This season has been extraordinarily surprising in a positive sense with the growth of Garrett Wilson, Ahmad Gardner’s incredible rookie season, and Bryce Hall’s emergence as a top-tier talent. On the other end of the spectrum stands the regression of Zach Wilson which stands as the the catalyst for the fall of the team this year. Yes, Mike White has done well but against the Seahawks, his injury was at the forefront of his performance. White looked nothing like the decisive, accurate, and poised QB he had been since he assumed the starting role. He missed the easiest throws and looked incredibly uncomfortable.
The defense chose that moment to collapse, having one of their worst performances of the season. Allowing Kenneth Walker a 133-yard game while averaging 5.8 yards a carry and Geno Smith a two-touchdown game. All this in a game that had their last playoff hopes hanging in the balance. This losing streak stands at five successive implosions leaving Jets fans flailing, searching for answers, and of course, someone to blame. The Coaching staff stands at the top of the list for me, with how unprepared it seems the team was from the start but ultimately their decision to play Mike White. Mike White wasn’t at a hundred percent and most importantly he appeared to be more of a hindrance. Their job was to protect him from himself and that stood somewhere at the top of a list of failures for the coaching staff this season.
The season is over and all the Monday morning quarterbacks will come out in droves pointing out what should have been done but hindsight is 20/20. With consecutive losses and the fall of Zach Wilson, it will be hard for fans to find solace but there are additional positives if you just sit back and remember where you thought this team would be before the season started. Yes, it’s been crushing to watch their downfall but the promise of the 2022 draftees, and their rise to substantial roles as prominent pieces on this team now and in the future has to weigh positively on your mind. Joe Douglas showed that he is a better-than-average GM and he might be able to add the necessary pieces to push this team over the hill. Joe Douglas’s most important job this offseason will be the evaluation of his coaching staff. They dropped the ball on several levels and if they are going to be part of the bright future we wish for this team their game has to be raised. 2022 was good all-around but maybe since there were so many firsts and firsts time in a long time this organization can finally reach the peak of its competitiveness and bring Jets fans to the promised land for the first time in 12 years. The playoffs have to be a must because there is nowhere but up for this team.
