ORCHARD PARK, NY — The noise within the tunnel is loud, however the locker room is quiet. As Robert Saleh and Zach Wilson made their approach to the customer’s locker room on the Buffalo Payments’ stadium, there was commotion behind them. New York Jets defensive finish Micheal Clemons and Payments offensive sort out Dion Dawkins needed to be separated, a dust-up carried from the sphere to the tunnel as each groups headed to the locker room, situated in the identical tunnel, instantly throughout from the one another, with out a lot house between them.
The shut combat in query. Michael Clemons and Dion Dawkins have to be separated. The 2 large dudes are about to lock horns. Spilled from the meat throughout the 32-6 Payments victory. 📸 From my iPhone pic.twitter.com/P7xE0ADi3f
— Otis Livingston (@OlivingstonTV) November 20, 2023
It may have been worse, however a number of teammates helped maintain Clemons in the course of the difficulty, and a coach tried to calm Clemons as he walked to the locker room. Inside, the temper is somber and phrases are scarce.
Saleh appeared in tears at his postgame information convention. When vast receiver Garrett Wilson spoke, there was barely a whisper. Tyler Conklin admits he is run out of how to clarify the Jets’ mess. Normally, these are the identical points, week after week. However on this sport, the place the Jets misplaced 32-6, it was worse than final 12 months. They have been outplayed, outclassed and laughed off the sphere by gamers like Ed Oliver, who yelled at Jets gamers as they retreated to the locker room.
“What do you need to inform me?” Conklin stated after his crew fell to 4-6. “If I had solutions or somebody had solutions I would prefer to suppose it would not have occurred like this.”
Perhaps the reply comes with a quarterback change, however perhaps not. It is arduous to imagine Aaron Rodgers actually desires to come back again after watching Sunday’s sport. The Jets’ points transcend the quarterback place, although, as Zach Wilson has reached the purpose of no return — the place the Jets might sit him, once more, and this time for good. When he was pulled for Tim Boyle with 2:17 left within the third quarter, the Jets have been down 29-6. Wilson accomplished 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards, a landing — the Jets’ first offense in 40 possessions — and a brutal interception within the second quarter. He didn’t full a single move to a large receiver.
Saleh made it some extent to say that Wilson wasn’t the issue, and that he would solely seat him when it was clear that he was the one main the works. He firmly pushed again the thought of making a change looking for a spark – after which that is precisely what he did on Sunday when the sport was so removed from reaching.
“Simply attempting to see if we are able to get one thing happening the offensive facet of the ball,” Saleh stated.
Saleh wouldn’t say whether or not Wilson might be benched for Friday’s sport towards the Miami Dolphins, whether or not Wilson, Boyle or Trevor Siemian will take over. It could not matter, and it is affordable to marvel if that is all Saleh’s name. The Jets have reached the purpose now with Wilson that if he sits, the chance that they may transfer on from him utterly – as in, launch him for the season – shouldn’t be utterly dominated out. If he has a seat, it must be for him in a Jets uniform. It was Wilson an issue, stands out as the greatest downside, however he isn’t the one situation. The Jets already had one of many worst offenses within the NFL final 12 months and it solely received worse with Nathaniel Hackett operating the present at offensive coordinator.
Tim Boyle took over at QB for the Jets. pic.twitter.com/yipGuKL6eu
– NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 20, 2023
The unit feels prefer it’s reached some extent of no return and the stats are so pathetic, it is hardly value speaking about anymore. This week, Saleh stated there might be some “personnel” and “schematic” modifications to try to jumpstart the offense. That features giving extra taking part in time to younger gamers like undrafted rookie receivers Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson, younger tight finish Jeremy Ruckert and rookie operating again Israel Abanikanda The Jets additionally held a players-only assembly Tuesday, and Hackett moved from the sideline to the press field to name the performs, as Saleh stated, “give him one other perspective, rise up there and his world is quiet.”
None of those labored.
Brownlee performed 19 snaps and was not focused. Gipson fumbled on the kickoff and had one catch for 7 yards. Ruckert had a pleasant 18-yard catch however in any other case his impression went unnoticed. Abanikanda barely performed on offense till late within the second half when issues received out of hand. And the play-calling did not do a lot better, both: The Jets have been 0-for-11 on third down, additional cementing it because the worst third-down offense within the NFL, and one of many worst in current reminiscence. reminiscence. The run sport, which is meant to be the cornerstone of this offense, additionally fell off the cliff: In opposition to the Payments, Breece Corridor rushed for 23 yards on 10 carries after getting 28 yards on 13 carries final week towards Las Vegas Raiders. Finally, Hackett deliberate to get Corridor the ball extra within the passing sport and it labored — 5 catches for 50 yards and a landing — however that was the one optimistic final result of this week’s modifications.
It is essential to say that the Jets’ offensive line is in disarray. Chris Glaser (zero profession begins) begins at proper guard. When Mekhi Becton was left injured and unable to return, rookie Carter Warren changed him together with his first profession offensive snaps. The unit permits 5 sacks in whole. However earlier than Sunday, the Giants have been the one offense worse than the Jets in most areas (specifically scoring and move blocking), after which they went and scored 31 factors. in a win over the Washington Commanders. Quarterback Tommy DeVito threw for 3 touchdowns, one thing Wilson had by no means achieved earlier than.
“I do not suppose anybody is doing something proper now,” Saleh stated. “The gamers, the coaches, the schemes, it is clearly not good. None of it’s good.”
The supporting forged across the quarterback does not assist both. Wilson has had 19 of his passes dropped by his receivers this season, the third most of any quarterback. Just a few performs after Boyle’s check-in, Garrett Wilson misplaced one other fumble.
“I used to be attempting to make a play, catch the ball and I made a decision to try to make a transfer on the linebacker that wasn’t good ball safety,” Wilson stated. “That is what occurs on this league. This season, I have been uncovered to it and I’ve received to repair it. Me.”
Garrett Wilson admitted the offense’s struggles, and his lack of targets and catches Sunday, pressured him to make a play any time he received the ball. That could be the problem with a few of his teammates, too.
“I really feel like that, and I really feel like I play worse once I try this,” Wilson stated. “So I am attempting to combat human nature and all of us in all probability need to really feel that method and that is mixed with the struggles of the offense. It is arduous, man, if you’re taking part in like this and you are feeling like you must. I needed to take these dangerous performs off the sphere as a result of I used to be caught.
And at last, the Jets protection had its first dangerous sport of the season. It is arduous to pin most of this crew’s issues on them; sooner or later, the straw breaks the camel’s again. Saleh stated just a few weeks in the past the Jets have been “dominating” the star quarterbacks they performed this season, feedback that certainly made their method into the Payments’ locker room. Josh Allen fed him the crowbar that Sunday, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns in a get-right sport for Buffalo, the identical week it fired former offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
“I give them credit score, they dominated us,” cornerback DJ Reed stated. “It hurts to say.”
Robert Saleh should put together his crew to play once more on Friday, after they host the Dolphins. (Mark Konezny / USA At the moment)
However it’s not the protection’s fault. If fingers are pointing at anybody, it ought to begin on the prime of the group, within the course of a very powerful individuals who run the present:
That is common supervisor Joe Douglas, for constructing an offense that all of a sudden feels devoid of expertise outdoors of Corridor and Garrett Wilson.
That is Saleh, struggling to show the ship in the suitable course. The Jets have turn out to be an undisciplined crew vulnerable to penalties and repeated psychological errors.
That is Hackett, whose offense has turn out to be predictable, boring and fewer profitable — in some way much less productive than lots of the Jets’ horrendous offenses lately.
After which there’s Zach Wilson.
He wasn’t purported to play this 12 months, thoughts you. He’s supposedly to study from Aaron Rodgers. As an alternative, he began each sport and have become the face of the group’s greatest situation: offense.
Wilson admitted he was “dissatisfied” to be benched (once more), however understood why.
“When issues do not work out a change needs to be made and I perceive that,” he stated.
Boyle changed him and accomplished 7 of 14 passes for 33 yards and an interception, after not getting any first-team reps all week. He might want to this week, particularly if he replaces Wilson because the starter.
If that occurs, Wilson’s tenure with the Jets will come to an finish.
Early within the third quarter, Wilson scrambled to the sideline and shot Saleh, taking him down, a becoming picture for the state the Jets discover themselves in as a corporation.
At this charge, the Jets’ choice to stay with Wilson this offseason may additionally take Saleh the opposite method.
(High picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Photographs)
