With strong defense and struggling offense, a rerun of last season is playing out for the Jets

The Jets have tried for years to distance themselves from their long-standing three-word moniker that is synonymous with ineptitude, folly and head-shaking losses. These Jets are different. They’re not the Same Old Jets, but another three-word label applies, and it’s not good.

They are Last Year’s Jets.

They have a “championship-level defense,” as Robert Saleh describes it. But the Jets’ offense is far behind their own defense and most of the rest of the offenses in the NFL.

It was the same situation last season when the Jets built a 7-4 record, then lost six straight and failed to score a touchdown in their final three games.

When it comes to the offense, history is repeating itself for the Jets — and if something doesn’t change, something will have to change.

The Jets (4-4) will play in Las Vegas on Sunday with a chance to get right after their offense produced only two field goals in Monday’s loss to the Chargers. The Jets have not scored a touchdown in their last seven-plus quarters and overtime and are ranked next-to-last in the NFL in total offense.

Saleh committed to sticking with Zach Wilson as his quarterback, but Wilson could be on borrowed time. The Jets don’t want to keep wasting the effort by this top-10 defense. The offense might need to show life against the Raiders (4-5) for Wilson to keep his job beyond this week.

“We got to be better,” Wilson said. “At some point, we got to do something. It’s frustrating, but we’ve got to find a way.”

The offensive woes aren’t all on Wilson, but he’s the common denominator from last season and this one. He was benched twice last year, the first time after a dismal offensive performance in New England. The Jets were three games over .500 three times and ended up 7-10.

The Jets have changed the play-caller, added different playmakers, have an elite running back (Breece Hall) and wideout (Garrett Wilson) — and they’re getting similar results.

The defense has held the last two opponents under 200 yards of offense. The Jets were blown out by the Chargers, 27-6, and needed a near-miracle finish to beat the woeful Giants, 13-10, in overtime.

It’s doubtful that Saleh will change the main play-caller (coordinator Nathaniel Hackett). If the struggles continue, it’s going to fall on Zach Wilson. But Saleh said it would have to be “crystal clear” that the quarterback is the problem for him to make a change in-game.

“When everyone has their hand in the cookie jar, coaches included, it’s hard to justify making a move just to make a move,” Saleh said.

The Jets have been a mess overall on offense.

Because of injuries, they will start their sixth different offensive line combination Sunday. The Chargers’ loss was littered with dropped passes, penalties and turnovers — two by Zach Wilson and one by Garrett Wilson.

Allen Lazard and Dalvin Cook have not lived up to expectations. The Jets are abysmal in situational football. They’re last in third-down conversion rate (22.1%) and red-zone scoring (23.8%).

“It’s us as a group,” Hackett said. “Starts with me. It’s all the guys, and so we just all need to be more consistent for Zach.”

One figures that things would look much different if Aaron Rodgers were the Jets’ quarterback, but he was lost four snaps into the season with a left Achilles tendon injury. They were forced to go back to Wilson in what was supposed to be a year to watch and grow for him.

Rodgers’ injury devastated the Jets. They had to tweak the offense and tailor it for Wilson. He’s made some big-time throws, but he hasn’t done it consistently enough. He is leading an offense that has scored eight touchdowns in eight games and only three in the last four.

“There’s a lot on Zach’s plate,” Lazard said. “Every single week, we’re changing things up and asking him to do a lot. I think he’s been progressing pretty well just on how he’s been able to handle the game plan and how he’s been able to conduct the offense during the games throughout the game and everything, but obviously there’s still a lot of room to grow.”

If Wilson doesn’t get the offense rolling in Vegas, backup Tim Boyle could get a shot. Practice squad quarterback Trevor Siemian could be elevated in the coming weeks and get a chance to play.

Wilson’s plea to Jets fans is not to give up faith.

“I hope they know that as frustrated as they are, we’re even more frustrated,” he said. “I want them to know that I’m doing everything that I absolutely can to be the best quarterback I can be, to help us get to the playoffs and more. I want them to know we’re fighting.”

Just like last year, but the Jets want to avoid the same ending.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.