Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions. Thomas Jones, the star back of the NFL's best rushing offense, averaged 2.7 yards a carry. Jones and perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca committed unnecessary roughness penalties at costly times. They missed three field goals for three different reasons.
The New York Jets offense choked away a phenomenal opportunity to surge ahead of five teams in the AFC playoff race. Instead, they're on the threshold of irrelevancy after Sunday's numbing home loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
"We're embarrassing on offense," Jets receiver Braylon Edwards said. "Forget the stats and 'This is where we are rushing the football.' We're not making plays when it counts, and we are continuously in a situation that is embarrassing, irritating, frustrating coming in on Monday, knowing that we could have won yesterday then we would be ahead and almost certain, if we won the rest of our games, to get in [the playoffs].
"Now here we are again, if we win out, we have to have this scenario happen [to make it]. It's irritating."
And this is a guy who played for the Cleveland Browns.
The Jets have the NFL's best scoring defense, best total defense (by nearly a 30-yard margin) and best pass defense.
They also rank first in rushing offense, but 18th in scoring offense and 21st in total offense. Despite their dynamic defense, they are minus-4 in turnover ratio.
"We have to ask ourselves, 'Do we really want to get in the playoffs on offense?' " Edwards said. "The defense is doing everything they can. They are playing lights out for us.
"We have to ask ourselves on offense, 'Do we really want to go to the playoffs? Is this something that everybody on this team wants? Every position, every coach, is this something that we really want?' Because right now it doesn't look that way."