Well, the good thing is it's finally over, the Jets' horrible season that is. The Gang Green lost to the Buffalo Bills, 28-9, to finish the season 6-10, their first losing season under Rex Ryan. Once again QB Mark Sanchez, who started in place of injured QB Greg McElroy, struggled immensely, throwing his signature pick six and also losing a fumble.
The defense played relatively well but allowed one big play - a screen pass that went for a 66-yard touchdown. That was all that the Bills really needed to win this game, as the offense had to settle for field goals on all of their trips to the red zone. Sanchez finished 17 of 35 (below 50% again) for 205 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT and a miserable QB rating of 55.1.
The Jets gained 133 yards on the ground in the first half and pretty much dominated possession in the first two quarters. Then, in the third quarter, after a few runs that lost yardage Tony Sparano decided to pretty much abandon the run despite being down by only five points. It went downhill from there on, as the Bills' offense finally got going. Brad Smith, a former Jet, scored on a 4-yard run out of the Wildcat.
The Jets (6-10) closed their second season with three straight losses, and posted their worst record since going 4-12 in 2007. They've now gone 14-18 since playing in successive AFC title games. Mark Sanchez is no longer the "Sanchize" ,but a first round bust whose future is up in the air only because of his enormous contract that could be hard to part ways with. If not for the contract, there's little doubt that Sanchez would be outright released. Tony Sparano will reportedly be fired tomorrow, while GM Mike Tannenbaum is expected to be retained in a reduced role. Rex Ryan's future will probably be decided once Tannenbaum's replacement is hired. One thing is certain though - the upcoming offseason will be anything but boring...