Rock bottom. The Jets, who entered the season with expectations of grandeur, lost their fifth game in a row. This time, a 25-22 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots.
Entering the game as seven-point favorites, this was seen as an opportunity for the Jets to get back on track. However, a last-minute, game-winning touchdown by Pats running back Rhamondre Stevenson sealed the Jets’ fate.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
1. It’s Over: Let’s get the obvious out of the way. It’s over for the New York Jets. They are 2-6, tied for the second-worst record in the entire league. The Buffalo Bills have a four-game lead on them. In fact, the Bills have a four-game lead on the entire division. This was a season
where the Jets entered as one of the Super Bowl favorites, but now, it seems as if they’re stuck in this endless loop of sadness.
The big question for Gang Green is where do you go from here? With the trade deadline
just over a week away, is it time to think about moving on from players? Should they revisit the Garrett Wilson trade offers they got back when they acquired Devante Adams? These are
questions the Jets couldn’t even fathom answering at the beginning of the season. But it seems that even before the calendar turns to November, the Jets could be already looking ahead to future seasons.
2. Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich were never good enough: Entering Sunday’s game, teams that scored 20-plus points, allowed fewer than 250 yards, and didn’t turn the ball over were 750-0 in NFL history. That changed in Foxboro on Sunday, as the Jets became the first team to lose while essentially playing textbook-winning football.
“We talk about being at our best when our best is required, and that’s not it.” Jets interim
head coach Jeff Ulbrich said after the game. “That’s on coaching first of all, and second we have to execute, and we did not execute in critical moments. We say that’s not who we are, but that’s who we are until we demonstrate otherwise.”
Ulbrich had the difficult task of taking over for former head coach Robert Saleh, whose 20-36 record as Jets head coach tells the story in itself. This Jets team should have never had a head coach they needed to fire to begin with. That was the first sign that there were major issues
with this football team. The Jets’ inability making winning plays in winning spots, as well as lack of preparation, shows the greater weaknesses within the organization.
3. It’s time to move on from Joe Douglas: Since being hired as Jets general manager prior to the 2019 season, Jets general manager Joe Douglas had the difficult task in turning one of the league’s worst-ever rosters into one capable of contending. And to the naked eye, he did just that, drafting players such as Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner, and Will McDonald IV.
Douglas also made key trades, acquiring Adams and Rodgers. Douglas put what he, and many believed to be a surefire contender on the football field. However, the stars haven’t translated to wins. Since he took over as general manager, the Jets are a dismal 29- 62 under his watch. While Douglas might have found talent. He clearly didn’t find the right players around them, didn’t find the right coach to lead them, and was never able to piece together what should have been a surefire contender.
With that being said, Douglas could very well be let go at the conclusion of the season, as
the Jets look towards yet another fresh start.
