I rarely repost an article word-for-word, but this is something special to read: https://nypost.com/2024/09/29/sports/jets-looked-like-frauds-in-shameful-loss-to-broncos/ Shame on the Jets. Shame on them for losing, 10-9, to the mediocre and utterly beatable Broncos Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Jets, with the addition of Aaron Rodgers, fancy themselves contenders this season. For a playoff berth, their first since 2010. For an AFC East title, their first since 2002. And possibly even for a Super Bowl, a first since … well, you know when. On this day, though, the Jets were frauds. And now, as reward for Sunday’s waste of a perfect opportunity to get to 3-1 for the first time since 2015, the Jets enter a gauntlet portion of their schedule — the 4-0 Sam Darnold-led Vikings next week in London, home to the Bills and then at the Steelers. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that, sometime after Christmas, they may look back on this loss as one that derailed their season of promise. If the Jets are the team they think they are, they win Sunday’s game. They win the game going away. They win it with little stress. They have Rodgers at quarterback and the Broncos have learning-on-the-job, often-erratic rookie Bo Nix. Shame on the Jets. “We let this one get away,’’ Rodgers said. “It’s unacceptable for us to lose this game,’’ receiver Allen Lazard said. “Absolutely, this was a game that we were supposed to win,’’ cornerback D.J. Reed said. “We played terrible, and when you play terrible, you deserve to lose … and we lost,’’ receiver Garrett Wilson said. “The rain didn’t help, we were a little off and they popped us. Very frustrated. It feels terrible.’’ Shame on the Jets for throwing this game away, even when they were given the gift of the ball at their own 40-yard line with 1:27 remaining after Broncos kicker Wil Lutz pulled a 50-yard field goal attempt wide left. Shame on Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein, whose nickname is “Greg the Leg’’ for his prowess on long field goals. With the Jets trailing, 10-9, and Zuerlein standing over a 50-yard field goal try to win the game, he sliced the ball wide right. “Really, no excuses,’’ Zuerlein said afterward. “You just have to make that kick.’’ Shame on the Jets for committing 15 penalties, 13 of which were accepted for 90 yards in losses. “We were kind of killing ourselves,’’ Rodgers said.“We were just … I don’t know, our focus just wasn’t as sharp as it has been the first three weeks.’’ Shame on Robert Saleh, who had 10 days to prepare for this game and whose team looked unprepared and without discipline. “It was sloppy, a lot of pre-snap penalties,’’ Saleh said. “We’ve got to figure it out.’’ Shame on the Jets’ pass protection, which allowed Rodgers — aka The Franchise — to endure some 15 hits and five sacks for 41 yards in losses. Shame on the Jets’ run defense, which allowed 126 yards on 31 carries and let the Broncos run it down their collective throats on the go-ahead drive to lead 10-9 — six consecutive running plays by Javonte Williams and no passes. Shame on the Jets pass rush, which produced zero sacks in the game and, with each passing day, looks like it needs holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick. So, while we’re at it, shame on Jets GM Joe Douglas for overseeing this mess and not fixing it. Shame on Jets left guard John Simpson, a key offseason acquisition, for his two false start penalties. The second one came with the Jets going for a fourth-and-goal from the Denver 1-yard line in the second quarter and it forced them to settle for a field goal. “I feel like that was a play that could have won the game,’’ Simpson said. “I’ve got to get better.’’ Shame on Jets left tackle Tyron Smith, another of their marquee offseason acquisitions, for his two penalties — one for holding and another for a false start. Shame on Lazard, who had an otherwise moderately productive day catching the ball (5 for 58) and drawing a key pass interference penalty in the end zone, for committing three penalties of his own. Shame on Rodgers, who missed receivers with some low throws and still seemed out of sync with Wilson, his most explosive target. “I can’t say I had a spectacular game,’’ Rodgers said. “The weather sucked, but so did some of my throws.’’ Shame on Jets running back Breece Hall for having his worst game as a pro, rushing for 4 yards on 10 carries and committing two false start penalties. Shame on Wilson for fumbling the ball away on the Jets’ third offensive play of the day. The play didn’t cost the Jets points because the Denver offense is challenged, but it did set a tone for the team’s sloppy day. “We just played horrible as an offense,’’ Lazard said. “We had the ball on the 1-yard line and couldn’t put it in. That’s not our standard, not our expectations.’’ Shame on the Jets.
I have no appetitie to read the papers or watch any football but this article is a great one. Shame on the Jets , shame on Woody, shame on Joe D and shame on the slogan master Saleh.
If anyone wonders why long-term Jets fans are a cynical bunch and can never get excited when the team has glimmers of success - this game is the answer. It's games just like this. It's always one step forward, 2 steps back. I just have no idea what it's going to take to break the cycle. How many coaching staff and roster overhauls and fake re-builds have we been through over the last 10+ years?
Nothing changes until the trust fund babies are done playing rich man’s fantasy football. This is where you go to die if you’re a coach or GM. No one gets hired again, this is why we can’t get anyone of worth. And on top of that the trust fund babies are the inside joke amongst the owners. We deserve better and we won’t get it until they’re gone
My long term Jets fan self gets you 100% And the young guys I sat next to at Sundays rain fiasco give me dirty looks when I explain a good team never lets a kicker determine a game..especially against rookie QB ?? I just told the kid fans how the team sux ..period. But no one wants to hear it lol
So true..go to the Jets if you need a handout , cash woodys check and a company that does not conduct performance reviews!! At worst the owner rewards the sh*tty performance with a new contract..just f ing bizarre No wonder W Johnson makes no J and J corporate decisions. Stock would tank
If you cant win these games with the roster you currently have, you cant win them at all. You play like you practice, and last week they must have stayed home. Salah is too easy going and it shows up like this…. That was the most flat, emotionless, lack-of-focus filled game of football I’ve seen in a while. Very disappointed.
I'm approaching 40 years. This team has NEVER been able to get out of it's own way. Ever. That game against the Patriots, last week, was the aberration. For all you NEW Jets fans of the last 10 or 15 years, this past weekend is the norm. I typically watch the replay on NFL+ but I won't be doing that this week. I'd rather just remember them BEFORE the game when they, for a brief fleeting moment, actually resembled the team they should be. It is a damn shame... I definitely expected MORE from a dude that literally played his entire career, before last year, in Green Bay where yesterday's weather was a warm sunny day in Wisconsin!!
He's just stating what I've been saying on here FOREVER. This organization SUCKS. It's not ok, its awful. Anyone who fell for this 2024 edition of the Circus Act was either really blinded by the media fluff or just doesn't truly understand the toxic culture that is the NY Jets. Or was just overly starved for a winning franchise and got blinded by that. As long as the Johnsons keep rolling out these sideshows year after year with mediocre GMs and a mediocre coaching staff, this fucktard merry go round will continue in perpetuity. The franchise needs to be blown up. It is the only way they will ever be good and competitive most years. That requires getting rid of the 75 year old scout who's been with the team since Namath's rookie year. There is no excuse for a multi-billion dollar franchise to be run like a a clique of HS kids or some shit. If the Johnsons took winning seriously (and they don't) they would make every single last person in the FO and Admin part of the building pack their shit and leave and start over with a new regime. That is not what the Johnsons are about. They want their little buddies to be happy too and keep some relics in place. The franchise will never be good as long as they continue to run it like this. NEVER. Blow it up. Bring Saban or someone else in here and get out of his fucking way. The end.
I think he's been true to the "all gas, no brakes" mantra. He just left out the part about steering the franchise in the direction of a ridiculously high cliff.
The Jets can do better than Saleh for sure. But there have been two types of guys over the years during the playoff drought. Guys who aren't that bad, but didn't get it done here. And guys who are utter dogshit and spend half their effort scapegoating the first type of guys. The first type includes Tannenbaum, Rex, Bowles, Geno, Sam, and LaFleur. The second type includes Idzik, Maccagnan, Gase, Zach, and Hackett. The rest of the league knows it too; there's a reason the first type gets another chance at whatever their position was here, while the second type is lucky if they even get to stay in the NFL. Saleh has more in common with the first type than the second.
Btw, I doubt he'd ever take it (especially because of his history and the Jets) but Pete Carroll has been on record several times this offseason saying that he has a ton of juice left in the tank and he wasn't particularly happy with how things ended in Seattle. Sounds like he's dying for another HC gig at some point. If the Johnsons ever want to get serious about turning this thing around then you go get a savant like Carroll and let him build the whole damn franchise in his likeness. The Johnsons wouldn't know how to pick a winner if it smacked 'em in the face. Sad.
Been reading Mark for 35+ years. Ran into him a few times on the golf courses. Knows his stuff. Ditto Serby.
