The Rotten Apple

For all the bravado and all the coverage, the New York Jets have made a funny little habit of not living up to their self-imposed expectations.

This year, head coach Rex Ryan graciously refused to predict a Super Bowl win, sparing us the misery of ESPN talking heads analyzing the legitimacy of his claims. However, the confidence still permeated from Jets camp, and expectations were at an all time high following the acquisition of Tim Tebow.

But much like last years 8-8 letdown, the Jets are off to a poor start. Losers of three straight and five of their last six, New York stands at 3-6, helplessly fading from the AFC's playoff picture.

Just a short time ago, the boisterous Rex Ryan took the NFL by storm, leading a ferocious defense which backed up his confident predictions. Now? Ryan continues to say what he's said for the last four years. But the cliche states a picture says a thousand words. Looking at Ryan, the picture paints a man lost, defeated, and losing control of the situation.

Mark Sanchez

With the murmur of cries for Rex Ryan's job growing every day, Ryan may have very well committed career-suicide by staking himself to starting quarterback Mark Sanchez.

The Jets are currently ranked 27th in the league in passing offense. After a bye, the Jets spent two weeks preparing for a strong Seattle defense. The outcome? 7 measly points in a game that was never as close as the score would insinuate.

Is it time for the Jets to move on from Mark Sanchez?

Sanchez is in his fourth year and was drafted to be the franchise quarterback. By year four, the idea is that Sanchez should have made progressions, maturing as a decision maker and shouldering more of the load in the offensive attack.

Instead, Sanchez continues to make first-year mistakes as a fourth-year veteran. He's yet to complete more than 56% of his passes in a year, and has thrown exactly 60 interceptions in roughly 3 1/2 years.

As of now, Sanchez ranks dead last in completion percentage at 52%. He ranks 25th in passing yards, 22nd in touchdowns, and has thrown the 10th most interceptions this year with 9. Last year? Sanchez was 5th highest in INT's with 18, ranked 28th in completion percentage, and ranked 23rd in passer rating.

Jets fans, he's going the wrong way.

If New York is serious about contending for a championship in the coming years, changes will have to be made at quarterback. You cannot seriously contend for a title with a bottom-tier QB. While Rex Ryan and Woody Johnson may believe they can replicate Ryan's Trent Dilfer-led Ravens, it won't happen in today's NFL. Mark Sanchez is best described as a below-average starting quarterback, yet he now can't rely on a top 5 defense to carry him.

Rex Ryan

We touched on Ryan earlier, but questions remain. With rumors that Ryan has lost the locker room and the production regressing every season, it's fair to ask how much longer Ryan has in New York. A defensive wizard, Ryan's defense is 30th in the league at stopping the run. They've allowed 58 points in the last two weeks to rookie quarterbacks, and no longer strike fear into the hearts of opposing offenses.

I personally believe Ryan is an exceptional defensive coordinator. But in his time in New York, he's never cultivated a successful offense or hired the correct coaches to do so. His strengths are now turning to weaknesses, and his shtick runs dry when wins aren't produced.

Mike Tannenbaum 

"Mr. T", as fans affectionately refer to Tannenbaum as, has somehow slipped under national radar. While all of the blame has been placed on Ryan and Sanchez, Tannenbaum has hidden in the shadows.

While the Jets will continue to fail because they've put their eggs into the Mark Sanchez basket, the talent has severely regressed within the last three seasons. Ryan is now asked to direct an NFL leading defense without stalwarts like Kris Jenkins. Talent continues to age without suitable replacements, and the Jets have horrendous depth.

The same could be said offensively. To Sanchez's credit, he isn't exactly working with a Pro Bowl cast. The Jets could use upgrades across the board, as their running back Shonn Greene can't break tackles, their receivers are downright pitiful behind Santonio Holmes, and their one playmaker Dustin Keller fails to remain healthy.

Whereas other teams have talent to replace injuries, the Jets use injuries as an excuse to validate yet another disappointing season. Look at Tannenbaum for reasons why there is little depth behind star players.

Simply put, the way the Jets are built is not successful. The organization will need major overhaul. Now where that starts remains to be seen. If it was me? I'd give this regime one more chance, starting with a new quarterback and a new offensive coordinator. Mark Sanchez is what he is, and the waiting game must end. If the Jets want to compete before serious talent overhauls are needed on both sides of the ball, they will need to find a franchise quarterback either through the draft or via free agency.

While there is still time to salvage the season, don't plan on it. These are not your 2009 Jets, and this is not your 2009 Rex Ryan. The Jets may still bark, but they don't bite.