After the disappointing season the New York Jets have gone through, the team still had a chance to make the playoffs despite a 6-7 record heading into Monday night's game against the Tennessee Titans.
The Jets needed help from other teams, but would have a chance at a playoff spot by winning five games against some of the worst teams in the NFL. It got started off with an ugly 7-6 win over Arizona two weeks ago that saw quarterback Mark Sanchez get benched in favor of third-string quarterback Greg McElroy. Then last week the team defeated Jacksonville, the worst team in the league, by just a touchdown.
With playoff hopes on the line, the Jets disappointed yet again, falling 14-10 to the Titans on Monday Night Football in their last nationally televised game of the year. It couldn't have ended any worse for the Jets either.
"Obviously, it's a devastating loss, out of the playoffs, and it hurts beyond belief," Jets coach Rex Ryan said to the Associated Press. "I think the thing that really hurts the most is we've got no one to blame but ourselves."
Down four points with less than a minute left on the clock, Tennessee was forced to punt the ball back to the Jets. Brett Kern got off an awful kick, giving the ball to New York on the Tennessee 25 after just a 19-yard punt. On the first play of the drive, Sanchez fumbled the ball from a low shotgun snap, which was recovered by the Titans after running back Bilal Powell kicked it.
"I saw him bobbling the snap," Titans rookie linebacker Zach Brown said. "Then it just came out, and I just fell on it. I was thinking sack because it was play-action. I was thinking I'm going to get me a sack, but he fumbled the snap."
Sanchez had another horrible game for the Jets, throwing for 131 yards and touchdown with five turnovers, including four interceptions. This season Sanchez has 17 interceptions and 12 fumbles and according to ESPN Stats & Information, has the most turnovers over the past two seasons with 50 combined.
Following the game Ryan did not talk about who would start next week's game against the San Diego Chargers.
"I just regret not winning this game," Ryan said. "I think that's the big thing."
Tim Tebow played the biggest part of the offense he has in recent weeks after dealing with a rib injury, going 0-for-1 in the passing game and rushing three times for 15 yards. Tebow played a full series for the Jets for the first time, but it went nowhere and resulted in a sack, a penalty and incompletion and a punt. When asked about next week's game, Sanchez didn't speculate.
"I've just got to prepare as the starter and see what happens," Sanchez said.
Sanchez and the Jets' offense has been a huge disappointment this season. The quarterback was supposed to show growth and maturity in his fourth season, but has only thrown for 2,678 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing just 55 percent of his passes. He tied a career-high with five turnovers on Monday and
"It's disappointing, very disappointing," Sanchez said. "It doesn't feel good to hurt your team like that. It's not a winning formula."
During the past three games Sanchez has thrown for seven interceptions and just one touchdown and completed less than 47 percent of his passes twice. The constant rotation of Tebow and Sanchez in and out of the game surely didn't help the quarterback. But his play has been just awful.
The team signed Sanchez to an extension through next season and owes him $8.25 million guaranteed money, so it is likely they will keep him, but will he be the starter?
Following the game, even owner Woody Johnson was non-committal.
"I'll talk to you guys after the season," said Johnson to ESPNNewYork.com, who usually doesn't talk to us guys unless he shows up to fire somebody.
It hasn't been all Sanchez's fault. The team lost leading receiver Santonio Holmes to a season-ending foot injury earlier this year and lack playmakers on offense.
Tebow hasn't been the answer at all for the Jets and has been a complete disaster since they acquired him in the offseason. He has gained 102 rushing yards on 32 attempts and is 6-for-8 with 39 yards passing in 11 games played. He has yet to score a touchdown this season. He has also contributed on special teams and punt protection.
Prior to the season, head coach Rex Ryan and coordinator Tony Sparano devised secret game-plans for Tebow, but nothing has worked or the team has been unwilling to try them out. The Wildcat has been a complete failure and the team is ranked 30th in passing offense with just 181 yards per game and is only scoring 18.2 points per game, the fifth-worst in the league.
Tebow had success last season with the Broncos after being drafted as a rookie in 2010. He was a first round draft pick and made his first start in 2010 before bringing the Broncos to the playoffs last season. He started the year as the backup to Kyle Orton, but quickly took over the job and won numerous games in wild fashion, including in week six against the Miami Dolphins.
He led Denver from a 15-0 deficit in the last three minutes to win the game 18-15 in overtime to become the first team in NFL history to win a game after being down by at least 15 points with three minutes to play in a game.
After leading the team to the playoffs, he threw the game-winning touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime for an 80-yard score to seal his first career playoff win. Since coming to the Jets he has made barely any impression except in media coverage.
The Jets started the season with a great offensive output against Buffalo, winning 48-28 after Sanchez threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns. But that performance was short-lived and its clear now that the Buffalo defense is nothing special after they have up 50 points to the Seahawks last Sunday.
New York lost three of the next four game before defeating Indianapolis 35-9, but then dropped the next three games, including a 28-7 defeat on the road against Seattle. The team won 27-13 against the St. Louis Rams before playing the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving.
The Patriots game might as well be a microcosm of the Jets' season.
The team lost 49-19 on national television in embarrassing fashion, including when quarterback Mark Sanchez and running back Shonn Greene miscommunicated on a play, leaving Sanchez to scramble with the ball. He rushed directly into one of his offensive lineman's backside and fumbled the ball, allowing the Patriots to recover and score a touchdown.
The Patriots scored 35 points in the second quarter, including a three touchdown spurt in a 52 second span and four in six minutes, which include the butt-fumble recovery, an 83-yard pass and another fumble recovery for a touchdown that came on the ensuing kickoff.
The elimination from the playoffs on Monday brings the Jets to a place where they can officially start looking towards next season. Coach Rex Ryan will almost definitely be back, but how short will his leash be if next season is as disappointing as this one?
The biggest questions for the Jets will be at quarterback. Based on money, both Sanchez and Tebow should be back. New York will have to decide if Sanchez is still the answer and what to do with the most famous backup quarterback in football history.
The Jets host the San Diego Chargers next week in a game that has two teams with no hope for the playoffs and a long offseason to look forward to.