people talk about football.

They should be now. Before I knew about them I was trying to come up with my own formulas due to how limiting the standard metrics are. Obviously they aren't perfect, but they come a lot closer then standard stats and anecdotal bias

[CTM]

Sounds to me like your just grasping at straws for ways to make him look bad. Our WR's make catches and you're not saying any of this because he has 2 300+ yard games in a row with a higher completion%. Theres certain stuff that falls on him but dropped passes do not.

I'm glad your one of the few that feel like this though because this is our QB for the future.

I think he's exaggerating a little, but the points he made were absolutely true. He's ignoring the DVOA improvement for some reason, which i think makes a strong case that there's been improvement. (what we have to remember is just how bad he was last season when saying that).

[Vicious89x]

wow dude.. didn't realize you we're updating that regularly.. i just spent 40 minutes reading quite a few of your articles while fondling my balls. Nice job

Nerd.