EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Jets players and coaches often say they can't rely on blame, even when things are at their worst, even now.
The play, late in the fourth quarter Sunday, was a poor coverage fit for a disastrous and embarrassing season. But that play was set up by a decision made on the other side of the ball minutes earlier.
I felt like this was a game the Jets would win. They regained momentum at the start of the second half, scoring a takeaway with a forced fumble and a Brees Hall touchdown a few plays later. Kenny Yeboah's touchdown reception gave them a 24-16 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Colts got within two points, and Aaron Rodgers ran the offense up the field, getting to the Colts' 25-yard line with 3:30 remaining. In a 4-2 at-bat, Rodgers lined up at the line of scrimmage. Jets cornerback DJ Reed thought they were going to do it. Instead, Rodgers tried to draw the Colts offside. That didn't work, so the Jets called a timeout. Anders Karlsson made a 35-yard field goal. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich saw this as a sign of confidence in the Jets' defense, which has filled that role at the end of games many times during the 2022-23 season.
“When we saw the field goal team continue to play, we were all happy and said, 'Let's do what we have to do,'” Reed said. “We've been doing that for the past three years.”
That's not what they did on Sunday. This is 2024.
On the second play of the drive, Anthony Richardson blasted the ball down the right sideline to Alec Pearce. Cornerback Sauce Gardner was in position to prevent Pierce from catching the ball, giving way to Jalen Mills, who likely would have been in position to intercept the ball. Instead, Pierce made an easy catch for a 39-yard gain.
At the end of the play, Gardner ran up and pointed at Mills. Literal pointing. Twice.
What a pass from Anthony Richardson! @Colts I'm threatening you 👀
📺: #INDvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/xTTdoEKmMs— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
“It's a play that shouldn't have happened,” Gardner said.
A few plays later, Richardson ran for a 4-yard touchdown. The Colts didn't convert the two-point conversion, but it didn't matter. The Jets offense had a fumble on the first snap and killed time on second down with no timeouts. Rodgers was sacked on third down and time expired. The Jets lost another game they should have won in embarrassing fashion. Final score: 28-27. Jets record: 3 wins, 8 losses. Jets season: In the toaster.
“It's difficult to process,” Reed said. “That's what you play for. You want to play meaningful football in November, December, January…We want to come together. We have to come together. The outside world… They're going to criticize, and rightfully so, but the players in the locker room have to come together and I feel like we have the right personalities to do that.”
In what has been perhaps the most disappointing season in Jets history, it's clear that the Jets don't have the right player, even if they have the right character player.
Late in the season, the Jets' offense at their home stadium was booed from off the field in the first quarter. The point is that when fans cheer, it's usually in a mocking tone. Like Sunday, when the Jets offense got a first down just as the first half was winding down, or when Gardner made an impressive tackle in the second half. A quarter after weeks of struggling to keep opponents on the ground.
They were supposed to be a legitimate playoff contender, combining a winning defense with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Instead, the defense has looked like one of the worst in the NFL since Robert Saleh was fired and defensive coordinator Ulbrich replaced him, allowing 26.2 points per game, failing fundamentals and crumbling in key moments. It's gone.
“I noticed that,” Reed said. “We've been subpar defensively the last few games. We've given up touchdowns, we've given up some explosive plays. I just can't explain what that is. Coach Ulbrich needs to do something. There's a lot to do, but he's an adult and can handle it.At the end of the day, I think it's important to execute and fulfill our role. I feel like it's not being implemented.”
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And Rodgers is part of it all. Earlier this week, he was asked if he still plans to return in 2025 after faltering at the end of the worst season of his career. He replied lukewarmly, “Yes, I think so.”
Nothing in Sunday's game gave the impression that Rodgers returning to the Jets would be good for the team or the player. The 40-year-old didn't even exceed 100 passing yards until the third quarter. He seemed reluctant (or unable) to throw the ball down the field, but his excuses for that — last week, he said the offensive line needed to block longer; There aren't enough defensemen on Sunday who blamed the lack of deep throws on the Colts playing two-high.
Over the past two weeks, Rodgers has completed 1-of-6 passes thrown 10 yards or more downfield, including a great sideline throw to Xavier Gipson in the fourth quarter on Sunday. It was. Moments like that have been few and far between, and the Jets' offense has somehow become less explosive since the Davante Adams trade. Rodgers gained 184 yards on 29 pass attempts Sunday.
Ulbrich was asked if Rodgers' reticence is hindering the Jets' offense. He deflected the answer.
“We'll take a closer look at the tape,” Ulbrich said. “Obviously, there's an element of injury in a situation like this that hinders everyone, but it never falls on one guy. It comes down to protection, receivers, running backs, running game, all of those things. So I know Aaron wants to play better, but it's not just him, it's all of us.
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Rodgers doesn't look like Rodgers anymore, even if no one around the Jets organization wants to admit it publicly.
“Yeah, I mean, it wasn't my best performance,” Rodgers said. “We felt we did some good things, but unfortunately in this game sometimes you have to make decisions and choose sides. Sometimes you choose the right side, sometimes you choose the wrong side. Sometimes you pick the right side and you get lucky, sometimes you don't and you look at your tablet to make sure the other person is open. I need it.”
Asked if such a conflict was something he had never dealt with before, he pushed back on the claim.
“It happens all the time,” Rogers said. “It happens all the time, but sometimes you pick it right and you get carried away and it seems like you pick it all the time. Sometimes it's a hunch. I'm making progress. Sometimes, In these two situations, I would have had to skip the progression and just trust that the guy was open and sometimes it would happen and I wish it had just kept going. That's the beauty of this game, and it's also frustrating.
The Jets have 3 wins and 8 losses. Depending on the source, their playoff hopes range from 1 to 4 percent. There are many frustrating things. And none of it is beautiful.
“It's very difficult to understand,” Reed said. “Currently still being processed.”
(Top photo: Albero/Getty Images)
