This stunning Jets playoff drought defies logic

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Jets dropped their fourth straight sport and ninth in 10 video games with a 32-26 time beyond regulation loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Listed below are some ideas and observations from the sport:

1. The Jets have had a horrible time visiting South Florida lately. I detailed the conferences going again to 2016 in my Publish Sports activities+ e-newsletter final week. The final Jets win right here got here in 2014 in Rex Ryan’s finale as Jets coach.

It has been some time.

The bizarre historical past there goes again even additional. Being within the customer’s locker room in Miami all the time brings again reminiscences for me. In 2013, that is the place John Idzik and Woody Johnson gave Ryan a vote of confidence to return in 2014. A yr later, we had been chasing Johnson and Idzik out of the constructing as firings had been imminent.

However the journey to Miami that was actually on my thoughts after Sunday’s sport was 2011. You keep in mind that one, proper? It was the ultimate sport of the season and the Jets misplaced 19-17 with Santonio Holmes preventing his teammates within the huddle.

That loss eradicated the Jets from the playoffs. It was a shocking finish to a disappointing season with the Jets lacking the playoffs after back-to-back AFC Championship sport appearances.

The postgame locker room that day was indignant. There was anger at Holmes but in addition anger at how the season went. LaDainian Tomlinson, who performed his final sport that day, spoke to reporters for an prolonged time frame and detailed what he thought wanted to alter for the Jets to achieve success.

Right here’s the factor: it felt like a short lived setback. The Jets went 8-8 and missed the playoffs however the feeling that day was that they had an excellent core they usually may make some modifications and get again to the playoffs the following yr.

Fourteen years later, the Jets had been eradicated from playoff rivalry in that very same constructing. However this time it got here in Week 14 and I didn’t sense a lot anger within the postgame locker room (apart from perhaps Garrett Wilson). This crew is 3-10 they usually accepted who they’re some time in the past — a crew that lacks management, cohesive play and a killer intuition.

It’s stunning that the playoff drought is at 14 years. Take into consideration what number of unhealthy NFL organizations there are — Jaguars, Panthers, Browns, Commanders, Raiders, to call a number of — they usually have all been to the playoffs extra lately than the Jets.

It defies logic {that a} crew will be this unhealthy for this lengthy. The one time they’ve even come near sniffing the playoffs since that day in 2011 was in 2015, after they suffered one other crushing final-game loss in Buffalo.

The drought now has a lifetime of its personal and whoever takes the GM and training jobs subsequent higher acknowledge that. Aaron Rodgers stated after the sport that he’s solely been the starter for a yr when requested concerning the drought, however the drought hovers over this group and the frustration of followers stems from it. So, though gamers and coaches could solely be right here a short while, the anger comes from 14 years of largely unhealthy soccer and will really feel disproportionate to what’s occurring in a specific season.

2. There are such a lot of elements in why the Jets are shedding this season however the protection continues to come back up small. This unit was anticipated to be among the many finest within the NFL this yr. Statistically, they’re, however anybody truly watching the video games is aware of they aren’t.

This can be a group that makes zero affect. They’ve two interceptions this season and none in 9 weeks. On Sunday, that they had no sacks and no quarterback hits regardless of Tua Tagovailoa throwing 47 passes. Take into consideration that: 0-for-47. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich blamed it on Tagovailoa getting the ball out of his hand rapidly. Effectively, then the protection shouldn’t be ok. The Jets ought to have been in a position to drive him to carry the ball for at the least one play to permit the cross rush to get residence.

Then, there are the late-game collapses. You simply knew when the Dolphins received that kickoff return late within the fourth quarter that they had been going to kick a discipline aim. In time beyond regulation, you knew the Dolphins would drive down the sphere.

The Patriots, Colts, Seahawks and Dolphins have all now gone proper down the sphere late in video games to beat the Jets.

This group has not been the identical since Robert Saleh was fired on Oct. 8. The cross rush is inconsistent. They commit penalties on the worst instances. It was the one unit that individuals penciled in as a given getting into this season. As an alternative, it has been an enormous downside.

3. OK, sufficient doom and gloom. In case you’re on the lookout for a optimistic from Sunday’s sport, the 2 rookie operating backs seemed good. Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis shaped a pleasant duo with Breece Corridor lacking the sport with an injured knee. They did properly operating (83 yards mixed) and catching passes out of the backfield (4 catches, 65 yards).

The Jets may have a pleasant trio of backs subsequent yr with Corridor and these two. A inventive offensive coordinator ought to have the ability to discover a method to make use of all three.

4. We’re in tank season, the place followers of unhealthy groups are dreaming of touchdown on the prime of the draft and taking a franchise quarterback. Subsequent week’s Jets sport is a cautionary story that it’s not all the time the reply. The Jets and the Jaguars meet and will probably be Aaron Rodgers in opposition to Mac Jones at quarterback in a meaningless sport (besides draft place) between two 3-10 groups.

It was not purported to be this fashion. The 2 groups had been 1-2 within the 2021 NFL Draft and Jacksonville took Trevor Lawrence and the Jets took Zach Wilson. Neither decide has labored out. Lawrence is out with a concussion and there’s nonetheless some hope he could be a long-term beginning quarterback however he has not lived as much as his pre-draft billing. Wilson is now the No. 3 quarterback in Denver. Each coaches who drafted the quarterbacks have been fired.

So, whereas it’s enjoyable to dream about your crew discovering the reply on the prime of the draft, simply bear in mind it’s not a assure.

Revealing stat

The Jets have misplaced 5 video games this season that they led within the fourth quarter. That’s the most in franchise historical past, in accordance with ESPN.

Stunning snap rely

Michael Carter II performed simply 12 snaps (17 p.c). Carter has been coping with a again harm this season however was off the harm report final week. This appears to be extra concerning the coaches preferring Isaiah Oliver (22 snaps) at nickel.

Recreation ball

Garrett Wilson confirmed why whoever the Jets rent as GM must make extending the younger vast receiver a prime precedence. Wilson had seven catches for 114 yards going primarily in opposition to Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Wilson is a constructing block for the Jets.