Unofficially, the Jets’ season was over earlier than Halloween following a 0-7 begin.
However their nightmare 12 months will formally finish Sunday in Buffalo.
Aaron Glenn’s first season as coach has been memorable for all of the improper causes. Ineptitude on the quarterback place, a major setback defensively and nil interceptions have all plagued the Jets this season.
Regardless of their embarrassing 3-13 document getting into what is probably going the ultimate recreation on the Payments’ house, Highmark Stadium, Glenn believes Gang Inexperienced has improved in a number of areas.
“Overall, as a team, and I’ve said that at the beginning, there are certain things that were a huge emphasis for us as a team to see how we want to get better,” Glenn stated. “In ’24, I feel we have been final within the league so far as working the ball, I feel in ’23 we have been within the backside 10, and we bought ourselves to the place we have been someplace within the prime seven for proper now, in order that was an enormous emphasis and I’m pleased with the best way our guys went about that, and Breece [Hall] getting 1,000 yards.
“Also, man, we were dead last in the league when it came to penalties for two years straight, and this year, I think we’re somewhere between 17, so that’s a huge improvement for our guys. And then also, as far as special teams, man, we’ve become one of the elite special teams units across the league. Those are some things that were a huge emphasis from the very beginning and I know there’s some things that we have to clean up, and as we go forward those are some things that we’re looking at, and that’s defense, and really our passing game on offense.”
Throughout his first few months on the job, Glenn referred to the Jets as a “win-now” staff. However that fully modified after an almost winless first two months of the season, by which even Jets proprietor Woody Johnson lambasted then-starting quarterback Justin Fields for his poor play.
The Jets recovered to win three of 5 video games after their 0-7 begin. Nevertheless, they enter their finale in opposition to the Payments on a four-game dropping streak, having been outscored in December 153-46.
Gang Inexperienced has additionally misplaced 5 one-score video games, highlighting points with execution and inconsistency. Although 16 video games, the Jets are averaging 272.4 yards per recreation, the fifth-fewest mark within the NFL. In addition they rank lifeless final in passing yards per recreation (145.8) and twenty eighth in factors per recreation (18.3)
Undrafted rookie free agent Brady Prepare dinner will begin in his fourth consecutive recreation on Sunday. Glenn has repeatedly instructed reporters that Prepare dinner “gives us the best chance to win,” regardless of veteran Tyrod Taylor returning to the staff after lacking final week because of private causes.
Prepare dinner is the best man for the job, however not as a result of he offers the Jets one of the best probability to win. He offers them one of the best alternative to safe a top-three choose in April’s NFL Draft.
Whether or not you name it tanking or not, the Jets are in analysis mode. From the second they traded Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams on the commerce deadline, Glenn was assured he can be again for the 2026 season.
It’s additionally no secret that the Jets quarterback for the 2026 season will not be on the roster. After signing a two-year, $40 million contract final March, the Jets will possible launch Fields with a June 1 designation. That will save the staff $10 million.
Fields, 26, was benched Nov. 17 and was positioned on injured reserve with what the staff described as “knee soreness.” He was 2-7 because the starter, rating twenty seventh out of 30 certified passers in Complete QBR (37.3).
The Jets will possible reset their complete QB room with Taylor set to change into a free agent in March. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore could possibly be on the prime of the Jets’ draft want record. However it doesn’t matter what occurs, Prepare dinner says he’s “grateful” for one closing begin this season.
“I’ve learned a lot from a quarterback perspective,” Prepare dinner stated. “From a frontrunner perspective being on this staff and beginning video games for the primary time and I’ve realized that it’s nonetheless soccer. It’s the sport that we’ve performed our complete life.
“It’s a kids’ game, it’s a complicated one, it’s imperfect, but it’s the game we love, and you still have to have fun doing it, and that’s kind of the message this week is let’s go have fun. Let’s go have fun playing football, and let’s execute and let’s go see what we can do this last game.”
The Jets gamers and coaches are bored with speaking about it, however Sunday is the ultimate probability to place an finish to a dreaded interception-less streak. For 16 video games, the Jets didn’t document an interception, marking the longest streak in NFL historical past. The final time the Jets intercepted a go was a 12 months in the past, when Ashtyn Davis registered two within the season-finale victory in opposition to the Dolphins.
Sometimes, groups discover a method to luck into an interception or two every year. However the Jets haven’t had such success over the past 4 months.
This represents a fall from grace for a Jets protection that was statistically a top-five protection the previous three seasons earlier than Glenn’s arrival. Coming into the ultimate recreation of the season, the Jets are twenty third in yards (348.4) and thirtieth in factors allowed (29.3). The Jets even have simply 26 sacks, which is next-to-last within the league.
Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks following an embarrassing Week 15 loss to the Jaguars. However the defensive outcomes have remained the identical underneath interim defensive coordinator Chris Harris.
“We’re continuing to focus,” Harris stated. “We’re persevering with to focus to get takeaways they usually’ll come and like I stated this can be a weird scenario.
“Never seen it, but our guys are working hard. Working hard, so we’ll see. We’ll see. I’m excited about the opportunity though.”
