The Jets dropped their third straight recreation and eighth of their final 9 on Sunday, a 26-21 loss to the Seahawks that sends them to 3-9 this season.
Listed below are some ideas and observations on the sport:
1. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich introduced Monday morning that Aaron Rodgers would stay the workforce’s beginning quarterback this week in opposition to the Dolphins. Rodgers’ standing grew to become a query after Ulbrich left the door open for a change barely after Sunday’s loss.
To me, there may be nothing to achieve by benching Rodgers. I perceive he has not performed very nicely this season. I get that Sunday’s recreation swung on the two-play sequence when he missed Garrett Wilson ultimately zone after which threw the pick-six to Leonard Williams. However this workforce’s issues run a lot deeper than Rodgers and I feel we’re gone the a part of the season the place you make a transfer like this to offer the workforce “a spark” like Robert Saleh tried with Mike White in 2022.
It could be a distinct story if the Jets had a younger quarterback in ready behind Rodgers. They don’t. They’ve Tyrod Taylor and Adrian Martinez. Rodgers does nonetheless give the Jets the most effective probability to win.
There have been moments on Sunday if you began to assume: Right here he’s. That’s the Aaron Rodgers I bear in mind. He threw a reasonably go to Davante Adams and later hit Adams on a fast go after a nasty snap that was a very heads-up play. He additionally moved higher than he has in weeks, reinvigorated by the bye week.
All of that ought to give him the possibility to guide the workforce within the closing 5 video games and attempt to salvage a number of wins on this depressing season.
I additionally assume he’s an all-time nice and that needs to be thought-about right here. Benching a four-time MVP who is without doubt one of the best quarterbacks to ever play shouldn’t be one thing you are able to do frivolously. There can be repercussions within the locker room and with gamers viewing the Jets across the league, in addition to potential coaches and GMs. The Jets have a horrible picture downside in the meanwhile. They’re seen as a dysfunctional franchise.
Benching Rodgers, who has not performed nicely but in addition has not been completely horrible, would simply add to that dysfunctional label.
2. Throughout a stretch in Robert Saleh’s first season with the Jets in 2021, the workforce would typically get blown out and the video games could be over by halftime in some situations. Saleh used to speak about how most NFL video games come right down to the fourth quarter and both your protection making a cease or your offense placing collectively a game-winning drive. His message again then was the Jets needed to get to that time as a workforce.
Effectively, the Jets have gotten there and it has been ugly.
Sunday’s recreation was one more occasion the place the protection gave up a game-winning drive within the fourth quarter and the offense couldn’t put collectively a game-winning drive. The Jets have misplaced six video games this season that they might have gained within the fourth quarter. The Broncos, Vikings, Payments, Patriots, Colts and Seahawks all discovered a option to beat the Jets in a detailed recreation late.
There’s blame to be shared, for positive. Kicker Greg Zuerlein will get some blame for lacking kicks in opposition to the Broncos, Payments and Patriots. The protection collapsed in opposition to the Patriots, Colts and Seahawks. The offense failed in opposition to the Vikings, Payments, Colts and Seahawks.
When the post-mortem is finished on the 2024 Jets, the fourth-quarter failures are going to be an enormous a part of it. This workforce is lacking one thing when the sport is on the road. Possibly it’s poise, struggle, coronary heart, guts … I’m unsure precisely what it’s, however I’m positive they don’t have it and that confirmed itself once more Sunday.
3. One vivid spot from Sunday’s recreation was the play of rookie left deal with Olu Fashanu. He didn’t permit any pressures on 42 pass-blocking snaps.
Fashanu goes to get a pleasant run at left deal with now with Tyron Smith on injured reserve. There isn’t any purpose for the Jets to carry Smith again this season. They should give this time to Fashanu to develop.
It’s fairly clear that Brock Bowers goes to be a stud for the Raiders and the query has already come up whether or not the Jets ought to have drafted him as an alternative of Fashanu. I get it. You watch Bowers and it’s exhausting to not be impressed. However the Jets wanted a left deal with greater than they wanted a decent finish. I nonetheless perceive their reasoning for drafting Fashanu.
This dialog shouldn’t be going to go away, although, and it’s at all times robust for a lineman to compete with somebody who scores touchdowns within the comparability recreation.
It’s tremendous early, however Fashanu is exhibiting some constructive indicators for the long run.
4. Haason Reddick continues to have little to no influence. He had three pressures in Sunday’s recreation, per PFF, and two tackles.
Reddick solely has a ½ sack in 5 video games with the Jets. The Reddick commerce will go down as one of many worst in Joe Douglas’ time with the Jets, particularly if you view it via the lens of swapping out Bryce Huff and John Franklin-Myers for him. Then, you add on the holdout. It’s an unpleasant one.
REVEALING STAT: The Jets have 13 defensive go interference penalties this season. That’s second-most within the NFL. The Lions have 15.
SURPRISING SNAP COUNT: Xavier Gipson was credited with one defensive snap. No, he was not enjoying two methods Sunday. He stayed on the sector on fourth down, believing the Seahawks had been punting and the Jets had been flagged for 12 males on the sector.
GAME BALL: Kene Nwangwu will get elevated from the follow squad Saturday and has a 99-yard kickoff return and a compelled fumble on a kickoff in his first recreation for the Jets. That’s fairly a debut.
