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In Part Two of Dan’s review of Mark Sanchez’s performance in Miami, we dive deep into a bizarre second quarter, including False Start Expo and a pick by a defensive lineman.
Let’s pick things up early in the second quarter.
On a second-and-10, on the first play of the second quarter, Sanchez threw deep to Santonio Holmes down the deep right side. He was covered well by CB Vontae Davis. He wasn’t open. As is often the case, he felt it was pass interference, but there was no flag. This play was another example of the Jets inept deep passing game.
On third-and-10, Jason Taylor got by D’Brickashaw Ferguson, flushing Sanchez out of the pocket, and he rolled right and ran out of bounds. If you avoid the rush like that, and it’s third-and-10, why not attempt some kind of throw down field. After all, the Jets were around mid-field at the time. If it’s picked, it’s just like a punt.
On the Jets next possession, in the middle of the second quarter, they drove 69-yard on 12 plays, and ended up with a 31-yard field goal.
This was a bizarre drive that featured four false starts – two by Ferguson, one by Wayne Hunter and one by Matt Mulligan. We are going to look into this problem in the near future. This can’t be all on the blockers – there has to be something else going on here. We thing we’ve noticed – the Jets take so long to get the play off, taking the 30-second clock almost to the end very often, that the lineman are in the down position for a very long time. This can’t be helpful.
The biggest chunk play on this possession was when Sanchez hit Jeremy Kerley down the deep right side for a gain of 30. Kerley and Sanchez took advantage of an old cornerback on this play, Will Allen. The rest of this possession was a combination of runs and dump passes. This field goal made the score, 10-3.
The Jets next possession, around the two-minute warning, wasn’t pretty. It was as three-and-out featuring a run by Greene that lost one, and two incompletions (to LaDainian Tomlinson and Plaxico Burress).
We should cut Sanchez some slack on the Burress incompletion. Once again, this awful field reared it’s ugly head. Sanchez was attempting a back shoulder throw to Burress down the left sideline. As he attempted to turn to the sideline to catch the ball, he fell. Think about it – three first half drives ended when receivers slipped making cuts to the ball. By the way, on the Jets first punt return of the second half, Kerley attempted to cut, and fell ending the return. It’s ridiculous to have a field this bad in sunny South Florida.
The Jets got the ball back quickly thanks to a Brodney Pool interception. But on the Jet second play of this late second quarter possession, Sanchez attempted a pass over the short middle to LT , and DT Randy Starks intercepted the pass. The Jets passing game has become so predictable that even defensive linemen are jumping routes. The Dolphins turned this into a field goal, and went into the half down just 10-6.
We will have Part III of Sanchez on Tuesday by 10 am
