New York Jets: Why They Won't Win the Super Bowl Next Year Either

The New York Jets are a tough team.  They are built to play hard-nosed defense that can put their offense in a good position to win.

The problem lies with their progression as a team.

With the way the Jets were built, they want to win now. Age starts to come into play and people start to get older and move on with their careers and lives.

This postseason showed a lot of potential for the team but it also showed some glaring flaws in the team’s game.

The following slideshow highlights the five reasons why next year still won’t be the year for the Jets to win a championship.

Sorry Jets fans, enjoy!

David Harris and Jason Taylor

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Joseph Addai #29 of the Indianapolis Colts is tackled by Jason Taylor #99, Trevor Pryce #93 and David Harris #52 of the New York Jets during their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 8, 2011 in I

The Jets run defense cost them in the AFC Championship game and they were beaten pretty badly by Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Now as the offseason approaches, the Jets management is forced to face some hard truths.

Linebacker David Harris will be an unrestricted free agent that could draw some serious interest on the free agent market.

The Jets are strong at linebacker but Harris would be a big loss if they weren’t able to retain him. 

Harris led the team with 99 tackles and added three sacks and a forced fumble.

Another potential loss that the team may not be able to avoid is that of defensive end/outside linebacker Jason Taylor.

Taylor has talked about retirement in the past but quotes after Sunday’s AFC Championship loss to the Steelers point to assumptions of his career being over.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but I know one thing," Taylor said. "This team as you see it tonight will never be together again regardless of whether Jason Taylor is back or anybody else is back. It will not be the same football team. That's sad in its own right."

*Of course the CBA could screw everything up but we’ll go with the assumption that it gets worked out.

Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Braylon Edwards #17 and Santonio Holmes #10 of the New York Jets celebrate on their way to defeating the New England Patriots 28 to 21 victory over the New England Patriots during their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game at Gillet

The New York Jets offense was good this year but one of the biggest surprises was the play of wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards.

Holmes and Edwards, along with tight end Dustin Keller, helped young quarterback Mark Sanchez play at a higher level.

The problem now is that both Edwards and Holmes are unrestricted free agents at the end of this season.

If the Jets choose to lock up linebacker David Harris as they should, they will be forced to sign only one or neither of the receivers.

The Jets didn’t use Holmes as much they should have in the AFC Championship against the Steelers.

“We’ve got to put together the plays that we’ve been running against these guys, what’s been working for us,” Holmes said.  “We kind of got away from our game plan in the game, and it forced us to go do what we have to do to survive.”

From the sounds of that quote, Braylon Edwards looks like the frontrunner to return to the Jets.

*Of course the CBA could screw everything up but we’ll go with the assumption that it gets worked out.

LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene

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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 02: LaDainian Tomlinson #21 and Shonn Greene #23 of the New York Jets sit on the bench during a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 2, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo

After 30 minutes of football in the AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New York Jets had one rushing yard.

The Jets were one of the best rushing teams in the regular season, ranking fourth with 148 yards per game.

With 14 touchdowns and 118 first downs, the Jets run game was the heart and soul of their offense.

In the AFC Championship game, the Steelers ripped that heart and soul apart.  It was a mix of offensive line play, the lack of a pass game and subpar games from both Shonn Greene and Tomlinson that led to the weak effort in the first half.

The Jets running game picked up in the second half, gaining a respectable 69 yards but it was all in vain.

Shonn Greene will be back next year but more questions surround the ageing LaDainian Tomlinson.

Following Sunday's loss to the Steelers, Tomlinson said he hopes he will be back for the final year of his contract.

"I'm under contract and I plan on honoring it," Tomlinson said. "We'll see what happens."

*Of course the CBA could screw everything up but we’ll go with the assumption that it gets worked out.

Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie

It wasn’t the Jets secondary that lost the AFC Championship, that’s for sure.

Ben Roethlisberger was held to just 10 completions and had two interceptions with no passing touchdowns.

Big Ben is tough to stop but the Jets secondary did a good job slowing him down and forcing the Steelers to beat them on the ground, which they did.

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie did a good job taking Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace out of the game after Darrelle Revis was almost beat on a deep pass that was thrown short.

Speaking of Revis, he did a decent job covering Hines Ward but has looked a step slower the whole season after his hamstring injury.

This may have been the last game you will ever see the cornerback duo of Cromartie-Revis play together.  Cromartie will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

A player of Cromartie’s talent will be highly touted and the Jets my not have the space to re-sign all of the free agents they have.

Jason Taylor may be right about this never being the same Jets team again.

*Of course the CBA could screw everything up but we’ll go with the assumption that it gets worked out.

Mark Sanchez

Nick Laham/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Mark Sanchez #6 of the New York Jets reacts during their 2011 AFC Championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

The big problem for the Jets is still quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Between his regular season play and his inability to make a difference in a game, Sanchez needs to improve greatly if he wants a future with the New York Jets.

Whether Rex Ryan agrees or not, the writing may be on the wall.

With nine touchdowns and three interceptions, his postseason record has been solid.  It’s the regular season that should scare the Jets’ front office.

During the regular season Sanchez’s stats were terrible: 27th in QB rating (75.3 percent), 29th in completion percentage (54.8 percent) and 26th in yards per completion (6.5).

"There's nothing to smile about right now," Sanchez said. "We wanted to be the one out there with the Lamar Hunt Trophy and we just weren't—two years in a row."

Sanchez may be adopting the role of team leader, but he needs to lead by example more than anything.  He is lucky to be playing behind a great offensive line and is one of the least sacked players in the league.

If Sanchez can transform into a solid starter, that may be enough to get by as long as the run game holds up.