Weekly Jets Blog: Week 4

Mark Sanchez and the Jets were finally hit by the cruel fate of reality. Gang Green learned that going 4-0 is harder that it seems. The previously unbeaten Jets couldn’t handle the Saints high-powered offense and shockingly dominant defense, and were defeated 24-10 by the New Orleans Saints. After 3 solid performances in the first 3 games, Sanchez finally struggled and made some rookie mistakes. He was picked off twice by all time defensive great Darren Sharper, and once by Randall Gay. Sanchez was also stripped in the end zone which led to a Saints touchdown. The Saints scored 14 points off of Jets’ turnovers, all of which involved Sanchez. But everyone knew this saint would come to down to earth eventually. Despite losing the game, Sanchez once again showed poise and presence under pressure. Hopefully he’s gotten all of his rookie jitters and kinks out and can go back to being a very good QB. The Jets defense gave up only 10 points to the most prolific QB, Drew Brees, and most prolific offense in the NFL. David Harris led the Jets defense with 12 tackles while Kerri Rhodes had 8 tackles. Sharper added 8 tackles to his two picks and Jonathan Vilma, a former Pro-Bowl linebacker with the Jets, recorded 6 tackles. The Saints constantly put pressure on Sanchez and Pierre Thomas was nearly unstoppable in the 2nd half, rushing for over 80 yards. Brees constantly picked through the Jets’ defense to make great throws and plays. One bright spot for the Jets was the play of rookie running back Shonn Greene. After not seeing any playing time previously in the regular season, Greene got 9 yards on his first carry. He would later run for a first down and would finish with 23 yards on 4 carries. Mixing Greene into the rushing scheme could be a key factor to the Jets’ success in the future. The Jets are now tied for first place with the Patriots at 3-1 at the top of the AFC East. If Gang Green can take 3 out of the 4 games they play before their bye week, against abysmal teams like Buffalo, Oakland, and Miami twice, then they can seriously be considered a top contender in AFC. Behind key rookies like Sanchez and Greene, impactful newcomers like Bart Scott and coach Rex Ryan, and veteran leaders like Alan Faneca and Shaun Ellis, the Jets finally have what it takes to not only make it to the playoffs, but also have a legitimate playoff run. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!!!