“I’m angry; they’re angry,” Ulbrich said of the players. “I’m hurt; they’re hurt.”
The Jets (2-6) lost their fifth instant game, a demoralizing 25-22 loss to the Pristine England Patriots (also 2-6) on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. It was one of the franchise’s lowest struggles in modern history, and Ulbrich, in sharing his postgame message with the team, called it “a moment of darkness.”
Three weeks ago, the Jets were playing a percentage of first-place play in the AFC East. Now, they’re locked into the finals with the Patriots, who despite losing quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) in the second quarter outscored the Jets in the second half 18-9.
The Jets are a star-studded team with a Hall of Fame quarterback a month old, and they have collapsed in impressive style.
“I mean, five losses in a row is pretty dark,” tight end Tyler Conklin said, amplifying Ulbrich’s lines. “Shit, one or two losses in a row can get dark. This sucks.”
As Aaron Rodgers deadpanned, “I’ve been in the dark. You’ve got to go in there and make peace with it.”
Unlike one of Rodgers’ retirements, there is a negative promise that this will end soon, based on the way the Jets performed against the long-suffering Patriots, who snapped a six-game losing streak.
In a digital must-win situation, the Jets lost a game that seemed impossible to lose. They were the first team since 2012 to lose with 0 giveaways and no more than 250 yards allowed, according to ESPN Research. It happened to Rodgers in 2012, in the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the famous “Fail Mary Game.”
The Jets looked ill-prepared, as the offense blew three timeouts in the first quarter and took a long penalty on a pivotal 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. They were also undermined by kicker Greg Zuerlein, who ignored a pasture role and waste level as part of a season-long hunch that jeopardized his roster spot. It has ignored six grassland targets, double its overall 2023 target.
“We didn’t act in critical moments,” said Ulbrich, whose team gave up control twice in the final seven minutes. “We say that’s not who we are, but that’s the way it is until we prove otherwise.”
Team owner Woody Johnson recently called this probably his best roster in 25 years. At 2-3, he fired Saleh, hoping the move would cheer up the team. The Jets also traded star wide receiver Davante Adams and welcomed pass rusher Haason Reddick, who made his debut Sunday after a long holdout.
There hasn’t been any spark.
Reddick was a non-factor, recording no tackles and two quarterback pressures in 26 defensive snaps. He was on the field for five of the final eight plays on the Patriots’ 12-play game-winning drive, which culminated in Rhamondre Stevenson’s 1-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining.
“At the moment, I have nothing to mention in terms of resistance,” said Reddick, who declined to answer several questions about it. “The only thing I’m worried about right now is what can I do to be better, what can I do to be totally on top of everything.”
Adams (four catches for 54 yards) had another quiet game, although his presence created opportunities for Garrett Wilson (five catches for 113 yards). Otherwise, the offensive fizzled, appearing confusing at times. Plays came slowly from the sidelines and sometimes players didn’t know where to line up.
Rodgers seemed exasperated at times, but then held his tongue.
“In one in all [the timeouts]We were behind in the meeting,” he said. “First, I was trying to get proper security. At first, I felt like we could have gotten away with it, however, it was advantageous to get him out. [a timeout] there.”
“Yes,” he concluded, “our operation was once a little slow from time to time.”
“I’m angry; they’re angry. I’m hurt; they’re hurt.”
Meanwhile, Jets educator Jeff Ulbrich
Late in the game, which moved the 2-point attempt back to within 7 yards, Rodgers said he not only liked the play compared to the Patriots’ defensive look. So, he let the playing time expire, thinking that was better than missing a timeout. In the end, his cross missed. Instead of a 24-17 score, it was 22-17.
Which didn’t last long.
For Rodgers, who was 17 of 28 for 233 yards and two short touchdowns, this marked the third five-game losing streak of his career.
His challenge at Pristine York was to change the culture of a hapless franchise, but that hasn’t happened. He became angry when asked about it and said the question was “a little dramatic.”
“The NFL is tough,” he mentioned. “It’s hard to win. It’s harder when you make it hard on yourself.”
Since replacing Saleh, Ulbrich has presided over a defense that has allowed 85 problems in three games, well above his average. He has persisted in calling defensive plays, but that would soon change.
“I’m going to analyze everything carefully,” he said. “If that’s one of the things that could help us, then it will definitely be on the table.”
