The Jets dropped their fifth straight game, losing 13-8 to the Falcons on Sunday. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. It is crazy how this season has fallen apart just like last season and how similar it feels.
Last year, the Jets had a big win over the Bills before their bye week. This year, the Jets stunned the Eagles before their bye.
They came back from the bye and played sloppy games in both years – last year a 10-3 loss to the Patriots and this year a 13-10 overtime win over the Giants – in which Zach Wilson played terribly.
The Jets changed quarterbacks in both seasons – last year to Mike White and this year to Tim Boyle. White gave the Jets more of a spark last season but only managed one win.
We all know last season ended with a six-game losing streak where the Jets failed to score a touchdown in the final three games.
The Jets are now in a five-game losing streak where they failed to score a touchdown in three of those games.
You can’t blame Mike LaFleur this time. The offensive coordinator paid with his job after last season, but he clearly was not the issue.
As usual with the Jets, the quarterback play has been terrible. Aaron Rodgers was supposed to solve this issue, but his Achilles injury four plays into the season ended that hope.
They’ve now run through Wilson, Boyle and Trevor Siemian. Robert Saleh may as well choose his starter by throwing three names in a hat at this point. There are no good options.
The potential return of Rodgers is now as dead as the Jets’ playoff chances.
I heard Rodgers put on a display in a 7-on-7 drill at the end of practice last Wednesday, firing passes all over the field. It just served as a reminder of what could have been to those watching.
This season was supposed to be different. Instead, it feels like an even worse version of last year with a good defense being wasted.
Can the Jets stop this losing skid? Washington and New England look like their best chances at wins but if they can’t get in the end zone, they can’t beat anybody.
If they lose out and finish the season with 10 straight losses, it will be hard for owner Woody Johnson to run it back without firing someone.
It’s another depressing season for the Jets.
2. Jets general manager Joe Douglas is taking a lot of heat for not having a better backup quarterback plan and I get it, but to me there is another area where Douglas deserves more criticism.
He did a terrible job at wide receiver this season behind Garrett Wilson. Right now, the Jets are relying on two undrafted rookies to have big roles with Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee getting major playing time. Even if Rodgers was healthy, this would be an issue right now.
Corey Davis retired unexpectedly before the season, so you have to remember that. But Douglas signed Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Mecole Hardman in free agency.
Hardman was so bad that the Jets decided to trade him. Cobb was inactive again on Sunday. Lazard, who got a $44 million contract, was active but invisible against the Falcons.
Yes, the quarterback play has not been good, but it also needs to be pointed out that this offense has no receiver that you can rely on beyond Wilson.
Gipson and Brownlee have promise, but they are rookies and are going to be inconsistent and make mistakes. Wilson is drawing all of the attention because teams don’t fear anyone else.
You can rant all day long about Douglas’ failure to get a better backup quarterback but his fumbling of the wide receiver position in the offseason is a bigger issue to me when evaluating the job he has done this season.
3. With how terrible the offense has been, I think we’re losing sight that the defense is having another good year.
They were not at their best in the second half against the Bills or Dolphins, but I think they were worn down in those games. They looked fresh on Sunday against the Falcons and played really well.
So, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the things the defense did. They held the Falcons to 194 yards. This is now the second time the Jets have held an opponent under 200 yards this season and lost (Chargers was the other). They only allowed 90 yards rushing to a Falcons team that entered the game No. 4 in the league in rushing yards.
Jermaine Johnson had a 1 ½ sacks and now leads the team with 6 ½ sacks this season. Johnson also made a big run stop to get the offense the ball back in the third quarter. He is having a great sophomore season.
Quinton Jefferson had 1 ½ sacks and has six on the season. He has been an underrated signing by Douglas.
Quinnen Williams continues to be a game wrecker. He was in the Atlanta backfield constantly and made a huge play on the safety.
The Falcons only had one completion to a wide receiver all game. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed continue to shut receivers down. Reed should have had an interception but was robbed by the officials with a bad call.
The offense is going to get most of the attention because of how inept it is but we should not lose sight of the high level the defense continues to play on.
4. Remember when this was supposed to be the easy part of the Jets schedule? This gives us further proof of how dumb it is to try to predict results when the schedule comes out.
The Falcons and Texans were supposed to be automatic wins for the Jets in May. Instead, the Jets can’t score touchdowns and therefore can’t beat anybody.
The Falcons are slightly better than expected. The Texans are way, way better than expected thanks to rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud playing at a level no one projected before the season.
Offseason predictions are fun, but you should remember they are also dumb.
Revealing stat
The Jets have 13 total touchdowns (including defense and special teams). The franchise-low for a season is 20 in 1976. Can the Jets score seven touchdowns in the five remaining games? I would not bet on it.
Surprising snap count
Will McDonald only had 12 snaps (18 percent) on defense. It is time to get the first-round pick more playing time. He is the future of the team and they should be evaluating that right now.
Game ball
The Jets fans who came out on Sunday really impressed me. The weather was miserable – cold and rainy. The football was worse. Jets fans who made the trek to MetLife Stadium on Sunday get my game ball. You guys are the diehards.