The Jets have a long list of problems, but the one that keeps blowing up drives is hard to ignore: the pocket around Geno Smith keeps collapsing at the worst possible time. New York is 2-5, and while Aaron Glenn’s game management, Garrett Wilson’s quiet stretch, and a defense that won’t get off the field all deserve a share of the blame, the offense has been the clearest case of wasted opportunities.
Smith has been sacked 21 times, third-most in the league. Even when he escapes the sack, the heat in his face has been enough to ruin series before they get going, turning touchdown chances into field goals and field goal chances into punts.
The line has had its own problems beyond the quarterback. Dylan Parham’s absence has mattered, especially with Jordan Meredith unable to match the early expectations attached to Parham. Josh Myers has also been part of the issue, and the Jets appear to know exactly what they have there: a center who is, at best, borderline starting caliber.
But the biggest disappointment inside that group has been Joe Tippmann. New York handed the fourth-year guard a major extension in June with the idea that he would become a foundation piece up front.
In the run game, that vision has shown up, particularly in recent weeks as he’s helped clear the way for Braelon Allen. In pass protection, though, the bottom has fallen out.
Tippmann opened the season in solid shape. Through the first four games, he gave up just three pressures and did not allow a sack, earning a 68.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. That’s not elite territory, but it was more than enough to work with.
The last three weeks have been a sharp reversal. Maliek Collins took advantage of a Cleveland Browns interior that was dealing with injuries and got to Tippman for 1.5 sacks in Week 5.
Since then, the struggles have continued. Over that three-game stretch, Tippmann has allowed three sacks and six pressures, and his Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade has crashed to 48.0.
Smith hasn’t helped matters by not doing well against pressure coming from the middle, and he has also held the ball too long at times. Still, the Jets are paying Tippmann to raise the level of the middle of the line, not sink it. Right now, that’s exactly what’s happening.
If Tippmann doesn’t straighten this out, the Jets’ offense is going to keep hitting the same wall: promising movement, then a stalled drive when it matters most.
In Other News...
Mike Tomlin Just Put The Jets Biggest Late-Game Problem On Blast
The Jets loss to the Dolphins only added to a familiar frustration in a 2-5 start, but the bigger concern may be how quickly games have tilted against them before halftime even arrives. Under Robert Glenn, New York has repeatedly struggled in the final stretch of the first half, an issue that has become hard to ignore as the losses pile up and the margin for error shrinks.
Mike Tomlin brought that weakness into the national spotlight during NBCs Sunday Night Football coverage, underscoring just how glaring it has become for a team trying to stay afloat. For the Jets, it is not just about one bad night in Miami. It is about a pattern that keeps showing up in the same part of the game, and it now has outside voices calling attention to how costly it could be if it keeps happening. [Read more 🡒]
Jets O Line Problems Have Put One Starter Under Serious Pressure
The Jets offensive line has been one of the seasons biggest headaches, and the issues have shown up everywhere from pass protection to the run game. With the unit struggling to keep the pocket clean and create any kind of consistent push, one starter in particular has drawn extra scrutiny as the problems continue to pile up.
Josh Myers has become the focal point of that criticism, with his play at center coming under the microscope for penalties, pressures allowed and shaky blocking in the trenches. The evaluation is blunt enough that it raises a real question about whether the Jets need to make a change there, even if the decision has not been made yet. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Offense Faces One Frustrating Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Jets offense has spent much of the season trying to function through injury after injury, and the result has been a unit that never quite found a rhythm. Breece Hall has been among the players forced out of the lineup, while Geno Smith and Garrett Wilson have each shown enough to suggest there is some workable production in place when everyone is available.
What makes the situation so frustrating is that the roster still feels like it is waiting for the offense to become whole again, and there is no clear timetable for when that might happen. The hope in Florham Park is that the return of key pieces will eventually steady things, but for now the Jets are left measuring how much longer they can keep patching together the same problems week after week. [Read more 🡒]