As Gang Green Turns: Ryan Has Wife's Foot in Mouth and Sanchez May Not Play on Sunday

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Ryan Has Wife's Foot in Mouth and Sanchez May Not Play on Sunday on Blogcritics.

The media here in New York - and I imagine in Chicago as well (where the Jets will play this Sunday) - is having a field day with the reports about the video of Ryan's wife that surfaced. It is reported that Ryan supplies the male voice on the tape, and they are talking about her feet and other weird things. Ryan will not comment on it. He says, "It's a personal matter." For once the foot in Ryan's mouth is not his own.

This story eclipses the story about Mark Sanchez, who is injured with a shoulder tear and may not play this Sunday. Mark Brunell (who has thrown just one pass in a game this season) will be his replacement. Against the Bears. Bang the drum slowly, please.

In the continuing soap opera As Gang Green Turns, it just doesn't get any better - or worse - than this. What are green-blooded Jets fans thinking about this? Well most are saying Sanchez should play to secure a playoff spot. Some are more cautious and say if he is lost for the playoffs because he plays on Sunday, then what is the point?

Of course the questions about Ryan and his wife's feet persist. Is she in that video? Were the Ryans making tapes for a "swingers" web site? The list goes on and on. In response Ryan says, "I have a beautiful wife." It is a personal matter after all, right?

So we head into Sunday with more questions than answers. Hey, Jets fans, maybe you can ask Santa for a victory over the Bears on Sunday, but I think you would do better to turn to the big guy upstairs, because it looks like they don't have a prayer.

As Gang Green Turns: The Misery Continues in Jets 10-6 Loss to Dolphins

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: The Misery Continues in Jets 10-6 Loss to Dolphins on Blogcritics.

After losing a terrible game last week on the road against the Patriots, the New York Jets (9-4) and their fans were hoping for much better things against the Miami Dolphins (7-6) at New Meadowlands Stadium. Alas, it was not to be; even though the defense showed up this week, the offense once again seemed dazed and confused as the Jets lost 10-6.

The immediate focus has to be on quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was 17 for 44 for 216 yards. He has looked like he is making it up as he goes along, and the results are not pretty. Sanchez is fumbling, getting intercepted, and stumbling his way through these last two games. In the process, the Jets' hopes to take the division are now lost, and it is questionable whether they have what it takes to even make the playoffs now.

The bright spot of the day for head coach Rex Ryan was that his defense came back, looking less like the zombies from the AMC series The Walking Dead in last week's game and more like the highly touted "best" defense in football today. The problem is no matter how well the defense clicked, the Jets offense came down to two Nick Folk field goals.

To make matters worse, while the Jets were losing this one, the Patriots (11-2) were wiping up the field with the Bears (9-4) in an 36-7 victory. Surely there is no doubt after these last two weeks that the Pats are the best team in the NFL right now.

After the loss to the Pats last week, Ryan buried the game ball in a symbolic effort to say that loss was over and the team had to move on. Today the team did nothing to prove that they, and not the game ball, are six feet under. With a road game against the Steelers (10-3) looming next week, Sanchez and the offense better get themselves together or the season will be ostensibly lost.