Monday’s residence loss to the Buffalo Payments carried all of the earmarks of the 2024 New York Jets at the same time as a brand new boss presided over it.
On paper, a training change and shift in offensive play-calling appeared prefer it may jolt a crew teetering on the brink but nonetheless just one sport out of the AFC East lead.
Then the Jets took the sphere at MetLife Stadium. Though shiny spots emerged, acquainted inconsistency and penalties slogged intently behind in a 23-20 defeat that signaled the epitaph to the Jets’ season, in ESPN analyst Troy Aikman’s view.
“I may see this completely unraveling,” Aikman mentioned.
Followers of the J-E-T-S want these remarks on “SportsCenter” following “Monday Night time Soccer” have been delivered in J-E-S-T.
Afraid not.
Losing what quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to as a “golden alternative” in its first sport beneath interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, New York completed 1-for-4 within the pink zone with a pair of missed subject objectives of 32 and 43 yards.
Referees penalized the Jets (2-4) 11 occasions for 111 yards.
“Some video games you win within the NFL and a few video games you give away,” Rodgers mentioned. “This was a giveaway… We had loads of possibilities, had the momentum, had good drives, moved the ball up and down the sphere. So disappointing.”
Buffalo (4-2) stopped a two-game slide whereas sending the Jets to their third straight loss. Taron Johnson’s diving interception of a deep Rodgers move supposed for Mike Williams sealed the outcome within the ultimate two minutes.
Whether or not the victory additionally put a stamp on the Payments’ fifth successive division title is probably going too quickly to inform, however Buffalo stays the one crew within the AFC East with a successful report.
Rodgers, who recovered from a poor efficiency in a slim loss to Minnesota in London final week, wasn’t unsuitable after going 23-of-35 by the air for 2 touchdowns and a season-best 294 yards.
This was a missed alternative rife with what-ifs within the short- and long-term.
New playcaller Todd Downing devised an attack that revived running back Breece Hall and gained 393 whole yards. Proprietor Woody Johnson, who fired coach Robert Saleh on Oct. 8, referred to as this the very best Jets roster in 1 / 4 century.
However the pomp merely led the Jets to an undesirable circumstance. Once more.
“To lose the sport the way in which they did with the penalties and the missed subject objectives and never capitalizing within the pink zone, all these issues—I simply assume it’s going to be actually arduous on them,” Aikman mentioned.
“They didn’t get it finished and they also’re proper again the place they have been,” he added. “Now what’s the reply for them? They don’t have any.”
It could appear to be a feeble one, however the Jets did supply a response when Ulbrich addressed the media after Monday’s sport.
That it interprets to a mixture of “keep the course” and “be higher” certainly will frustrate Jets devoted all of the extra, however in some respects, that sentiment holds water. Even with the obvious tumult resulting in the Saleh firing, New York has misplaced three straight by a mixed 10 factors.
“We’re under no circumstances out of this factor. Certainly not,” Ulbrich said. “I do know the character of that locker room. I understand how we’ll reply. We now have to begin stacking these weeks of outstanding preparation I promise you it’ll begin to repay on Sundays.”
There’s ample time to enhance earlier than the Jets get a highway rematch with the Payments in Week 17.
Will they’ve moved previous their rehearsed chorus by then?
