In an expected move, the New York Jets have decided to fire offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, who was notified of the news on Monday night.
According to sources, the move was made one day before the Jets hold a press conference on Tuesday and was made official after a meeting between Jets owner Woody Johnson and coach Rex Ryan.
The Jets were one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL this season and ranked 30th in total offense under Sparano. The team was ranked 30th in passing yards in the league and gained 118 rushing yards per game, ranked 12th in the NFL.
This is another one of many changes the Jets have made this offseason. The team let go of longtime executive and general manager Mike Tannenbaum following the season and also decided to part ways with quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh, according to a league source.
Cavanaugh previously was the quarterbacks coach for the Jets and was the position coach for Mark Sanchez since he was drafted in 2009. His contract is set to expire, making it simple for the Jets to move on.
Sources say that the Jets will bring in San Francisco 49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble to replace Tannenbaum, but ESPN is now reporting that he will also meet with the Chargers about their open general manager's position.
Other changes are also still in store for the Jets. The team is losing special teams coach Mike Westhoff to retirement and may also lose defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. According to ESPNNewYork.com, new Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone requested permission Monday to speak with Pettine about the same position, sources said. Pettine has an expiring contract like Cavanaugh.
With the dismissal of Sparano, the Jets are likely moving on from the Wildcat offense and any plans of using Tim Tebow in a greater capacity. Neither Sanchez nor Tebow was able to thrive in the offense under Sparano and the Jets scored only 17 points per game, ranked 28th in the league. The team had no choice but to dismiss Sparano after such a poor season and now marks the third time in three years the Jets will have a new offensive coordinator.
Sparano was formerly the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 20011 before coming to the Jets. Things started out well for the team and Sanchez with a 48-28 win against Buffalo that saw the quarterback throw three touchdowns, but that was the main highlight of a disappointing season.
The Jets scored 10 points or less seven times this season and suffered an embarrassing shutout at home to the San Francisco 49ers. Even in victories the Jets looked unimpressive. The team needed a fourth quarter comeback from Greg McElroy to defeat the Arizona Cardinals, the worst offensive team in football. The Jets lost the final three games of the season to Tennessee, San Diego and Buffalo, three teams that finished under .500 and out of the playoffs.
Cavanaugh was with Sanchez since he was the No. 5 draft pick, but this season the fourth-year quarterback regressed. He threw for 2,883 yards and 13 touchdowns with 18 interceptions and 14 fumbles. He has turned the ball over 50 times over the past two seasons and only completed 54 percent of his passes in 2012.
Things went from bad to worse for Sanchez towards the end of the season. First, he ran into his own lineman and fumbled against the New England Patriots in an embarrassing loss on Thanksgiving and then was benched the following week against the Arizona Cardinals in favor of Greg McElroy after tossing three first half interceptions.
Following an embarrassing loss against Tennessee that eliminated the Jets from the playoffs, head coach Rex Ryan decided to bench Sanchez in favor of McElroy. That lasted about one week until McElroy got hurt, leaving Sanchez as the main option against Buffalo for the regular season finale. He went 17-of-35 passes for 205 yards with an interception in the 28-9 loss.
All this doesn't even mention Tim Tebow, who was supposedly brought to the Jets to help Sparano, Sanchez and the Wildcat. Tebow barely factored into the offense and generated more headlines than touchdowns. He went just 6-of-8 on passes during the season for 39 yards and rushed for 102 yards while playing in 12 games.
During training camp both Ryan and Sparano kept certain packages with Tebow a secret, not practicing them or showing them off so they could take teams by surprise during the season. That didn't happen either and now Tebow's future is in doubt with the Jets.
The team will have an end of the season press conference on Tuesday after delaying it from last week. The Jets violated the NFL's media policy and now will have to deal with a litany of questions about coaches and personnel moves, as well as Rex Ryan's tattoo, which was revealed by a Daily News photographer while he was vacationing in the Bahamas.
