The Jaguars would score 3 touchdowns and a field goal on their first four possessions and the Jets’ sputtering offense simply could not keep up. It is clear that Mark Sanchez’ inconsistency is holding the team back but then again we knew this would happen.

Teams tend to go as their quarterback goes and right now Sanchez is not playing well. Just as he is unable to seize all of his opportunities, the Jets are a team that leaves a ton of plays on the field and cannot step up when they need it most.

The Jets are a sloppy, undisciplined team and they continue to wilt when the game is on the line. The defense did not allow a first down in the entire second half yet could not get it done on the Jaguars' final drive.

Clinging to a one point lead with five minutes left and Jacksonville starting at its own 17, the  defense choked. The back breaker was a 33-yard pass to Marcedes Lewis.

Kerry Rhodes was beat in coverage on a devastating play. The completion set the Jags up at the Jets’ 14 with less than two minutes left - the game was essentially over.

With Braylon Edwards unable to come down with a two-point conversion on the prior drive, Jacksonville held all the cards. Rex Ryan let his defense concede a touchdown to preserve time on the clock but the “Bowling Ball” would have the last laugh.

In a shrewd move, Jones-Drew pulled up at the one-yard line, which allowed the clock to keep running. Jones had been told by the coaching staff to take a knee if he gets close.

Now, that is good coaching and game management! I hope Rex Ryan was taking notes.

The Jets do just enough to lose games and that, unfortunately, has become the team’s trademark under Rex Ryan.

The Jaguars are a one-dimensional offense. If you stop Jones-Drew, you stop the Jaguars’ offense but despite this predictability, the Jets were unable to get him to the ground in the first half and that would be their undoing.

The Jets’ defenders were frequently in position to make plays yet consistently swung and missed with arm tackles. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this was yet another poorly played game that served as an indictment of their head coach.

Rex Ryan is not getting this team prepared to play. For someone who was supposed to be a defensive genius, it is confounding to me that he was unable to generate a better effort from his squad despite having an extra week to prepare.

His defense was supposed to be the hallmark of this team, shutting teams down in tight contests and taking pressure off his rookie quarterback but with five minutes left and the game on the line, his defense could not come up with a stop.

There were modest expectations for this team before the season, due in large part to the inexperience of its head coach and quarterback and we are now seeing why as their growing pains have been on full display each week.

Against the Jets’ offense, Jacksonville stacked the line and Thomas Jones had few running lanes. Despite being the best rushing attack in the league, the Jets were unable to run the ball with much consistency, particularly on first down.

They averaged 2.7 yards per carry on first down runs and Brian Schottenheimer never figured out a counter to the Jaguars overloaded front. It did not help that Jones reverted to an old habit either.

When defenses stack the line and afford him little running room, Jones gets locked into the path of the play and starts missing cut back lanes. There were a few to exploit yesterday but he never saw them.

The Jets did not throw the ball well on first down either. Sanchez was 3-9 for 25 yards and threw two picks. As a result, Jacksonville did not respect the pass and continued to crowd the line.

The offensive line did a good job giving Sanchez time to throw but his receivers were not getting open. Edwards in particular was quiet early. He had no catches nor any balls thrown his way in the first half.

Edwards made a huge 16-yard catch on a third and 9 on the Jets’ final drive, skying to snare a high throw. However, Edwards will be remembered more for his drop on the two-point conversion than the big play that preceded it. In fact, his sequence of making a big play followed by a disappointing one is a microcosm of this Jets team.

They rise up to make occasional plays but cannot sustain it.  I’m sure
Edwards was hurting after hitting the ground hard but if he is going to be out there he has to make plays when they are there to be made. That is what #1 receivers do.

Dropping an easy catch in the end zone is unforgivable and showed a lack of toughness on his part. When players talk about “knowing how to win” this is the type of play they are referring to.

Winning players shake off adversity and make plays in crunch time yet it is painfully obvious that Ryan is not instilling this mindset in his players. If he was, the Jets would be 5-4 right now and still in the hunt.

Instead they are a lost team searching for answers.

Ryan’s fate is intertwined with his quarterback’s and the rookie took another one on the chin yesterday, literally. Sanchez took a shot from safety Reggie Nelson in the first quarter. He hung in there and delivered a 32-yard completion to Cotchery but the hit was another lesson in Sanchez’ education.

He will have to hang in the pocket and make throws in order to be successful. He also cannot let those shots affect him yet he looked tentative from that point on. He misfired to open receivers and struggled with his reads.

Sanchez had two interceptions on the day but could have easily thrown three more. He was forcing the ball again, particularly when flushed out of the pocket and now has 11 turnovers in his last six games.

The Jets are losers of five of their last six and have lost three consecutive games at home. So much for the valuable home field advantage Ryan has pleaded for all season. At least the fans have been doing their part.

At 4-5, the Jets must win five of their next seven to have any chance at a wildcard. Any hope of a division title is a pipe dream at this point, despite New England’s loss.

New England will shake off its tough loss to Indy and will be licking its chops to get another shot at the Jets, this time on their home field. The Patriots rarely make mistakes and will feast on the Jets if they put forth the same type of shoddy effort that has characterized their season.

What was once a promising 3-0 start has now evaporated into a weekly gut-wrenching display that Jets fans are all too familiar with. The coach and players have changed but the performance is eerily similar to Jets teams of the past.

This team plays well enough to be in games, just not to win them. They commit mental mistakes, turnovers and penalties with the kind of regularity that is surprising for a professional club.

And their tendency to crumble when the game is on the line is both alarming, considering the supposed character they have in the locker room, and revealing. Whatever recipe is needed to win on a consistent basis is clearly lacking on this team.

Although they are a tight unit and play hard for their coach, they do not play disciplined and have not learned how to turn up the intensity when they need it most.

There must be some soul searching from the people at the top because this team should be winning. Ryan will undoubtedly be given time to figure it out but so far he has delivered the same product on the field that has gotten many men fired before him.