On Sunday, the Jets suffered a 25-22 defeat to the struggling New England Patriots, who had lost six consecutive games and were forced to turn to quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Brissett played after rookie Drake Maye was injured due to a concussion and led the Patriots to their first home victory in over a year, contributing to New York’s fifth straight loss—this being their third since Ulbrich took over. Consequently, the Jets now find themselves in a tie for last place in the AFC East with the Patriots.
“This is a moment of darkness, and we understand that the outside world is going to get really loud right now,” Ulbrich expressed, acknowledging the dire circumstances surrounding the team. Rodgers also weighed in, saying, “Yeah, I’ve been in the darkness. You’ve got to go in there, make peace with it.”
The Jets experienced additional setbacks during the game, including missed opportunities by kicker Greg Zuerlein, who failed to make a field goal and an extra point. Additionally, New York burned all three of their first-half timeouts in just the opening quarter, with two occurring merely 44 seconds apart on the same drive. “On one of them, we were lagging out of the huddle, one I was trying to get the protection right,” Rodgers explained, after throwing for 233 yards and two touchdown passes. “Our operation was a little slow at times.”
After an incomplete pass aimed at Garrett Wilson, the Jets called a timeout, which would have been useful later during their final drive starting from their own 30-yard line with only 22 seconds remaining. Complicating matters further, New York was assessed a delay of game penalty while preparing for a 2-point conversion after a touchdown by Braelon Allen late in the fourth quarter. Rodgers completed a pass for a short gain, but the conversion attempt ultimately fell short.
“From an operational standpoint, we’ve got to improve overall, and that includes every single player and coach, including Aaron,” Ulbrich noted in his criticism of the team’s execution. Zuerlein missed an extra point in the first quarter and subsequently misfired on a crucial 44-yard field goal attempt, contributing to the team’s struggles as he has now missed six field goals this season. Despite the kicker’s difficulties, Ulbrich maintained his decision to stick with Zuerlein.
“We need to evaluate everything we do thoroughly. It’s not just Greg’s fault; it falls on all of us,” Ulbrich stated, addressing the need for a comprehensive review heading into the next week.
Meanwhile, the long-awaited debut of Haason Reddick didn’t boost New York’s defense as anticipated. The Jets allowed the previously ineffective Patriots offense to score twice in the second half. On the crucial winning drive, the Jets gave up a third-and-10 conversion, as cornerback Sauce Gardner was unable to prevent a significant 34-yard pass that brought the ball to the Jets’ 9-yard line.
“The NFL is hard. It’s hard to win. It’s even harder when you make it difficult on yourself,” Rodgers reflected, recognizing the challenges ahead.