New York Jets Offense Leaving Team No Margin for Error in Playoff Hunt

Forget the fact that the New York Jets invested $71 million in their defense this offseason. 

It's pretty easy to forget when the Jets offense is completely negating all of their hard work.

Make no mistake; the defense deserves its share of blame for the Jets' 24-17 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11. That being said, it can't be overstated how badly the offense set the defense up for failure.

The Jets offense has gone three-and-out 35 times this season, which is among the five-most in the NFL. On Sunday against the Texans, they went three-and-out five times. Any defense will struggle when they have to get right back on the field that quickly after getting a stop. The Jets' high-priced defense is no exception.

What started off as a ground-and-pound offense earlier this season has been pounded into the ground. The Jets rushed 21 times for 70 yards (3.3 yards per attempt), which marks the fourth time in the past five games that the Jets have rushed for fewer than 100 yards. In fact, they've totaled fewer than 100 rushing yards in all five of their losses this season. 

2015	Wins	Losses
Total	5	5
Comp	93	95
Att	147	175
Comp %	63.3	54.3
Yards	1166	1033
YPA	7.9	5.9
TD	9	7
INT	4	7
Rate	96.9	65.6

In the first half, the Jets offense moved the ball just 57 yards in 21 plays. 

Through all that, the Jets didn't face a deficit of larger than seven points until the fourth quarter; after all that, the Jets still had two chances to drive down the field and tie the game in the fourth quarter, but two interceptions by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick left the Jets empty-handed. 

Do you sense a trend?

Of course you do. This has become their calling card in losses.

"I'm still committed to Ryan," head coach Todd Bowles said, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. "I just don't think he played very well, just like a lot of other people on both sides of the ball."

But it would be unfair to peg the offense's struggles all on one man. That being said, Fitzpatrick would probably like to have these past two games back—especially considering the opponents he faced.

The Jets are getting a game manager in their wins (Fitzmagic) and are getting an inaccurate turnover machine in their losses (Fitztragic). One of his best weapons—wide receiver Brandon Marshall—was clearly frustrated after being held to five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

"We just gotta make plays," Marshall said of the slow starts on offense, according to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini. Marshall paused for 12 seconds before adding, "Getting on the same page and making plays." 

Marshall himself isn't even free of blame, having dropped two passes on the day. 

Of course, another of Fitzpatrick's best weapons earlier in the season was an efficient running game. The Jets haven't had that kind of production over the past five games, though, which has left them watching a 4-1 start slip through their fingers in a 1-4 skid. 

In the first five games of the season, the Jets ran the ball 163 times for 730 yards (4.5 yards per attempt, 146 yards per game), but those numbers have dipped to 123 attempts for 390 yards (3.2 yards per carry, 78 yards per game) in the past five games. 

With that kind of production, it's no wonder the Jets have five losses. Their defense is good, but it's not good enough to overcome those kind of obstacles. It would have to be the 1985 Chicago Bears defense to overcome this offense at its worst. Bowles went on to say, per Costello: 

"

I don't think we're underachieving. I don't think we're executing. It's not about under- or overachieving, it's about doing your job and understanding what you have to do. The past couple of weeks, we haven't done it whether it was one person here or there, one assignment here or there, whatever the case may be. It's not getting done. That falls on me and I'll correct that.

"

The Jets will have to correct a lot to get their season back on track, but at 5-5, they're not out of the hunt. That being said, their margin for error is about as small as it gets—one loss and they are just about out of the race.