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Lichtenstein: Best Option Left For Jets — Tank The Season

By Steve Lichtenstein
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"Tanking" was the word du jour for much of the 2013-14 NBA season.

Despite the word's inherent ugliness, that doesn't seem like such a bad idea right now if you're a fan of the New York Jets.

For whatever slim hope any of us had that Gang Green would make something of their 46th season since they reached football's main event went down the tubes on Sunday with a third straight defeat to a beatable NFC North team.

CBS 2 EXCLUSIVE: GENO CURSES AT FAN

This time it was the Lions' turn to escape MetLife Stadium unscathed, taking a 24-17 victory that really was never in doubt after halftime. Every time the Jets inched a little too close for comfort, the Lions exposed New York's weaknesses on both sides of the ball.

Even though the Lions barely utilized star wide receiver Calvin Johnson outside of decoy patterns, they drove the ball down the field against the Jets' overmatched secondary at will to reverse any momentum the Jets thought they accrued. And after the Jets punted with 3:41 remaining in the game, the Lions ran out the clock on the supposedly vaunted Rex Ryan defense.

On offense, Jets quarterback Geno Smith augmented his turnover count with two more in the fourth quarter. There were missed opportunities galore all game, starting on the opening drive when the Jets settled for a field goal after running the ball down Detroit's throat into the red zone and ending with a drop by running back Chris Ivory that forced the Jets to give the ball back to the Lions.

So the Jets are now 1-3, with a Murderer's Row of San Diego, Denver and New England due up next. A record of 1-6 seems highly probable—even if one of those teams fails to show up, the Jets would still be looking up at most of the rest of the AFC at 2-5.

Does anyone really think this roster can go 7-2 down the stretch to achieve anything meaningful for this season?

I don't even think general manager John Idzik believes in this team. That's why he left about $21 million in 2014 salary cap room on the table, with holes all over the field left unplugged.

Starting at quarterback.

I still can't figure out why they even brought Michael Vick here. Vick should have been the guy who forced Smith to either make the sophomore leap or step aside.

The time for Vick's insertion has now come and gone. You can stop with the "We Want Vick" chants. If Ryan didn't even go to him on Sunday, when the Jets put up a paltry 30 net passing yards in the first half, then he must have been under strict orders from above.

Which is fine with me going forward considering where the Jets are in today's standings.

PALLADINO: SUCK IT UP AND START VICK

For what's the point in playing out the season with Vick when you already know he is not the franchise's long-term solution at the most important position on the field? Who cares if all of a sudden Vick becomes the player who Ryan thinks gives the Jets "the best chance to win" in week 11?

As a matter of fact, I'm all for the Jets going all in down this tanking route. To me, there is no benefit to finishing 7-9 over 4-12. If the Jets are bad enough, they can have their pick at the best available quarterback coming out of college.

Actually, there are few positions on the field where the Jets can say they are all set for the future. The aforementioned defensive backfield is a mess, Eric Decker is their only wide receiver who poses any real threat downfield, and left guard Brian Winters is good for a few whiffs a game.

Since Idzik's playbook doesn't allow him to commit to long-term money in early free agency periods, he'll have to find players in the draft. The sooner the Jets logo appears on the NFL board next April, the better.

So play all the young guys. Anyone who gets a bruised pinky should be put on IR. Go for every fourth down.

I know—it's not going to happen. Ryan may have his faults, but no one can claim that he doesn't get his players to go all out in every game for him. He's being paid (maybe for the last time, maybe not) to win as many games as he can.

Plus there's always a danger that Idzik,--whose small-sample drafting has been a mixed bag so far—will misfire on the more prime selections he earned through his shortchanging of this season's roster.

My biggest complaint about the whole Idzik Plan is that it was so unnecessary. You can rebuild and compete in the same season. There was no excuse for Idzik to underfund the team by over 15 percent of the cap. Owner Woody Johnson may be appreciative of the savings, but he got what he paid for.

You don't throw away seasons in the NFL before they start, not when teams surprise every year. Anyone have Houston sitting atop the AFC South at the quarter pole with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback?

I refuse to believe that Vick, who was never given a fair shake in training camp, was inferior to Smith. Even if you argue that Smith needed an opportunity to prove whether or not he was the Jets' long-term answer at QB—well, that research should have been concluded at the latest after last week's loss to Chicago. You were not paying Vick $5 million to be a Wildcat gimmick.

Now it's too late. Not that I believe that Vick could jolt the Jets back into the race over these next three weeks, but even if he made them somewhat respectable in the home stretch, what would that do? The Jets would still be in the same position of needing a young quarterback—only they'd have fewer options to get one.

So I say to Ryan: Give me more Geno. Let Decker rest his ailing hamstring for a few weeks. No need to rush cornerback Dee Milliner back into the lineup—I'm fine with you having linebackers and safeties chasing after receivers like Golden Tate.

Based on how Idzik constructed this team, I would think he would even approve.

For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Jets and the NHL, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1.

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