On a day when the defense played well enough to win and the run game finally did what’s expected of it this season, rookie QB Mark Sanchez threw the game away for the Jets.
Despite 318 yards on the ground, New York was unable to handle the Bills at home, as they fell 16–13 in overtime on Sunday.
The loss for the Jets falls on the shoulders of Sanchez who tossed five interceptions.
“You turn the ball over six times you’re not going to win many games. We had a shot we just missed the opportunity. Obviously it’s unfortunate,” Ryan said in the post-game press conference.
The sixth turnover came in overtime on an interception thrown by holder Steve Weatherford. Weatherford, the punter, was unable to handle the snap for the 50-yard field goal and wound up throwing the ball up for grabs.
But it was Sanchez’s five INTs that cost New York the game, and the rookie took all the blame.
“Embarrassing day,” Sanchez said of his performance. “Really too bad because we did a heck of a job on offense in the running game, our defense played lights out again, and I just gave that team the win.”
Despite the poor performance, Ryan stood behind his quarterback.
“Obviously you’re not going to win to many games if you throw five picks. I thought about pulling him but I still believed in him that he’d bounce back,” Ryan said. “He still gives us the best chance to win and will remain our quarterback.”
Although he’s still the starter, Sanchez is well aware that he’s cost his team games.
“Of the six games, [we have] three losses and two of them I felt like you could blame No. 6 on offense and that’s not a good feeling,” Sanchez said. “So I got to turn this thing around and there’s no excuse to play like that.”
The numbers show Sanchez has faltered the last three games.
During the 3–0 start, Sanchez threw four touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 59 percent of his passes. The past three games (all losses), Sanchez has thrown one touchdown and eight interceptions and completed only 45 percent of his throws.
The rookie hit rock bottom on Sunday as he completed 10 of 29 passes for 119 yards and no touchdowns to counter his five picks.
Sanchez appeared to have trouble throwing through the Meadowlands swirling winds—a problem he must solve, as the winds and cold will only become more of a factor as the season moves forward.
Jones Run Wild
If Sanchez was able to take care of the football like he did through the first three weeks, this game would have been an easy win. One of the top rushing attacks from last season came out of its slump.
Running back Thomas Jones ran for a career best and franchise record 210 yards on 22 carries. Running back Leon Washington contributed with 99 yards on 15 carries.
But the accomplishment meant nothing to Jones due to the loss.
“I don’t really care if I’m back on track. That has nothing to do with the way we feel right now. We lost,” Jones said.
The Jets not only lost the game. They also lost defensive tackle Kris Jenkins for the season.
Jenkins went down late in the second quarter with a knee injury. Monday the mammoth nose tackle went on injured reserve with an ACL tear.
New York will now have to move forward without one of the most important pieces of their defense.
That makes the task for Sanchez and the rest of the team to turn this season back around that much more daunting.
The Jets face a resurgent Raiders team next Sunday in Oakland.
Matt Sugam also writes for The Daily Targum at Rutgers University.
