Time to Pump Brakes on New York Jets Playoff Hype

By now you've all heard the numbers.

Since 1990 (beginning of 12-team NFL playoff format), 63.1 percent of 2-0 teams make the playoffs and 11.7 percent of 0-2 teams make the playoffs. As a result, there's always a rush to crown 2-0 teams as playoff contenders and to dub 0-2 teams as lousy pretenders to the throne.

Surely, some of those predictions will pan out, but after they suffered a 24-17 defeat to the previously winless Philadelphia Eagles, it's time to pump the brakes on the playoff hype train for the New York Jets.

Murphy's Law certainly applied to the Jets on Sunday. Anything that could go wrong, went wrong. 

The Jets were beaten by land and air; they would have been beaten by sea, too, if such a thing were possible in football. They were also beaten on special teams when Eagles running back Darren Sproles returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown.

Quarterback Sam Bradford completed just 14 of his 28 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, but the Eagles scored on three of their first six possessions (in addition to Sproles' touchdown return). 

The Jets' vaunted defensive line yielded 108 rushing yards on 25 carries to running back Ryan Mathews and an Eagles offense that averaged 35 rushing yards per game and 2.1 yards per carry through the first two games of the season. 

And to think, the defensive problems weren't even the Jets' biggest concerns.

The Jets offense didn't do their defense any favors by starting off the game with six straight punts and a fumble on their first seven possessions. Oh, sure, the Jets made a push at the end of the game with 10 points in the fourth quarter, but that was only after their first three possessions of the second half ended in a punt, an interception and another punt.

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 35 of his 58 passes for 283 yards, two touchdowns and three costly interceptions. In doing so, he proved that while he's completely capable of efficient, game-manager-type performances, he can just as easily cost his team the game.

Of course, it doesn't help when the running game has no legs. Running back Chris Ivory was active, but did not make his presence felt and did not have a single carry in the game. The Jets' other two backs, Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy, combined for 12 carries and 34 yards. 

And of course, there was the play.

You know "the play," scored as follows in the game book:

"(4:52) (Shotgun) R.Fitzpatrick pass short right to B.Marshall to NYJ 43 for 15 yards (M.Jenkins, B.Maxwell). FUMBLES (M.Jenkins), RECOVERED by PHI-J.Hicks at NYJ 47. J.Hicks to NYJ 36 for 11 yards (Q.Enunwa)."

If Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins has any incentives in his contract for forced fumbles, he should just sign that money over to Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall inexplicably tried to lateral the ball to tight end Jeff Cumberland, but the move (predictably) turned out to be ill-advised. 

Perhaps those early playoff prognostications were too heavily weighted on the strength of the Jets' dominant performances against the hapless Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. The Eagles are probably not as bad as they seemed, and the Jets definitely aren't as good as they seemed.

If the Jets are going to find their swing again, they'll have to find it across the pond, as they travel to London to face the Miami Dolphins in a Week 4 tilt that will surely have both teams desperate for a win.