The New York Jets entered the 2023 season with high hopes after assembling a playoff-worthy team. After two years of struggle with the quarterback situation, they managed to get Aaron Rodgers on board and other key players to structure the roster around him. However, the star QB suffered an unfortunate injury during his debut, which resulted in the team’s dismal performance.
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Since the beginning of this season, the Jets haven’t been able to translate their efforts into victories. In the aftermath of their recent 30-0 defeat against the Miami Dolphins, their playoff race for this season is now over. Consequently, this led the franchise to an unfortunate place in the history books of American sports.
‘TheScore‘ recently reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the Jets have spent 13 consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance. Notably, it’s the longest drought in four North American sports.
13 straight years without a playoff appearance for the New York Jets.
The longest in the 4 major North American sports. pic.twitter.com/DC6sdQmd03
— theScore (@theScore) December 17, 2023
The Jets are now third in the AFC East and have lost six back-to-back matchups. Speculations are swirling around the management and star QB, Zach Wilson, who recently suffered an injury and will probably be traded in the next season.
New York Jets Face the Music Following their Historic Downturn in 2023
The headlines have highlighted the incompatibility of the team with their quarterback, Zach Wilson, all season. The anticipation of Aaron Rodgers’ return is another question still awaiting a definite answer. Moreover, the recent shutout loss has caused significant damage to the team’s image.
They struggled against the Dolphins even with the absence of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill due to an ankle injury. Zach Wilson had a below-average performance, even before his injury, completing 4 out of 11 passes for a mere 26 yards. His backup, Trevor Siemian, failed to leave a mark after completing 14 out of 26 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions. Following this matchup, the Jets have now been sacked a total of 67 times this season, resulting in a loss of 501 yards.
WILD STAT
The #Jets have been sacked 67x this season, losing a total of 501 yards via sacks. pic.twitter.com/wrkFLLKGez
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) December 18, 2023
As opposed to the Jets, the Miami Dolphins gave a record-breaking performance. Raheem Mostert set a new franchise record for most touchdowns after scoring his 19th and 20th scores against the Jets.
The Green Gang’s crushing defeat disappointed everyone, even their superfan Rich Eisen, who couldn’t help but criticize the O-line. In a tweet, a mocking exchange between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his doctors was presented by Rich Eisen. He joked about the lack of protection for the recovering quarterback if he were to make a return to the gridiron, writing,
“Doctors: Sorry, @AaronRodgers12. We can’t clear you. Rodgers: Based on your medical opinion? Doctors: No, based on your offensive line.”
Doctors: Sorry, @AaronRodgers12. We can’t clear you.
Rodgers: Based on your medical opinion?
Doctors: No, based on your offensive line.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) December 17, 2023
With the Jets out of the playoff contention, Aaron Rodgers will now aim to make a return in 2024. It’s pretty much evident that there will be some restructuring in the roster, but it will be interesting to see if there are any changes in the coaching lounge.