J-E-T-S. Just End The Season.
The Jets aren’t an NFL team. They’re imposters that the NFL allows to continue playing football so it doesn’t have to go through the trouble of an expansion draft.
On Sunday morning ET against the Broncos in London, the Jets lost their sixth consecutive game to start the season. They had minus-10 net passing yards, the lowest total in franchise history and the worst figure seen on an NFL field since Chargers rookie Ryan Leaf visited the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in 1998.
Justin Fields was sacked nine times for a cumulative loss of 55 yards. On the game’s final drive, the Jets trailed 13–11 and had a first-and-10 at the Denver 46-yard line. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called a pass and, predictably, Fields was buried for a five-yard loss. On second down, Fields threw for a seven-yard completion to Garrett Wilson, marking his ninth and final completion of the afternoon, on 17 attempts. The next play saw an incompletion as Fields threw late to Wilson, getting him crushed by safety Talanoa Hufanga.
With fourth-and-8 looming, head coach Aaron Glenn could have called on veteran kicker Nick Folk to attempt a go-ahead, 62-yard field goal. Earlier, Folk had hit from 52 yards off the English turf. Instead, Glenn left his offense on the field and Engstrand stupefyingly called for Fields to drop back and throw. To only the surprise of his coaches, Fields was sacked to end the game.
It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to be wholly incompetent while doing it.
Glenn coached the game acting both scared and unsure, the worst possible combination for the leader on the sideline. Before halftime, trailing 10–6, Glenn called for a successful fake punt at his own 37-yard line with one minute remaining. He then promptly sat on the ball, going to the break, leading to Wilson being animated on the sideline as the seconds ticked away.
Meanwhile, Fields is on his third team in as many seasons. You’re seeing why. He completed 9-of-17 attempts for 45 yards. He often holds the ball too long, something we saw during his time with the Bears, when he took an NFL-worst 55 sacks in 2022. For a player as mobile as Fields, the only quarterback in league history not named Lamar Jackson to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, that’s a dubious statistic.
Last year, the Steelers were 4–2 when they benched Fields. Pittsburgh watched Russell Wilson post a 47.9 QBR while losing the team’s last five games, including the wild-card debacle to the Ravens, and never considered putting Fields back into the lineup.
Somehow, that was enough to convince first-time general manager Darren Mougey to invest $40 million in Fields (including $30 million guaranteed) over two seasons. The decision is made all the more perplexing considering Mougey came to New York by way of Denver’s front office, where he watched Wilson light $245 million on fire.
Mougey knew Wilson was considered better than Fields by a Super Bowl–winning coach in Mike Tomlin and an organization that has reached the playoffs four of the past five years. He still gave Fields a sizable, multi-year deal.
Of course, it’s not all on Fields. The Jets couldn’t block at all, as evidenced by the aforementioned nine sacks. And to credit the Broncos, they have what might be a historic pass rush led by Nik Bonitto, who has a league-high eight sacks. Denver is also leads the league with 30 sacks, an absurd pace through six weeks. If the Broncos can keep it up, they’re tracking for 85 sacks, which would break the single-season record of 72 by the 1984 Bears.
Regardless, the Jets didn’t function like a professional team Sunday. The quarterback didn't function like a professional player. The coaches didn’t function like a legitimate staff. And the result was an 11-point, no-touchdown effort.
For New York, the next steps are obvious. The Jets should trade soon-to-be free-agent running back Breece Hall. They should also be inserting veteran backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who has 59 career starts, 28 wins and in one start for the Jets this year, throwing for 197 yards and two touchdowns in a near-upset of the Buccaneers in Week 3.
At this point, there’s no reason to continue playing Fields, who in five starts has twice failed to throw for 50 yards.
In the coming months, there will be talk about whom the Jets should draft to be the next hope in the Meadowlands. That’s for another day. The good news? New York might have its pick of anybody, as the league’s last remaining winless team. The bad news? The Jets have failed to draft and develop a true franchise quarterback since Joe Namath, who retired in 1977.
Glenn has 11 more games to prove he shouldn’t be a one-and-done coach, something we saw the AFC East produce last year in New England with Jerod Mayo. While that might be harsh, Mougey and ownership will have to decide whether they want Glenn and his staff overseeing the development of a rookie quarterback. So far, there’s little evidence it would go well.
In the meantime, Jets fans can sit and wait once again.
Waiting for a savior. Waiting for hope. Waiting for the season to just end.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Jets’ Season Is Already Over.
