New York Jets' Red-Zone Woes Ruin Rex Ryan's Home Finale

Some endings were simply not meant to be of the fairy-tale sort. 

In what was likely his final home game at MetLife Stadium as coach of the New York Jets, Rex Ryan fell one drive short of pulling off one more upset win over the rival New England Patriots.

The man who opened the stadium as the Jets' coach had his team playing as well as anyone could expect from a 3-11 team, holding Tom Brady to a mere 17 points. Still, the Jets were unable to overcome their recurring issues in the offensive red zone, allowing Brady and the Patriots to escape with a win even after being largely outplayed for most of the afternoon. 

Statistically speaking, Geno Smith had one of his better outings, throwing for 226 yards and one touchdown. He did throw an ugly interception in his own half of the field, but the Jets lost this game more because of what they did in scoring position than anything else. 

Going 0-of-3 in the red zone would make any game difficult to win, but not cashing in when in scoring position all but guarantees a loss against the Patriots machine. 

In vintage Rex Ryan fashion, the Jets defense did its part in muffling the Patriots' versatile attack for most of the game. Rob Gronkowski was kept in check for the most part, totaling just 31 yards (and a score). Sacked four times, Brady was uncomfortable all afternoon against Ryan's near-flawless defensive game plan. 

However, even after outrushing and outpassing the Patriots, miscues in the red zone were simply too great to overcome. 

As it has been all season, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's bizarre play-calling in this critical area of the field hampered his offense more than it confused any of the opposing defenders. On one 3rd-and-long situation inside the 20, the Jets elected to run the ball as if they were surrendering and taking the field goal.

Throw in a missed field goal from an injured Nick Folk, and the Jets wound up with, frankly, far fewer points than they deserved. 

Atrocious red-zone offense has become a theme of the 2014 season for Mornhinweg's offense. According to TeamRankings.com, only the Buffalo Bills have a worse red-zone touchdown percentage than the Jets, who have converted on just 41.03 percent of their trips. These pitiful numbers are one of many reasons why the Jets will almost certainly undergo sweeping changes across their coaching staff this offseason.

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Between the 20s, Smith and the offense were moving the ball about as well as they have in any game this season. Tight end Jeff Cumberland had a strong day, catching a long touchdown pass to total 43 yards on the day. Even John "The Terminator" Conner got on the stat sheet, ripping off a 26-yard reception—but even the Jets' lone touchdown was scored from the edge of the red zone. 

When the field is condensed closer to the end zone, the room for error is minimized—which is where the Jets' lack of top-end talent is highlighted. Yards can be manufactured in the middle of the field—see Conner's reception as an example—but there is nowhere to hide weaknesses in the red zone.

For Ryan, the Jets' red-zone efficiency is all but semantics at this point. No result Sunday would have changed his fate as a future ex-coach of the Jets. He and the rest of his team are playing to spare pride and resumes.

Despite the loss, the sheer fact that the Jets were this competitive in a lost three-win season is a testament to Ryan as a coach. As bad as the Jets have been this year, AFC East opponents will be relieved once New York makes the inevitable move of firing him after the season. 

Ryan's Jets may not have saved his job this season, but they may have earned him another gig down the road by simply playing as hard as they have for him in these final weeks. Ryan and the Jets sure would have loved to cap off this disastrous season with a win over their biggest rival, but they can at least sleep at night knowing there was nothing they left on the table.