Jets will have offseason to mend their broken offense
Jets OC Mike LaFleur speaks at Jets camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey on Aug. 1, 2022. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
The Jets added playmakers on offense and former Pro Bowl linemen up front in the offseason to help not only Zach Wilson’s development but the overall unit’s ability to score points. It’s been a colossal letdown.
During the Jets’ five-game losing streak that knocked them out of playoff contention for the 12th consecutive year, they have scored four touchdowns. They have no touchdowns in the last two games and only two passing touchdowns in the last five.
The Jets’ offense is broken and they need to fix it.
It’s not happening in Week 18 in Miami. It’s happening this offseason when the organization has decisions to make about who will be calling the plays and who will be running the offense.
Robert Saleh defended offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur on Monday and continues to say it’s too soon to give up on Wilson. Owner Woody Johnson will have a say in those calls.
Johnson can’t be happy with how the Jets have performed overall and how the offense has deteriorated since this team was 6-3 at the bye. Johnson may want changes and no one could argue if he did.
LaFleur’s seat is expected to get hot. Wilson has regressed, the offense has rapidly declined, and the run game has been absent.
The Jets have lost six of seven games and scored one touchdown or fewer five times. They have no rushing touchdowns in the last three games.
Mike White played brilliantly against Chicago, leading four touchdown drives in a win that made the Jets 7-4, but the Bears are the worst defense in the league.
White couldn’t sustain that strong play. Neither could the Jets. Yet Saleh is happy with the growth of the offense since last year.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Saleh said. “If you’re looking at just results, you would say it’s not good enough. We’ve scored four touchdowns in the last five games. We haven’t been able to consistently put together drives.
“But if you’re looking at the individuals and the conviction and the beliefs and the growth that’s happening and the experiences that are being had through adversity, you would say, ‘Hell yeah, we’re growing. Hell yeah, the coaches are growing. Heck yeah, these young players are growing.’ ”
The quarterback play is the most disturbing thing. The NFL is a quarterback league. No Jets quarterback will reach 10 touchdown passes for the third straight year. The last two have been under LaFleur’s watch.
That unsightly stat is hard to fathom, but injury and offensive ineptitude make it reality.
San Francisco rookie Brock Purdy — known as “Mr. Irrelevant” for being the last pick in the 2022 draft — has 10 touchdown passes in five games, playing in the same system that LaFleur brought to the Jets.
Wilson leads the Jets with six TD throws, Joe Flacco has five and White three. Their 14 touchdown passes combined are tied for the second fewest in the NFL.
The Jets should be in the market for a veteran quarterback who can help this team reach the playoffs next season. The most prominent names are Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson.
Despite some of their defensive issues toward the end of the season, the Jets probably would still be alive in the playoff race or clinched a spot if they had better quarterback play.
You can certainly point to the loss of rookie running back Breece Hall in Week 7 to a torn ACL as a turning point for the Jets’ season. Hall remains the Jets’ leading rusher — and he’s missed the past nine games. That’s an indication of how much the offensive line has struggled and that the running back room needs some upgrades as well.
“We went from the youngest team last year to a much-improved older team this year,” center Connor McGovern said. “There’s still growth to be had. Consistency wins football games for the whole stretch of the year. Flashes are great because you see your potential. But you need that consistency. To be that consistent it takes everybody.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
