New Quarterback, Same Laughable Jets

Chargers romp to 27-17 win over Jets

We now know the identity of the best quarterback on the Jets. 

Unfortunately, it isn't any of the players listed as a quarterback on the team's roster. Jeremy Kerley completed two passes (one wiped out by penalty) while taking snaps in a gimmicky formation, leaving him with a record that the three nominal Jets quarterbacks can envy while they absorb a 27-17 loss to the Chargers. 

Greg McElroy got the start and bettered Mark Sanchez in only one noticable way. In the first half, guard Brandon Moore got pushed directly back into McElroy on a pass attempt and provided a flashback to the Sanchez buttfumble when his rear end collided with the quarterback. 

McElroy didn't fumble, though, and Jets nation breathed a sigh of relief that they would not be the first team with two buttfumbles in one season. Other than that, though, there wasn't much to like.

McElroy was sacked 11 times, some of which were offensive line errors and some of which were moments when McElroy failed to pull the trigger on time. Given how weak his arm looked on an interception by Chargers safety Corey Lynch in the third quarter, McElroy had good reason not to feel confident about letting the ball fly.

Seriously, though, the Jets offense is a trainwreck above and beyond their miserable group of quarterbacks. Sunday also wound up proving that the defense isn't all that good either. 

The Jets were able to jump out to a 14-7 lead thanks to a 42-yard pass by Kerley and a pass interference on a pass to Braylon Edwards in the end zone that set up a pair of Shonn Greene one-yard touchdown runs. The Chargers offense had no life in the first two quarters, finishing with just 75 yards, and it looked like the Jets might back their way into another win. 

Philip Rivers hit a couple of long passes to Danario Alexander and Antonio Gates for touchdowns in the third quarter, though, and the defense seemed to tire under the weight of being put in bad positions by the offense. Even with that caveat, the Jets defense is average this season and average isn't enough to matter when you have an offense like this. 

It was hardly an impressive overall performance by San Diego, but it was enough to make the Chargers the better of the two offenses on Sunday afternoon.That's about as faint as praise gets, but that's all anyone involved in this meaningless matchup of terrible football teams deserves.

The Jets' problems go far beyond Sanchez, something that no one can deny after watching them guarantee themselves a losing season on Sunday afternoon.  

Josh Alper is also a writer for Pro Football Talk. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us