Imo Jet fans for the most part in recent years have taken for granted having a better than average OL year in year out. There have been some obvious down years, but on average they have been better than average. I agree that the pass protection last year suffered from Woody's departure and Hunter's presence. But Hunter still ranks as a starting tackle, given that there are 64 openings in the league and he ranks somewhere around 50. Mangold is All Pro, as was Ferguson even if this past year not deservedly so, and Moore was an alternate, even if a bit slower. I think Slauson is somewhere around okay to mediocre, but the line as a whole is above average as a whole. The stats say there is a clear discrepancy between the stat for hits and the stat for sacks, the latter being much higher relative to the league. The obvious variable there is that you have sacks where the Qb holds onto the ball too long, compared to hits that do not lead to a sack. That is on Sanchez. I don't see how else you can look at it.
I think the problem goes deeper than just Sanchez holding the ball too long. It's not just about how often he gets hit or sacked, it's about how often the play breaks down because of pressure. Sanchez deserves criticism in this respect, because too many times last year he panicked, instead of standing tall in the pocket and keeping his eyes down-field. But I still think you might be giving the O line too much of a pass. You think the line is above-average, and while I disagree, I can understand your reasoning. But what if you only judge them through the prism of pass-protection? Hunter is obviously terrible, and Mangold is obviously elite, but how do you see the other three guys? I think Ferguson is a pretty good overall player, but when the team is relying on the passing game, he gets beat too often. Slauson is average and Moore is solid. But I think when you put it all together, as a pass-protecting unit, they're below average.
