SEATTLE — New York Jets midfielder White Mike sat motionless in front of his locker for a few minutes, looking down at the plays at his feet. In the end, he stooped down, picked up the newspapers and methodically tore them into small pieces — a metaphor for the Jets’ once-promising season.
Their 23-6 loss first Seattle Seahawks football team Sunday at Lumen Field was the Jets’ fifth straight loss, knocking them out of the playoffs to lead to a terrifying fall. It extended their post-season drought to 12 years in a row, the longest running streak in the NFL and currently the longest slump in franchise history. It also marked their seventh consecutive losing season.
“It stings,” White said. “It’s tough. It’s painful. It’s all of the above. You can use whatever adjective you want to use to describe it.”
The Jets lead 7-4 after the match 31-10 Chicago bear on November 27, seems to be heading for a bad playoff. Weakened by a cold foul and midfield instability, they are now in the midst of perhaps the worst end of the season in the team’s history. The last time they lost this much in a row after their 10th game was in 1996, their infamous 1-15 season.
“No one was hurt more than the people in the dressing room, especially me,” said coach Robert Saleh. “At the same time, I know it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s a lot of really interesting things to look at this season. But right now, it’s tough.”
Setting a 4-13 record in Saleh’s first season, the Jets (7-9) weren’t expected to be strong contenders in the 2022 playoffs, but they turned out to be one of the big surprises. with a quick start. Expectations were raised — and everything fell apart.
“We feel bad as players,” tight end Tyler Conklin speak. “Nobody is happy about it. I feel for the fans, I feel for everyone. We want this too, and we didn’t play well enough and it hurts. It’s bad. You know you’re not going to get a chance to change that until next season, which makes it even worse.”
Saleh said he will “look at everything, top to bottom, obviously starting with me.” Offenses will be scrutinized most closely. It scored no goals for the second consecutive game; The Jets have averaged just 12 points per game in a five-game losing streak.
“It was shocking,” White said of the drop — eight quarters without a hit.
The Jets had hoped White’s return to the roster would provide the spark needed to win the final two games and possibly make it to the knockout stages. A pair of wins, along with a loss of New England Patriots, will lead to a wild berth. However, after missing two games with a broken rib, White appeared worn-out and uncomfortable under the pressure on Sunday.
White, on his fourth start since substituting Zach Wilson, completed only 23 of 46 240-yard passes and two interceptions. According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, he was fired four times and won 3-15 with a forced intercept.
He doesn’t deny that his ribs can be a factor in his performance.
“I got permission from the doctors to compete,” he said. “The guys in that dressing room deserve a certain standard. I know what I’m signed up for. I’ve been given permission by the doctors, I’ve been training all week. Basically, what I’m doing. I mean, there’s a standard that those people deserve. I don’t live up to that standard today.”
Different midfielders, same results.
In the last four games — two against Wilson, two against White — the Jets have scored 12, 17, three and six points. It sheds light on offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, whose offense hit 30 points just 5 times in 33 games. Conklin said they were “unstable” on Sunday.
“We felt like we blew the season away,” said the rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson, talking about the group in general. “We want a chance to get to the knockout stages. I’m pretty sure this [loss] which means we’re not going. At the end of the day, that’s what we want to do — and have the opportunity to prove ourselves beyond that. We didn’t go there, so we don’t feel good about it.”
The Jets were left out of the game from the start, falling behind at 17-3, after the defense let loose three goals in a row. After that, they never really threatened again, as LaFleur left the land game and White continued to misfire. He was 17 years old for 40 when he targeted recipients without the Conklin name.
After a couple of random results last weekend, the Jets got a surprise chance in the knockout stages – “a blessing from the football gods,” back corner DJ Reed speak. But they squandered a second chance.
“We’ve had high expectations all season and we haven’t met them,” the special team captain Justin Hardee speak. “It’s disappointing that you don’t take the next step and move into the post-season. We’re going to be upset for a long time.”
