Jets Remain Consistently Inconsistent and Fall to the Steelers

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Jets prepared for Pittsburgh last week and did not see a team with an 0-4 record. They saw Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu and the revered defensive coordinator, Dick LeBeau. They saw desperation, and they saw urgency. They saw a proud franchise seeking equilibrium.

'There will be no letdown,' Coach Rex Ryan said.

And Ryan was, indeed, correct. The Jets' 19-6 loss to the Steelers on Sunday was not a letdown. It was a defeat that falls in line with a pattern the Jets established in Week 1. Through six weeks, they have alternated wins and losses, flashing enough promise to excite their fan base before quashing those expectations with a harsh return to reality.

One week Geno Smith can dazzle on national television, leading the Jets to an emotional victory in Atlanta. The next he tosses two interceptions, both on ill-advised throws, both in the red zone, and he is back to being a rookie quarterback again.

Smith is not unlike the neophyte golfer who knocks his 3-iron five feet from the cup and then misses his putt. He will have his share of poor games, and Sunday's ugliness - 18 for 33 for 192 yards and those two interceptions - will not be the final installment.

The Jets trailed, 9-6, at halftime. Their seven second-half possessions looked like this: punt, interception, punt, punt, punt, interception, downs. In every section of MetLife Stadium, Terrible Towels waved. As the Steelers ran out the clock, chants of 'Here we go, Steelers' rang out.

Ryan took umbrage last week with the insinuation that the Jets' three victories, against teams that entered Sunday a combined 3-11, were in some way diluted. Their next opponent is A.F.C. East leader New England.

The turning points Sunday occurred four minutes apart. They were unmistakable.

On their first drive after halftime, leading by 9-6, the Steelers faced third-and-1 at their 45. Emmanuel Sanders shook Antonio Cromartie, playing three days after hyperextending his right knee in practice, with a juke and zipped downfield to await the pass from Roethlisberger. It reached him in stride, at the Jets' 20, and Sanders somersaulted into the end zone.

The Jets responded with a solid sustained drive before Smith made his first poor decision since the debacle two weeks ago in Tennessee. From the Pittsburgh 23, Smith threw toward the goal line, toward Konrad Reuland, into triple coverage. Ryan Clark caught it instead, for the Steelers' first takeaway of the season.

The Steelers discovered for themselves two unassailable truths about the Jets' defense. It is stingy against the run, and it is vulnerable against the pass. So even though the Jets shoved Roethlisberger into several difficult down-and-distance situations by suppressing the running game - 12 yards on 9 first-half attempts - he repeatedly extricated the Steelers with completions on third-and-long. His finished 23 for 30 for 264 yards and a touchdown. His accuracy rescued Pittsburgh on its final three first-half drives, all of which ended in Shaun Suisham field goals.

What propelled the Jets in Atlanta was their offensive efficiency, scoring on all three of their first-half possessions. The Jets could not exploit seams in the middle of the field Sunday because those seams did not exist. They seemed to adopt a conservative approach against LeBeau's defense, favoring screens and short passes to downfield throws.

And when an opportunity presented itself, Smith overthrew Stephen Hill, who had split coverage to break free after about 40 yards. Smith's first completion to a wide receiver came with 19 seconds remaining before the half. Of his 12 first-half pass attempts, 5 came on the final drive, a desperate 43-second march that produced a 38-yard field goal by Nick Folk that sliced the Steelers' lead to 9-6.

The Jets lost several players to injury, including Mike Goodson (leg), Kyle Wilson (head), Clyde Gates (shoulder).

Lokasi:

Share :