Jeff Ulbrich, the New York Jets’ interim coach who took over the team three weeks ago following Robert Saleh’s unexpected termination, stood at the microphone, eyes glassy and voice cracking at moments. He was attempting to make sense of a once-promising season that now seemed to be lost.
“I’m pissed; they’re pissed,” Ulbrich remarked of the teammates. “I’m hurt; they’re hurt.”
The Jets (2-6) lost their fifth straight game, a demoralising 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots (2-6) on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. It was one of the franchise’s lowest times in recent memory, and Ulbrich described it in his postgame statement to the squad as “a moment of darkness.”
Three weeks ago, the Jets were competing for a share of first place in the AFC East. They are now tied for last with the Patriots, who, despite losing quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) in the second quarter, outscored the Jets 18-9 in the second half.
The Jets are a star-studded squad with a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and they’ve crashed spectacularly.
“I mean, five losses in a row is pretty damn dark,” tight end Tyler Conklin said, echoing Ulbrich’s sentiments. “S—, one or two consecutive losses might be disheartening. This sucks.
Aaron Rodgers deadpanned, “I’ve been in the dark. You have to go in there and accept reality.”
Unlike one of Rodgers’ retreats, there’s no assurance this will stop soon, given how the Jets performed against the slumping Patriots, who snapped a six-game losing streak.
In a virtual must-win situation, the Jets dropped a game that appeared impossible to lose. They are the only team since 2012 to lose with zero turnovers and less than 250 yards allowed, according to ESPN Research. Rodgers experienced it in 2012, when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the infamous “Fail Mary Game.”
The Jets appeared unprepared, as the offence used three timeouts in the first quarter and received a delay of game penalty on a crucial two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. They also were undermined by kicker Greg Zuerlein, who missed a field goal and an extra point as part of a season-long slump that has put his roster spot in jeopardy. He’s missed six field goals, which is twice as many as his total for 2023.
“We did not execute in critical moments,” said Ulbrich, whose team gave up the lead twice in the last seven minutes. “We say that’s not who we are, but it’s who we are until we demonstrate otherwise.”
Team owner Woody Johnson recently called this probably his best roster in 25 years. At 2-3, he fired Saleh, expecting the move to spark the team. The Jets also traded for star wide receiver Davante Adams and welcomed back pass rusher Haason Reddick, who made his debut Sunday after a lengthy holdout.
There’s been no spark.
Reddick was a nonfactor, recording no tackles and two quarterback pressures in 26 defensive snaps. He was on the field for five of the last eight plays on the Patriots’ 12-play game-winning drive, which culminated with Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left.
“As of right now, I have nothing to say as far as the holdout,” said Reddick, who refused to answer several questions about it. “The only thing that I’m worried about right now is what can I do to be better, what can I do to get myself fully up to speed.”
Adams (four catches for 54 yards) had another quiet game, though his presence created opportunities for Garrett Wilson (five catches for 113 yards). Otherwise, the offense sputtered, appearing confused at times. Plays came in slowly from the sideline, and players occasionally didn’t know where to line up.
Rodgers seemed exasperated at times, though he held his tongue afterward.
“On one of [the timeouts], we were lagging out of the huddle,” he said. “One, I was trying to get the protection right. One, I felt like we could have gotten off, but it was fine to take [a timeout] there.”
“Yeah,” he concluded, “our operation was a little slow at times.”
On the delay of game, which moved the 2-point try back to the 7-yard line, Rodgers said he didn’t like the playcall versus the Patriots’ defensive look. So, he let the play clock expire, figuring that was better than wasting another timeout. Ultimately, his pass failed. Instead of a 24-17 lead, it was 22-17.
Which didn’t last long.
For Rodgers, who was 17-for-28 for 233 yards and two short touchdowns, this marked the third five-game losing streak of his career.
His mission in New York was to change the culture of a star-crossed franchise, but that hasn’t happened. He bristled when asked about that, saying the question was “a little dramatic.”
“The NFL is hard,” he said. “It’s hard to win. It’s harder when you make it difficult on yourself.”
Since replacing Saleh, Ulbrich has presided over a defense that has allowed 85 points in three games — well above its average. He has continued to call the defensive plays, but that could change soon.
“I’ll take a hard look at everything,” he said. “If that’s one of the things that could help us, then it’ll definitely be on the table.”
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