Jets excluded from playoff contention – ‘it hurts’

Seattle – New York Jets quarterback Mike White He sat motionless in his closet for several minutes, staring at the playing cards at his feet. Eventually, he reached down, picked up the papers and methodically tore them to shreds—a metaphor for the Jets’ promising season.

Their 23-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field was the fifth straight defeat for the Jets, which eliminated playoff contention to culminate in an epic collapse. The postseason drought has stretched for 12 consecutive years, the longest active streak in the NFL and now the longest running slump in franchise history. It also finished its seventh straight losing season.

“It stings,” White said. “It’s hard. It’s painful. All of the above. You can use whatever adjective you want to use to describe it.”

The Jets were 7-4 after a 31-10 defeat of the Chicago Bears on November 27, and appeared to be heading for a losing playoff game. Due to a cold attack and quarterback instability, they are now in the midst of perhaps the worst late-season dunk in team history. The last time they lost that many in a row after the 10th game was in 1996, their infamous 1-15 season.

“Nobody hurts more than the people in the locker 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 are so many great things to look for this season. But right now, it’s taking time.”

Having posted a 4-13 record in Saleh’s first season, the Jets (7-9) weren’t expected to be a strong playoff contender in 2022, but they have become one of the biggest surprises with their fast start. Expectations rose – and everything fell apart.

“We feel like players,” tight end Tyler Conklin He said. “No one is happy about it. I feel for the fans, I feel for everyone. We wanted that too, we didn’t play well enough and it hurt. It’s annoying. You know you don’t get a chance to change that until next season, which makes it level.”

Salih said he would “look at everything, all the way from top to bottom, starting with me, obviously”. The crime will get the most scrutiny. He failed to score a touchdown for the second straight game. The Jets averaged just 12 points per game during their five-game losing streak.

“It’s shocking,” White said of the recession — eight quarters without a drop.

The Jets hoped White’s return to the lineup would provide the spark needed to win their last two games and possibly sneak into the playoffs. A pair of wins, along with one loss by the New England Patriots, would have resulted in a wild card berth. But after missing two games with broken ribs, White was rusty and looked uncomfortable under Sunday’s pressure.

White, making his fourth start since the seat replacement Zack WilsonHe completed just 23 of 46 passes for 240 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked four times and went 3-for-15 with an interception under duress, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

He did not deny that his ribs might have been a factor in his performance.

“The doctors allowed me to play,” he said. “The guys in that locker room deserve a certain standard. I knew what I was going to sign up for. I was cleared by the doctors, and I’ve been practicing for it all week. Basically, what I’m saying is, there’s a standard these guys deserve. I just didn’t live up to that level today.” “.

Different quarterback, same score.

In the past four games — two with Wilson, two with White — the Jets have produced 12, 17, three and six points. Highlights are offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, whose offense has exceeded 30 points just five times in 33 games. They were “flat” at times Sunday, Conklin said.

“We feel like we blew the season,” said the rookie wide receiver Garrett WilsonHe talks about the team in general. “We wanted a chance in the qualifiers. I’m sure of that [loss] I mean, we’re not going. Ultimately, that’s what we wanted to do – and have a chance to prove ourselves next. We’re not there, so we don’t feel good about it at all.”

The Jets were out of the game from the start, trailing 17-3, after the defense allowed three straight scoring plays. After that, they never really threatened, as Lafleur walked away from the ground match and White continued to fail. He was 17-for-40 when targeting receivers not named Conklin.

After a few hit-and-runs this past weekend, the Jets received an unexpected shot at the playoffs – ‘Blessings from the football gods,’ cornerback DJ Reid He said. But they squandered their second chance.

Special Teams Captain “We had high expectations all season and we just didn’t meet them” Justin Hardy He said. “It’s always disappointing when you don’t take the next step and make it to the post-season. We’re going to have a bad taste in our mouth for a long time.”