Finish, finish, finish.

That is the mentality of every NFL offense once they reach the red zone. “Finish” means a touchdown, of course, not settling for a field goal.

The New York Jets’ offense has been a fascinating study this season. They move the ball well on their own side of the field, but they consistently leave meat on the bone in the red zone, turning TDs to field goals (or nothing).

For the Jets to turn their season around, the red zone woes must flip.

Jets’ red-zone numbers

Through seven weeks, the Jets have had 20 trips to the red zone and scored just nine touchdowns. Their 45.0% touchdown rate is second-worst in the league, ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals (42.9%).

The Jets are leaving a lot of points on the table; there is a huge difference between settling for three points and finishing with a touchdown. Even just turning three of their red-zone field goals into touchdowns would have added another 12 points (with made extra points). For a 2-5 team that has lost four of its games by a combined 20 points, those three failed red-zone trips can be all it takes to make a massive difference in the standings.

Just look at the past few weeks. In the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s loss against the Miami Dolphins, the Jets failed on three straight first-and-goal attempts after reaching the one-yard line, settling for a field goal in a game they eventually lost by three. There is absolutely no excuse for that.

In Week 6 against the New England Patriots, the Jets went 0-for-3 in the red zone in a game decided by seven points, yet another example of red-zone failures representing the difference between winning and losing.

It obviously raises the bigger question: “Why is this happening?” It’s difficult to separate play-calling from execution, but offensive coordinator Frank Reich deserves some criticism for this.

Reich should be credited for Geno Smith’s bounce-back year and the Jets’ strong ball movement before reaching the red zone. Finishing drives, though, is crucial. The top teams in the league consistently finish drives; that’s a key separator.

Trends like this prove exactly why the Jets are a 2-5 football team. A few touchdowns instead of field goals in red-zone situations, and New York has a much better record than 2-5.

The Jets have enough talent to be more consistent on trips inside the 20-yard line. With the emergences of Braelon Allen and Omar Cooper Jr., plus Mason Taylor’s contested-catch ability, the Jets aren’t limited in what they can do.

And that’s exactly why the play caller is to blame for a fair portion of this.

The Jets have proven their capabilities to move the ball effectively, but all of a sudden, things seem to collapse in the red zone. Moving forward, Gang Green needs to make adjustments to come away with red zone touchdowns at a higher clip.