The aftermath of Sunday’s embarrassing 30-0 loss to the Dolphins has become a familiar feeling for the Jets organization and the players.
Gang Green was officially eliminated from postseason contention thanks to the Browns defeating the Bears, 20-17. That means the Jets (5-9) will have nothing to play for outside of pride in their final three games of the 2023 season.
“It is definitely frustration,” Jets defensive tackle Solomon Thomas said. “Especially with the team that we have, the roster that we have, the talent we have.
“To not extend this team’s chances of winning more games and obviously winning a Super Bowl, it obviously hurts. That’s the goal and dreams every season. The fact that you can’t make that happen, you’re never going to be satisfied with that, you’re never going to be OK with that.
“If that does not bother you, you shouldn’t be in the building.”
The Jets entered the 2023 season with not just playoff aspirations after acquiring Aaron Rodgers last April, but also Super Bowl dreams. But all that went up in smoke four offensive plays into his debut on Sept. 11.
Even with Rodgers out, the Jets defense was good enough to achieve victories over the Bills, Eagles, and the Texans. However, Gang Green’s offense has been atrocious.
Through 14 games, the Jets are last in yards (255.1) and 30th in points per game (14.4). That has led to four losses by a touchdown or less.
On Sunday, the Jets knew they needed a victory to keep their slim playoff chances alive and ultimately laid an egg in a 30-0 lopsided loss to the Dolphins. The Jets registered just 103 total yards the entire game.
“The way that it started to now, it is disappointing,” Jets tight end Tyler Conklin said. “Playoff contention was getting slimmer and slimmer and our goal as a team was to find ways to get better and go week by week.
“Now that we are out, we still have to do that. We got three games and we still have to go out there as a unit and find ways to get better and find ways to stack some positives going into the offseason.”
Now, the Jets will not only finish with their eighth straight losing season but also miss the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season. That is currently the longest playoff drought in the four major professional sports.
And now Jets players will have to find motivation elsewhere during their final three games of the season.
“It is in my DNA, it is in my vision every single day, that’s what drives me,” Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “I’m a leader on this defense, I’m a leader on this team, that’s who I have to be.
“No matter if I’m tired or hurting or not feeling it. I don’t have time or room for excuses. I just have to make sure that I’m in that right mental mindset every day.”
WILSON WILL START IF QB CLEARS PROTOCOL
The Jets play their final home game on Sunday against the Commanders. According to Jets coach Robert Saleh, if Zach Wilson is medically cleared from concussion protocol, he will start.
“He’s in the protocol and he has to go through the different stages to clear it,” Saleh said.
During the 30-0 loss to the Dolphins, Wilson suffered a head injury and left the game with 1:03 left in the second quarter. CBS initially said Wilson exited the game due to dehydration. However, the Jets later ruled him out in the third quarter.
Wilson completed 4-of-11 passes for 26 yards in just two quarters and was sacked four times. Trevor Siemian, who replaced Wilson, finished 14-of-26 for 110 yards and two interceptions. If Wilson can’t play against the Commanders, Siemian would get the start.
The Jets started their 11th different offensive line combination in 14 games against the Dolphins. After Sunday’s loss, Saleh blamed the loss on the offensive line and the lack of protection.
But on Monday, Saleh changed his tune and was accountable by shouldering the responsibility himself.
“We didn’t coach it well enough,” Saleh said. “We didn’t execute it well enough and all the way across the board, it wasn’t good enough in all three phases.
“Anytime you lose 30-0, throw a dart at the dart board and you can pick a reason. But at the end of the day and starting with me all the way down. We all got to be better.”
The elephant in the room is whether Rodgers will be by Wednesday’s deadline. The Jets opened Rodgers’ practice window on Nov. 29 and have 21 days to place him on the 53-man roster, or he will revert back to injured reserve and miss the rest of the season.
On Saturday night, ESPN and NFL Network both reported that Rodgers is likely to be medically cleared to play ahead of the Commanders game. But being medically cleared doesn’t mean that Rodgers will return to the field this season.
“Obviously, we have to meet with his doctors and see if there’s actual clearance on their part and there has to be clearance on our doctor’s part. So there’s a lot of steps there.
“And obviously, there has to be a discussion with Aaron in terms of what the next step would be and the comfort level on board. It is not something that’s made in a vacuum, but all the right conversations would be had.”
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