Star Power Not Enough: Jets’ Issues Run Deeper
The New York Jets will need to find another way to cover up their loss this week because their recent excuse did not change the outcome this past Sunday.
After suffering another loss on Sunday Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jets have now lost four straight games. The 37-15 final on the road in the Steel City was another blunder on a season that carried high expectations. Some may even say Super Bowl aspirations.
However, at 2-5, the Jets are far from seeing that end goal in their future plans. That’s if they are even looking past next week.
Over the last few weeks, the Jets have created moves following some of their losses to create change within the organization. These moves also overshadowed the team’s performance on the field, at least for a little while.
The last move came after the Jets lost to the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills 23-20 on Monday Night Football. The team finally acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite him with 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
It didn’t seem to do much help in his first game with New York as Adams did not make much of an impact on the field. He finished the night with only three receptions for 30 yards, all coming in the first half of the game. When the need for the receiver to step up and make a play when the Jets were trying to find a way to fight their way back into the game, the All-Pro couldn’t capitalize. He was targeted nine times in the contest and only came up with 33% of them.
Although the team is still looking for its new identity after head coach Robert Saleh’s firing just two weeks ago, the clock is ticking on the 2024 season, one that has many implications for the future of this organization.
Jets general manager Joe Douglas is entering the final season of a six-year deal he signed in 2019. If something doesn’t change quickly, it may be another year when the club misses the postseason—a drought that pre-dates Douglas and goes back to 2010.
Rodgers is still under contract through the 2025 season, but if a massive change occurs in the Jets front office, would the aging star decide to hang it up finally?
For the second straight game, the Jets’ defense was not up to par, fueling the fire that focusing on adding a disgruntled wide receiver was no where near the team’s top priority. A receiver who, regardless of success this season, is set to make over $35 million a season through 2026.
The addition of Adams is not going to solve all the problems the Jets have. It won’t come even close. So don’t be so surprised when the team misses out on reaching the Super Bowl or even the postseason in 2024.
The odds are not in the Jets favor.
Only one interim head coach has made the postseason in the Super Bowl era (the 2021 Las Vegas Raiders), and only two in NFL History (1961 Houston Oilers). No team has made it to the Super Bowl.
What will the front office have up its sleeve as it looks to find a way to cast a shadow on another loss from the most underperforming team in the NFL?
