Wayne Hunter Was Just One of Many Problems with the New York Jets' Offense

Benching Wayne Hunter was a step in the right direction for the New York Jets, but that offense will need an entire overhaul if they plan on scoring any serious points in 2012.

Rex Ryan's Thursday press conference signaled the "end of an era" for many Jets fans and even for the national media. No longer could Hunter be the punchline that many had grown so accustomed to using. Yet, he also ceased being an easy excuse for the other mediocre members of the Jets' offense.

Mark Sanchez looking like a rookie after years in the league? That must be Hunter's fault every single time. 

Shonn Greene running like an old lineman in molasses? Hunter probably didn't block the hole well enough.

Santonio Holmes running routes as if he has better places to be? Well, somehow that's still going to get blamed on Hunter.

This isn't the "Wayne Hunter Apology Tour." Hunter stinks and was one of the worst linemen and the worst starters in the entire league in 2011. The thing is, however, he's not the only weak link on the Jets offense.

Sanchez is not a franchise quarterback no matter how many votes of confidence he gets from coaching and management. Last year was a career year for Sanchez and he placed only 23rd among all QBs in passer rating and 27th in yards per attempt.

Some quarterbacks who were better than Sanchez in either category: Rex Grossman, Tarvaris Jackson, Kevin Kolb, Matt Moore.

That is the company Sanchez keeps as a passer. Those are all quarterbacks who can win games, start for a team in a pinch, and even put a few highlights on the season-end reel. None of those quarterbacks are guys who can put a team on their back, make the people around him better and lead them to the playoffs.

But Sanchez has been to the mountaintop, fans say. Just look at his playoff wins!

Nonsense. Teams win games and teams get to the playoffs. Sanchez—like Grossman with the Bears or Trent Dilfer with the Ravens—has been carried along by a top defense. The Jets have been "led" to the playoffs by Ryan's fearsome defense; Sanchez (like the rest of the offense) was along for the ride.

For years, blame was placed on offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer (now with the Rams). So, after parting ways with "Schotty," the Jets hired Tony Sparano who had been head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

That's like deciding to move because your neighborhood is too dangerous and then buying the house next door.

In his time with the Dolphins, the team never finished in the top 10 offenses and only had one year (2008, his first) in the top 15. Chad Henne (or, "Mark Sanchez South") never developed under Sparano's guidance even though he had plenty of physical tools. Sparano also had two dynamic offensive weapons in Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush and didn't get much out of them either.

So, why do the Jets expect a guy who hasn't helped run a competent offense since the University of New Haven to miraculously improve an offense that doesn't even have all of the tools Sparano had at his last stop?

Benching Wayne Hunter doesn't find a new quarterback to run the offense (or, for that matter, teach Tim Tebow to throw a spiral) and it doesn't hire a new offensive coordinator.

If Hunter's replacement, Austin Howard, plays better than Hunter, it will be an improvement at one position on an offense that needs improvement at every position besides center (Nick Mangold) and right guard (Brandon Moore). That assumes, foolishly, that Howard won't play just as poorly as Hunter, which is a very real possibility.

Benching Hunter will not be the panacea that Jets fans hope. The offense will continue to stink and the cracks in the defense are starting to show. Ryan can make his guarantees and Tebow can say his prayers, but the Jets are in serious trouble if they go into 2012 hoping to outscore even the lowliest of teams.

Hunter was a problem, but the Jets haven't begun to fix the bigger problems around their offense. It is systematically and fundamentally flawed and if Ryan and Mike Tannenbaum don't see that, they could be looking for new jobs sooner rather than later. 

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Michael Schottey is the NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff alongside other great writers at "The Go Route."