This season was supposed to be a year of triumph for the New York Jets – year defined by an all-in approach, marked by high-profile additions and expectations of a deep playoff push.

Instead, the 2024 campaign has become a lost season, full of disappointments and failures. The team’s 3-8 record, coupled with a slim 1% chance of making the playoffs, illustrates the extent of their collapse.

The blame, as is so often the case, rests disproportionately on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers and the offensebut this scapegoat designation is erroneous.

Giving Up Explosive passing was a weakness during former coach Robert Saleh’s tenure, but it became the team’s kryptonite under interim coach and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

Deep coverage gaps cost the Jets dearly, and repeatedly, allowing opponents to change momentum with simple plays.

Under Saleh, those plays happened but they were limited, with the defense under Saleh giving up a passer rating of 92.5 on throws longer than 10 yards. Although 92.5 is far from ideal, that stat climbed to an unmanageable passer rating of 127.5 under Ulbrich, a recipe for losing the football.

Ulbrich attempted to right the ship with what could be described as a band-aid solution, a wrestling seminar aimed at treating one of the most visible symptoms of the Jets’ struggles. The seminar, intended as a reset aimed at strengthening fundamental tackling technique, was met with skepticism from players. They understood that the real problem wasn’t as simple as fit or commitment when packing a running back.

Cornerback Sauce Gardner, perhaps unintentionally, captured the sentiment with his candid assessment: “We know how to tackle. We know how to tackle. We have to make tackles. That’s really it. We did it. We really don’t need any introduction. I know where he’s coming from when he did, but as professional athletes we have to be able to make tackles, myself included of course.”

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson’s performance against the Jets was a painful reminder of the defense’s struggles to give up explosive plays.

With a young career marked by inconsistency, Richardson entered the game with a lot to prove but left MetLife Stadium a star. The Jets defense, which has made a habit of allowing big plays, was once again exposed, giving Richardson plenty of opportunities to shine, completing 20 of 30 passes for a career-high 272 yards.

On throws longer than 10 yards, Richardson exposed the Jets’ biggest defensive weakness, completing just eight passes for a staggering 208 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a passer rating of 120.8 on such attempts.

It was a glaring reminder of how the Jets’ inability to contain explosive plays led to their downfall. Time and again, Richardson found and exploited openings deep down the field, epitomized by a 39-yard strike to receiver Alec Pierce that set up the score. Indianapolis Colts ready for victory.

While it was a career game for Richardson, this type of performance is typical under Ulbrich, with the Jets allowing a passer rating over 120 on throws of 10+ yards in four of six games under his direction.

The Jets’ 2024 season, once filled with ambition and high hopes, now stands as a cautionary tale of wasted potential and misguided direction. Despite high-profile additions and bold decisions, the team finds itself without a clear identity, vacillating between a faltering offense and a defense unable to overcome its most significant flaws.

Struggles with explosive plays, compounded by ineffective leadership and poorly timed adjustments, shattered any semblance of cohesion. The Jets’ inability to address deep-rooted defensive issues, coupled with a lack of clear focus, left them adrift in a losing season.

For a team that has staked its future on immediate success, the harsh reality of its collapse is a bitter pill to swallow, one that demands judgment far beyond superficial solutions.