Owner Announcement Dims Jets Fans’ Holiday Merriment

USATSI

Jets fans got a figurative lump of coal in their stockings on Christmas eve.

Sure, many in the MetLife Stadium stands might have relished the momentary thrill from Greg Zuerlein’s 54-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to lift Gang Green to a 30-28 victory, saving them from the embarrassment of a blown 20-point lead to lowly Washington. Those who look at the big picture, however, understand that it was yet another day where the franchise took a step backwards.

I’m not just talking about the lost opportunity for New York to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft—instead of having the potential to settle in at No. 4 or 5 when Week 16 is complete, the Jets (6-9) will likely be slotted at No. 9 or No. 10, pending the outcome of the Raiders game. That could be the difference between picking a ready-to-play offensive tackle versus a highly-rated but superfluous defensive player.

Obviously, coaches and players don’t tank, though Washington submitted several “I’ve never seen that before” gaffes in the first half that made you wonder. As the Commanders came back, though, it wasn’t because the Jets set themselves up to lose, but because they are just another bad football team.

Presently, Washington may be worse, but given what we heard from Jets owner Woody Johnson on Sunday in an interview with the New York Post’s Brian Costello, I’d argue that the state of their team is in better shape.

At least the Commanders understand that change is needed. They’re going to clean house, and that includes the crucial head coach/quarterback combination.

How does Johnson feel about a 13^th consecutive Jets season missing the playoffs?

“I think we’ve had some very positive moves,” Johnson said when he explained why he intends to keep General Manager Joe Douglas and Head Coach Robert Saleh in their places next season.

What a sucker. Johnson has been brainwashed (assuming he has a functioning brain) into thinking that the season-ending injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers was all that separated his club from elite status. Never mind that the offensive line was an epic disaster—and not just because linemen were dropping like flies all season. The two mainstays on the left side, tackle Mekhi Becton and guard Laken Tomlinson, stunk as much as the fill-ins. Rodgers, who previously took a massive hit before rupturing his Achilles on the fourth snap of the season opener, would have been hard-pressed to remain upright all season at age 40.

By the way, who hand-picked all those guys on the line and at other substandard positions like wide receiver? And made the decision to stick with Zach Wilson as QB2 after two putrid seasons as a starter?

That would be Douglas, who should be the first to receive a pink slip on Black Monday. Again, Johnson blames the entirety of this mess on one injury.

Somehow, several other clubs, including Cleveland with former Jet Joe Flacco, have managed to integrate backup QBs into something that resembles an NFL offense, yet the Jets didn’t just struggle, they posted some of the worst stats in modern pro football. Hm, maybe coaching had something to do with that. Only Johnson must be blind to that as well.   

Johnson mentioned that he sees improvement in the team’s culture and defense. Someone should have asked him about that again after Sunday’s near travesty. After the Commanders switched to backup QB Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter, he engineered three consecutive touchdown drives to give his club the lead. The comeback was abetted by nine (9!) Jets penalties in the second half, five by the overrated defense. All told, the Jets committed 14 fouls that cost them 150 yards, 20 yards more than the previous high in an NFL game this season. The poor discipline put New York as the league’s most-flagged team.

Some culture. Johnson probably took Sunday’s victory as a sign that the timing and content of his announcement were perfect. Nothing else.

After mulling this over some more: Actually, it’s us, the Jets fans, who are the dupes. We keep paying with our currency and our commitment for a product that is doomed to fail. Imagine being told that a fourth consecutive season of 10-plus losses is a sign of progress. Alert the SEC.

All we wanted for Holiday gifts was hope that our team had a chance at a better future. In one fell swoop, those dreams were dashed.

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There’s nothing more I want to say about Sunday, but I do want to add a retort to those who made such a big deal over Rodgers’ roster activation on Wednesday.

I gather 99% of you can’t name the practice player, if there really was one, who “lost his job” because Rodgers’ placement on the 53-man roster meant that fullback Nick Bawden (who, as a vested veteran, didn’t lose a cent since his contract was guaranteed, according to ESPN) was waived and subsequently added to the practice squad.

Also, who was out on the street that could have been signed to help New York in these meaningless last three games? If such a player existed, wouldn’t the Jets have added him to the roster previously? Heck, where is Rodger Saffold, the former Pro Bowl guard whom Douglas scooped up off the couch instead of making a trade at the deadline? He’s been M-I-A, and we’ve been stuck watching a parade of virtual traffic cones step in at right guard.

Rodgers practicing these last few weeks just isn’t relevant, good or bad. If it’s a legitimate part of his rehab, then I see no harm in him taking scout team reps. Who cares?