Twitter Reacts to New York Jets' 19-3 Loss to Baltimore Ravens

The New York Jets certainly aren't the most talented team in the NFL. Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was more than enough proof of that.

But they are one of the more talked-about franchises, and their latest underwhelming performance only provided more fodder for their critics. Check out Twitter's reaction to the Jets' Week 12 loss for some analysis of the game and some insight going into next week.

Geno Smith continued to struggle, and he's now put together a string of poor performances.

His play reminded fans of a certain former starting quarterback who was also once highly scrutinized.

Jets center Nick Mangold summed up the offense's struggles concisely.

On air, commentator Dan Dierdorf questioned whether it was time for the Jets to pull Smith in favor of backup Matt Simms, verbalizing the opinions of many a Jet fan.

Then again, some people pointed a finger at the play-calling by the Jets coaching staff.

And, in addressing the bigger picture regarding the Jets' long-term needs, some fans expressed doubt in Smith's abilities.

Even their franchise's most famous player demonstrated his frustration.

But before wondering about 2014 and beyond, the Jets should keep focus on this season and the playoffs, since they are still in the hunt.

However, by losing another head-to-head matchup with a conference opponent, they are unlikely to win a tiebreaker.

Geno is not the Jets' only concern. Their pass defense once again proved to be a weakness.

It appears recent pickup Ed Reed has not addressed their needs in the secondary.

To make matters worse, starting cornerback Antonio Cromartie limped off the field in the fourth quarter.

Not to mention a few other starters were banged up by the time the final whistle blew.

The loss puts even more emphasis on next week's huge showdown with the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.

While some are exclusively targeting Smith for the Jets' poor play of late, the blame lies only somewhat on his shoulders.

Yes, Smith has made some poor decisions and some poor throws. In this game in particular, Smith did several things wrong. It appeared that he had multiple opportunities to tuck the ball in and run for a decent gain after rolling out but opted to pass instead, with unfavorable results.

He also is telegraphing his passes. On several slow-motion replays, Smith could be seen locking eyes on his targets for a couple of seconds before delivering the pass, allowing defenders to jump the routes. On his second interception, he was so fixated on receiver Greg Salas that other members of the Ravens secondary abandoned their assignments and flocked to the area Smith was eyeballing. 

Then again, Smith has been victimized by poor protection and conservative play-calling. Short gains on the ground and penalties on early downs often forced Smith and his offense into difficult 3rd-and-long scenarios.

On the occasion when he did drop back, he usually had barely enough time to make a read before Baltimore attackers were in his face. It got to the point where it seemed like Smith was anticipating heavy pressure and altering his decisions in advance.

The Jets should stick with Smith because Matt Simms' upside can't possibly be that significant of an upgrade, and they need to show trust with Smith moving forward. Geno wasn't meant to be a one-season experiment, so they shouldn't ditch their plan with five games to go.

So the Jets need to lick their wounds and focus on this upcoming week against the Dolphins. They will be back at home, where they are 4-1 so far this year. Despite consecutive losses, the Jets are still in the thick of the playoff race due to some mediocre competition, and a win against the Dolphins will keep them in contention.

The Dolphins defense does not stop the run particularly well, and their pass defense is middling. If the Jets can strike a better balance between the two on offense and put Geno in some more manageable situations, they may find the right formula to get back to their winning ways. 

The solution on defense is simpler. The Jets run defense engulfed Ray Rice and the Ravens Sunday and won't face a star back against Miami. Their pass rush got to the quarterback effectively, leaving their only major concern on defense the deep ball.

New Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace has not lived up to his expectations as a deep threat, but he broke out for a long touchdown against the Panthers Sunday and almost caught another late in the game. The Jets will need to tinker with their personnel in preparation, since Ed Reed clearly isn't the player he once was, and try to instill better coverage routes in their secondary.

But if they can limit Miami's vertical offense, and force a turnover or two, the team could be back on the postseason path.