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Actions Speak Louder Than Words For Geno And The Jets

By Tyson Rauch

The New York Jets (1-3) are dealing with the aftermath of a three game losing streak as the media vultures are circling. Every mistake is being over analyzed while every decision is scrutinized.The Jets, led by head coach Rex Ryan, are doing their best to rationalize their miscues, but at this point most of the words spoken are falling on deaf ears and are just being utilized for flashy headlines. It is time for Rex and his Jets to stop talking about changes and to start making adjustments on the football field.

Back to basics

On offense most of the blame is being put on quarterback Geno Smith and his turnovers. What seems to be getting ignored is the dropped passes, blown blocking assignments, and questionable play calling. The struggles on offense are a cumulative effort from Gang Green and start with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and then trickles down to the players on the field. 

Marty Mornhinweg has to modify his game plan to take advantage of what the defense is giving while maximizing the potential of his players. Mornhinweg must ride the hot hand and continue to call plays until the defense figures out ways to stop them. There is absolutely no reason to abandon the running game when it is consistently racking up chunks of yards.

The offensive line must eliminate stupid mistakes which includes false start penalties and missed blocks. If a player is repeatedly getting beaten by his opponent then he should be replaced. After 4 games there is plenty of film to identify struggling linemen and there should be a reserve player on the roster ready to fill in.

The receivers and tight ends have to do a better job of securing the football and finding ways to shed coverage. If a player cannot get consistently open, then change the play calling to get that pass catcher in space. To waste the talents of a player like Jeremy Kerley is inexcusable.

Last, but not least, the performance at the quarterback position must improve. Geno Smith has to make better decisions with the football and cannot afford turnovers in the red zone. Geno must take what the defense gives him and utilize his running ability when protection breaks down. If Smith continues to struggle and the offense remains stagnant, then the Jets have no other option than to bench him.

Enough with the excuses on defense

The New York defense likes to consider themselves one of the best units in the NFL, yet they continue to melt in the big moment. The Jets defense must improve their performance in the red zone and has to eliminate the mental mistakes in pass protection. Rex Ryan can be aggressive with his blitz packages but they must be tempered if the secondary is continuously getting torched with the short passing game.

Team effort

It is a great to talk about fighting back and team resiliency, but at 1-3 it is time to show what you have on the field. No more excuses and no more long winded explanations. The Jets have to get back to their ground and pound ways and impose their will on the opponent. Failure to do so will leave the Jets on the outside looking in come December.

For more Jets news and updates, visit Jets Central.

Tyson Rauch is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

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