FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Jets dropped their fifth recreation in a row on Sunday, this one a shocking 25-22 loss to the lowly Patriots. Listed here are some ideas and observations from the sport:
1. I assumed the Aaron Rodgers commerce was a superb one in April 2023. The Jets needed to make a transfer as a result of Zach Wilson was bust. It was of venture to herald a participant about to show 40, however it felt prefer it may work.
It has not.
Rodgers is now eight video games into his second season with the Jets and his tenure has been a complete catastrophe. Nobody can blame him for the damage in his first season however his play within the second season has not been good. There have been flashes of the outdated Rodgers, however he has principally seemed identical to an outdated Rodgers.
The Jets have been all the time taking a danger with an older quarterback. Tom Brady has made individuals neglect that, however he was an alien. Most quarterbacks fall off earlier than they hit 40 years outdated or proper after. Brady was the one one who was capable of have success at such a sophisticated age. Peyton Manning’s final season was not a superb one for him however the Broncos protection carried them to a Tremendous Bowl.
There’s a saying about quarterbacks that somebody advised me a very long time in the past and it sticks with me. Good quarterbacks cover your staff’s warts and dangerous quarterbacks expose them.
When Rodgers was at his greatest in Inexperienced Bay all these years, it didn’t matter if the protection was not terrific or if he didn’t have one of the best supporting solid round him. Rodgers was so good, he hid the warts. Rodgers is now on the opposite facet. He’s exposing the Jets’ warts. The working recreation stinks. The offensive line is struggling and we overrated the weapons and the protection.
There may be nothing the 2024 Jets can do now. They need to trip this out with Rodgers. There could come some extent the place he wants to take a seat down due to his accidents however you haven’t any one ready within the wings to take over as your quarterback of the longer term. Tyrod Taylor is 35 years outdated. Jordan Travis is on the non-football damage record and isn’t taking part in this season. Rodgers goes down with the ship.
2. The commerce deadline is in every week on Nov. 5. The Jets must have some troublesome conversations after they get via Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Texans. Is it time to start out promoting off gamers to get draft picks?
It is a actually bizarre scenario as a result of promoting off items on the deadline is often one thing reserved for rebuilding groups. The Jets are a win-now staff that may’t win.
In Joe Douglas’ early years as GM, they moved items on the deadline, most notably Leonard Williams. However that was with the concept the Jets have been a minimum of a 12 months or two away from being a contender and wanted draft picks. The Jets traded for Davante Adams two weeks in the past, an indication they have been going for it this 12 months.
Douglas doesn’t have a contract past this 12 months and with the way in which this season goes, it looks like there is no such thing as a shot he can be again in 2025. He has felt like a lame duck since Woody Johnson fired Robert Saleh earlier this month. Does Douglas care about getting draft picks for his successor? Does Johnson order him to or is he nonetheless delusional about how nice this roster is?
I may see D.J. Reed, Mike Williams, Morgan Moses and Tyler Conklin having some commerce worth and they’re all within the closing 12 months of their contracts. Would any of the groups who wished Adams a couple of weeks in the past nonetheless have an interest? It could be loopy to see a participant traded twice in a single month, however this can be a loopy season.
Buying and selling away veterans is waving the white flag. If there may be even a shred of combat left within the veteran Jets, you’ll take it from them. That’s the flip facet to buying and selling off gamers. However these Jets have proven little combat already, so it might be time to show the web page to 2025.
3. The Jets protection is fourth within the NFL in yards per recreation allowed. That reveals you the way meaningless stats will be.
This protection once more couldn’t make the large cease when the Jets wanted it to within the fourth quarter. They rolled over to Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots, a horrible offense.
I assumed the Jets protection would take a step again this 12 months, however I didn’t count on it to be this dramatic. Their stars should not taking part in properly. Sauce Gardner just isn’t having a superb season. Quinnen Williams performed properly Sunday however has not been his disruptive self for a lot of the 12 months. C.J. Mosley has been injured. Quincy Williams just isn’t taking part in in addition to he did final 12 months.
The one Jets defender exceeding expectations is Will McDonald, who has eight sacks.
The opposite puzzling facet of this protection is its incapability to power turnovers. The Jets have six takeaways this season and solely two interceptions. Each interceptions have been by backup Brandin Echols. They by no means give you an interception in these key fourth-quarter conditions.
The protection has undoubtedly taken a step again since Saleh was fired. It could be as a result of Saleh had extra to do with the protection than we thought. It could be as a result of Jeff Ulbrich is overburdened with each head teaching and defensive coordinator duties.
Ulbrich must strongly take into account giving up defensive play-calling to an assistant and see if that works. Proper now, what the Jets are doing just isn’t working.
4. Jets followers understand how that is going to go. The staff has been dangerous sufficient that you’re beginning to dream of a top-five draft decide and probably selecting a franchise quarterback. However you understand the Jets are going to win simply sufficient to price you the highest draft decide however not sufficient to make the playoffs. We’ve seen this film earlier than.
The Jets’ schedule stays extremely weak. The Texans and Payments are the one groups with profitable information remaining on the schedule. I get that the sensation on Monday morning is the Jets would wrestle to beat Bergen Catholic, however the actuality is they are going to win some video games within the closing two months. A 6-11 or 7-10 document ought to be simply sufficient to price them a shot at a quarterback and the vicious cycle goes on and on.
Revealing stat
That is from Soccer Perspective – the Jets scored 20 or extra factors, dedicated no turnovers and held the Patriots underneath 250 yards. From 1940 till Sunday, groups have been 756-0 after they hit these three metrics. The Jets snapped that streak.
Shocking snap rely
Xavier Gipson was down to 6 offensive snaps. He did rating a landing. I used to be stunned his rely was this low with Allen Lazard out of the lineup. However Mike Williams received extra work with 36 snaps. I believe Gipson can convey a velocity dimension the opposite receivers can’t. The Jets want to determine the way to use it.
Recreation ball
There should not many candidates on this recreation however I’ll go together with Quinnen Williams. He had 1 ½ sacks and seemed extra like himself on this recreation than he has lately. He was dominant at instances.
