ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The noise within the tunnel was loud, however the locker room was quiet. As Robert Saleh and Zach Wilson headed towards the customer’s locker room on the Buffalo Payments’ stadium, there was commotion behind them. New York Jets defensive finish Micheal Clemons and Payments offensive sort out Dion Dawkins needed to be separated, a dust-up that carried over from the sphere into the tunnel as the 2 groups headed to the locker room, positioned in the identical tunnel, instantly throughout from one another, with out a lot house between them.
The close to struggle in query. Michael Clemons and Dion Dawkins should be separated. Two huge dudes virtually locked horns. Spilled over from beef through the 32-6 Payments win. 📸 From my iPhone pic.twitter.com/P7xE0ADi3f
— Otis Livingston (@OlivingstonTV) November 20, 2023
It might’ve been worse, however a number of teammates helped to carry Clemons again within the midst of the hubbub, and a coach tried to calm Clemons down as he walked into the locker room. Inside, the temper was dour and phrases have been scarce.
Saleh gave the impression to be on the verge of tears in his postgame information convention. When large receiver Garrett Wilson spoke, it was barely above a whisper. Tight finish Tyler Conklin admitted he’s run out of how to elucidate the Jets’ mess. Often, it’s the identical points, week after week. However on this sport, which the Jets misplaced 32-6, it was worse than it has been since at the very least final 12 months. They have been outmatched, outclassed and laughed off the sphere by gamers like Ed Oliver, who shouted at Jets gamers as they retreated to the locker room.
“What would you like me to say?” Conklin mentioned after his crew dropped to 4-6. “If I had solutions or somebody had the solutions I wish to assume it wouldn’t be occurring like this.”
Possibly the reply will include a quarterback change, however most likely not. It’s onerous to consider Aaron Rodgers would really nonetheless wish to return after watching Sunday’s sport. The Jets’ points transcend the quarterback place, even when Zach Wilson has reached some extent of no return — the place the Jets may bench him, once more, and this time for good. When he was pulled for Tim Boyle with 2:17 left within the third quarter, the Jets have been shedding 29-6. Wilson had accomplished 7 of 15 passes for 81 yards, one landing — the Jets’ first offensive landing in 40 possessions — and a brutal second-quarter interception. He didn’t full a single cross to a large receiver.
Saleh has made it some extent to say that Wilson was not the issue, and that he would solely bench him when it was clear he was the one gunking up the works. He adamantly pushed again on the concept of constructing a change merely to discover a spark — after which that’s precisely what he did Sunday when the sport was already too far out of attain.
“Simply tried to see if we might get one thing happening the offensive aspect of the ball,” Saleh mentioned.
Saleh wouldn’t say whether or not Wilson’s benching will carry over to Friday’s sport towards the Miami Dolphins, if it’ll be Wilson, Boyle or Trevor Siemian taking on. It won’t matter, and it’s honest to surprise if that’s fully Saleh’s name anyway. The Jets have reached some extent now with Wilson that if he’s benched, the opportunity of them transferring on from him altogether — as in, releasing him in-season — shouldn’t be fully dominated out. If he’s benched, that must be it for him in a Jets uniform. Wilson is an issue, possibly the largest downside, however he’s not the one situation. The Jets already had one of many NFL’s worst offenses final 12 months and it’s one way or the other gotten worse with Nathaniel Hackett working the present at offensive coordinator.
Tim Boyle has taken over at QB for the Jets. pic.twitter.com/yipGuKL6eu
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 20, 2023
The unit feels prefer it’s reached some extent of no return and the statistics are so pitiful, it’s barely price mentioning them anymore. This week, Saleh mentioned there could be some “personnel” and “schematic” modifications to attempt to jumpstart the offense. That included giving extra taking part in time to younger gamers like undrafted rookie receivers Jason Brownlee and Xavier Gipson, younger tight finish Jeremy Ruckert and rookie working again Israel Abanikanda. The Jets additionally held a players-only assembly on Tuesday, and Hackett moved from the sideline to the press field to name performs to, as Saleh mentioned, “give him one other perspective, rise up there and quiet his world down.”
None of it labored.
Brownlee performed 19 snaps and wasn’t focused. Gipson fumbled the opening kickoff and had one catch for 7 yards. Ruckert had a pleasant 18-yard catch however in any other case his affect wasn’t noticeable. Abanikanda barely performed on offense till late within the second half when issues have been already out of attain. And the play-calling didn’t get any higher, both: The Jets have been 0-for-11 on third down, additional cementing this because the NFL’s worst third-down offense, and one of many worst in latest reminiscence. The working sport, which was purported to be the staple of this offense, has fallen off a cliff, too: In opposition to the Payments, Breece Corridor rushed for 23 yards on 10 carries after getting 28 yards on 13 carries final week towards the Las Vegas Raiders. Lastly, Hackett schemed to get Corridor the ball extra within the passing sport and it labored — 5 catches for 50 yards and a landing — however that was the one constructive end result from modifications this week.
You will need to point out that the Jets’ offensive line is in disarray. Chris Glaser (zero profession begins) began at proper guard. When left sort out Mekhi Becton left with an damage and didn’t return, he was changed by rookie Carter Warren in his first profession offensive snaps. The unit allowed 5 sacks in complete. However earlier than Sunday, the Giants have been the one offense worse than the Jets in most areas (specifically scoring and in cross blocking), after which they went and scored 31 factors in a win over the Washington Commanders. Quarterback Tommy DeVito threw three touchdowns, which is one thing Wilson has by no means performed.
“I don’t assume anybody did something in the present day,” Saleh mentioned. “Gamers, coaches, schemes, it was clearly not adequate. None of it was good.”
The supporting forged across the quarterback isn’t serving to a lot, both. Wilson has had 19 of his passes dropped by his receivers this season, the third-most of any quarterback. A number of performs after Boyle checked in, Garrett Wilson misplaced one other fumble.
“I’m attempting to make a play, catch the ball and I determine to attempt to make a transfer on the linebacker with not good ball safety,” Wilson mentioned. “That’s what occurs on this league. This season, I’m getting uncovered for it and I gotta repair it. I’ll.”
Garrett Wilson admitted that the offense’s struggles, and his lack of targets and catches on Sunday, has him urgent to make a play anytime he really will get the ball. That may be the problem for a few of his teammates, too.
“I do really feel like that, and I really feel like I play worse once I try this,” Wilson mentioned. “So I’m attempting to struggle human nature and all of us possibly gotta really feel that manner and that compiles with the struggles on offense. It’s onerous, man, if you’re taking part in like this and you’re feeling such as you’ve obtained to. I’ve obtained to take these dangerous performs off the sphere as a result of I’m urgent.”
And at last, the Jets protection had its first actually dangerous sport of the season. It’s onerous to pin a lot of the issues of this crew on them; in some unspecified time in the future, the straw was going to interrupt the camel’s again. Saleh mentioned just a few weeks in the past the Jets had “dominated” the star quarterbacks they have been taking part in this season, feedback that absolutely made their option to the Payments locker room. Josh Allen made him eat crow for that Sunday, throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns in a get-right sport for Buffalo, the identical week it fired former offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
“I give them credit score, they dominated us,” cornerback D.J. Reed mentioned. “It’s painful to say.”
Robert Saleh has to get his crew able to play once more on Friday, once they host the Dolphins. (Mark Konezny / USA In the present day)
However this isn’t the fault of the protection. If fingers are getting pointed at anybody, it ought to begin on the high of the group, within the course of a very powerful individuals working the present:
That’s basic supervisor Joe Douglas, for constructing an offense that unexpectedly feels devoid of expertise exterior of Corridor and Garrett Wilson.
That’s Saleh, who has had a tough time getting the ship steered again in the precise course. The Jets have was an undisciplined crew liable to penalties and back-breaking psychological errors.
That’s Hackett, whose offense has turn into predictable, boring and wildly unsuccessful — one way or the other much less productive than many horrible Jets offenses of latest years.
After which there’s Zach Wilson.
He wasn’t purported to play this 12 months, keep in mind. He was supposed to be taught from Aaron Rodgers. As a substitute, he’s began each sport and has was the face of the group’s greatest situation: offense.
Wilson admitted that he was “pissed off” that he obtained benched (once more), however understood why.
“When issues aren’t getting performed a change must be made and I perceive that,” he mentioned.
Boyle changed him and accomplished 7 of 14 passes for 33 yards and an interception, after not getting any first-team reps all week. He ought to this week, particularly if he winds up changing Wilson because the starter.
If that occurs, the drawn-out finish of Wilson’s tenure with the Jets will come to cross.
Early within the third quarter, Wilson scrambled to the sideline and barreled into Saleh, taking him out, a becoming picture for the state the Jets discover themselves in as a company.
At this fee, the Jets’ choice to roll with Wilson this season may take out Saleh in one other manner, too.
(Prime photograph: Sarah Stier / Getty Photographs)
