What Rex Can Learn from the Pats (ugh, the Pats)

Ahhhhhhh!

Before I begin my NFL Playoff predictions, I have to take a look at the state of my New York Jets. Jets fans were assured that this 2010 team were not the "Same ol' Jets," but the last four weeks seem to have proven otherwise. The Patriots look absolutely unbeatable, and the Jets look far from promising and offer little hope of fulfilling all of the championship chatter. Sanchez has improved after a mid-season slump, but he's still a second year QB, far from the elite class of NFL quarterbacks. The run game was better against the Bears but is still far from the dominant force we saw last year. Still, anyone who follows the Jets knows that the real disappointment this year has been the defense. Rex promised an aggressive, hard-nosed, smash mouth, in-your-face style of D.  But week after week we are watching as QBs have all day to throw, unspectacular receivers get wide-open, and there are missed tackles galore. If Rex and the Jets want to be a force for years to come, major personnel adjustments will have to be made in the offseason. And Foxboro may not be a bad place to start looking for an example.

1.) Safety help

The Jets have been absolutely killed down the middle of the field in the passing game all season long. Some of this has to do with the season-ending injury to Jim Leonard, but he wasn't good in coverage to begin with. The Jets have not had good safety play from new addition Brodney Pool either. As much as Jet fans were sick of Kerry Rhodes, it's hard not to appreciate what he did for the team now, especially with the success he's had in Arizona this year. Yes, he missed his fair share of tackles last year, but he was an effective center fielder for the best pass defense in football and there is something to be said for that (Also, his twitter is fantastic. Follow him @kerryrhodes). The Patriots' pass defense is far from perfect, but the Jets would be well served to find their beast at the safety position like the Brandon Merriweather. Merriweather, along with rookie Devin McCourty, have shown that even if you give up a ton of yards in the air, you can compensate by making big plays. The Jets secondary has all of 8 INTs this season, as opposed to the 15 the unit produced last year. Teams have learned to stay away from "Revis Island" so the Jets will need to acquire another big-time playmaker.

2.) Youth in the Front Seven

The Jets were supposed to be tough as nails up front, but have proven to be soft down the stretch. Sione Pouha is great, but the overall effectiveness of this group is lacking. The pass rush has been non-existent all year, but now the run defense has begun to falter as well. After giving up 99 yards on 17 carries to Rashard Mendenhall, the Jets allowed the Bears' Matt Forte to run for 113 yards on only 19 carries. High-priced line backers Calvin Pace and Bart Scott have been far from effective this year and a majority of the defensive line isn't too far from belonging in a retirement home somewhere. The Patriots, meanwhile, have only gotten younger up front and they are slowly starting to see the benefits of doing so, allowing 40 points in their last 4 games. The Jets #1 priority has to be acquiring a legitimate pass rusher to take some heat off the secondary. Improving the defensive line would also allow the Jets to apply pressure without ridiculous amounts of blitzing.

3.) Efficiency in the Passing Game

Tom Brady is out of control. And with his long, flowing locks, New Englanders are referring to him as "Jesus in Cleats." But he still sucks. Honestly, watching the Patriots offense is like watching DeSean Jackson showboat; It's a thing of beauty. To compare Mark Sanchez and Brady in the same breath is a felony (unless you're commenting how much better Brady is), but the Jets can learn something from the Pats' incredibly efficient short-to-medium passing game. Sanchez has upped his game this year, but he can still improve his decision making, accuracy and consistency. If he can get the ball to his playmakers more often, he will quickly put himself among the league's best signal callers.

Wow. I can't believe I just wrote something complimentary of the Patriots. I hate them more than I hate Sarah Palin and I HATE Sarah Palin. But if their success eventually leads to a Jets Super Bowl then so be it.

I see you Fireman Ed...