For the 12th straight year, the New York Jets will not be in the NFL playoffs. It is the longest drought in franchise history, one punctuated by a stunning collapse down the stretch this season. We’ll examine which Jets are most to blame for missing the playoffs.
The Jets lost their fifth straight game last week, 23-6 to the Seattle Seahawks. At their bye, the Jets were 6-3 and coming off a staggering upset win over the Buffalo Bills. They are 1-6 since, a dizzying turn of fortune that is shocking even by Jets standards.
"We feel like we blew the season"
Garrett Wilson was asked about his emotions after the Jets' 5th straight loss and being eliminated from playoff contention: pic.twitter.com/1h016xYWTl
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) January 2, 2023
While the Jets did play meaningful games in December and January, a stated goal of general manager Joe Douglas, the fact remains they lost them all. New York had control of its playoff destiny much of that time and could not win a single game.
Let’s see which Jets are most to blame for the collapse and failure to make the playoffs (again).
5. Robert Saleh
The Jets coach handled numerous distractions, such as injuries and trade requests by Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims, in exemplary fashion. He’s done his best handling Zach Wilson, including benching him for ineffective play and lack of leadership. He’s brought a positive vibe to a woeful organization.
There is much to like about Robert Saleh, the coach and the person.
Coach Saleh on currently being disappointed but having seen progress from the team in 2022. pic.twitter.com/OrPbQuja0D
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 2, 2023
But at the end of the day, he’s the head coach and his team collapsed. The playoffs were there for the taking and the Jets failed to grab them. When the games mattered the most, they played their worst.
Most alarming, the Jets did not look ready to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seahawks with their season on the line two weeks in a row. How do you allow a 60-yard run on the first play from scrimmage as the Jets did last week?
This falls on the head coach. This falls on Saleh, who's got a lot to figure out in what will feel like a terribly long offseason.
4. Joe Douglas
Like Saleh, Douglas is to be commended for an improved roster and record this season. New York's 2022 draft class looks to be one of the best in franchise history. D.J. Reed and Greg Zuerlein were outstanding free agent pick ups, and Tyler Conklin was pretty good, too.
But there are still far too many holes on this roster, many created by players Douglas drafted before this season. Most notable on that list is Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, who, incredibly, may be done with the Jets after two seasons.
Safeties Jordan Whitehead and Lamarcus Joyner were huge disappointments this season, as was Laken Tomlinson. Re-signing returner/receiver Braxton Berrios appears to be a miscalculation. And in-season pick-ups James Robinson and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif were no help at all.
Coaches coach and players play in the NFL, and New York's roster has not been good enough. That falls on Douglas.
3. Mike LaFleur
The Jets offensive coordinator coached a unit that failed to produce a touchdown in must-win games against the Jaguars and Seahawks the past two weeks. New York totaled three field goals and combined for 506 yards of total in those defeats.
LaFleur oversaw an offense that managed an embarrassing 103 total yards against the New England Patriots in Week 10, the start of the Jets' demise. New York scored 63 points in its past six losses, held to six points or under three times. The Jets have four touchdowns in their past five games.
Robert Saleh says he still has full confidence in Mike LaFleur: pic.twitter.com/N3cTugwnuR
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) January 2, 2023
LaFleur was stuck with a mess at quarterback, a season-ending injury to explosive running back Breece Hall in Week 7 and a leaky offensive line that got worse as the season progressed. So, he’s got excuses. But LaFleur must also shoulder his share of the blame.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich needs to be included here, too. Led by Pro Bowlers Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner, the Jets defense has been a top-5 unit all season. But they allowed a game-winning 51-yard TD pass on 4th and 1 with under two minutes to play in the Week 15 loss to the Detroit Lions, and last week surrendered nearly 200 yards in the first quarter against the Seahawks.
The defense carried the Jets this season. But Ulbrich and his players share blame for the team's overall collapse, as well.
2. Zach Wilson and Mike White
As much as Wilson is the face of the Jets flameout, White is at fault, too.
He may be much more popular with his teammates and Jets fans, but White is 1-3 this season, losing his past three starts. He’s led the Jets to one touchdown in the past 23 possessions when he’s been the quarterback.
Against the Seahawks, the Jets crossed the 50-yard line six times and did not score a single touchdown. Twice White was picked off. In a 27-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 with White at QB, the Jets were 1-for-6 in the red zone. He threw three touchdowns against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, but has none since.
Mike White throws a pick to Quandre Diggs
Right to double coverage pic.twitter.com/J16NoEp59x
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 1, 2023
White showed grit coming back from fractured ribs and has excellent leadership skills. But the results have not been pretty.
Wilson was benched once in a game for fourth-stringer Chris Streveler and twice overall in favor of White. That speaks to what a mess he is right now. Somehow, he did manage to win five of nine starts this season, though he was bad losing all three starts after the bye. And Wilson was so beaten down by the end, after the Jaguars loss, that Saleh did him a favor by sitting him the rest of the season.
1. The Jets offensive line
Plain and simple, the Jets offensive line got worse as the season wore on. And it’s been downright putrid during the five-game losing streak.
Since the bye, the Jets have two 100-yard rushing games and have run for 76 yards or less five times. Going up against mediocre rush defenses the past three games, the Jets managed 50, 66 and 75 yards on the ground.
Running backs Michael Carter and Zonovan “Bam” Knight are not immune from criticism, but far too often there were nowhere for them to go after taking the handoff. The Jets have been manhandled at the line of scrimmage all season.
And that carries into the passing game, too. White took a series of brutal hits against the Bills. Neither quarterback has had much time to get the ball downfield. Wilson did so against the Lions, only because he escaped the pocket on designed rollouts and off-script sprints to safety.
Injuries have caused havoc on the line. But Tomlinson has been a huge disappointment this season while playing in all 16 games so far. Veteran Duane Brown looks old and tired manning left tackle. Fill-in guard Nate Herbig started well and now looks beaten down. George Fant has been hurt and ineffective at right tackle. Center Connor McGovern has been their best run blocker. but really struggled in pass protection.
This unit really misses Alijah Vera-Tucker, who like Hall, was lost for the season in Week 7.
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