Last Sunday, the New York Jets took on the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. With a victory, the Jets would have needed to win this week and have the Patriots lose to the Bills to end their 12-year playoff drought. However, the Jets lost today 23-6 and will head into Week 18 with nothing to play for. After starting out 7-4 the Jets are now 7-9 and in danger of losing their final six games of the season after being in an excellent position to make the playoffs. This is also the seventh straight losing season. The Jets let a few games get away from them including two against the Patriots and at home against the Lions three weeks ago. Had the Jets won those games, it would be very likely that they would be going to the playoffs. This season has dealt with injuries to sensational rookie RB Breece Hall and OT Alijah Vera-Tucker. In addition, the quarterback situation has been a tumultuous one to say the least. The #2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft in Zach Wilson appears to be a bust but he is still very young and has time to develop. All of this led to why the 2022 Jets collapsed.
In terms of the offense, they struggled mightily. QB Mike White only completed 23 out of 46 passes for 240 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. This was the fourth game this season that the Jets failed to score a touchdown and the second game in a row. OC Mike LaFleur’s play calling has been horrendous all season and needs to be fired after this season. In addition, there were multiple dropped passes by Corey Davis and Garrett Wilson that ended once promising drives. Finally, the penalties on the offensive line were an issue for the second week in a row with the holding and false start penalties. When the Jets were winning games earlier in the season, these costly mistakes were kept to a minimum.
In terms of the defense, they largely kept the Seahawks in check except for a few mental errors. On the first play from scrimmage, the defense allowed a 60+ yard run by RB Kenneth Walker which would eventually lead to an early 7-0 hole for the Jets. The tackling throughout was poor leading to extra yards after. These are the types of mistakes that playoff teams do not make.
This week, the Jets will travel to South Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins. The Jets will be looking to sweep the Dolphins for the first time since 2015 and win a game in Miami for the first time since 2014. Even though the Jets are eliminated from playoff contention, they could play spoiler to the division rival Dolphins. There certainly are a lot of question marks to be answered in the offseason, particularly about the quarterback situation and who on the Jets coaching staff will be back next season. Jets fans…you deserve so much better and are appreciated for following your team through thick and thin.
-Jack Henry Cicio
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