There is only one NFL team that is yet to win a single game this season: the New York Jets. After going down 0-5, the Jets are meeting the Denver Broncos (3-2) in London on Sunday. Expectedly, the odds are heavily favored towards the Broncos (-370 to +395). However, one cannot turn a blind eye to the struggles of the Jets since the post-COVID era.
Advertisement
Statmuse data suggests that the Jets are the team that has suffered the most losses since 2020. They played 89 games, out of which they lost 64 games, which is well over 1/3 of the total games. Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers are not far behind, with 63 losses from 89 games.
So, what did the Jets try out in the past to stop this losing record? In hindsight, one can observe that they fired two head coaches during this period, hoping for a change in fortunes. They initially fired Adam Gase in 2021 after a terrible season where they lost 14 games and won 2. Notably, Gase was facing flak because his team’s performance was worse than their disappointing 7–9 record in 2019.
After this, Robert Saleh took over as the new Jets’ head coach. But they finished 4th again in the AFC East with 4 wins and 14 losses. However, there was a slight improvement, as the Jets did win 7 games in the 2022-23 season. But again, they finished last in the division behind the Patriots.
Looking at the losing streak, they roped in Aaron Rodgers in 2023 for a two-year, $75M deal. Sadly, A-Rod couldn’t last long as he wanted, as he suffered an Achilles tear against the Bills on September 11, 2023. Rodgers’ season ended prematurely, and the Jets again finished with a 7-10 record.
Meanwhile, much was expected from Rodgers in 2024, being his comeback year. While a Super Bowl was not the target, the team at least hoped for a wild-card spot in the playoffs, the last time being 2010. But with a 5-12 season, the Jets chose to part ways with Saleh and Rodgers. Notably, the last time the Jets had won a Super Bowl was in the year 1969, the year famous for the U.S. moon landing.
Cut to 2025, they roped in former Steeler Justin Fields and Aaron Glenn, who was the former defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, to lead the rescue mission. However, five weeks later, the Jets are still hoping for their first win.
How can the Jets fix this? Perhaps listening to what Rodgers said in 2023 might help the team a great deal. Rodgers suggested that the Jets struggle with “situational football,” leaving opportunities on the field and not consistently taking or maintaining leads. This indicates a need for better execution in critical moments of games, for which the offense must step up.
However, it is easier said than done, as the Jets will need to improve their overall game if they want to shed the “losing team” tag.
