EAST RUTHERFORD – Expectations weren’t high. They were the exact opposite, actually, considering what the Jets believed they were capable of the previous two years. Aaron Glenn even admitted as much before the season. All he wanted, the first-year coach said, was to field a team this tortured fan base could be proud of.
And the Jets couldn’t even do that.
Dallas dismantled New York on Sunday, 37-22, in a game that was in no way as close as even that lopsided score might indicate. The Jets are now 0-5 on the season. Glenn is the first first-time coach in team history to begin his tenure 0-5.
“It’s going to take time, fellas,” he said.
It wasn’t even a week ago that Glenn, who said at the NFL Combine the Jets expect to “win now,” erupted on his team in the bowels of HardRock Stadium, his screams penetrating the lone wall separating the adjacent media room from the visiting locker room. The Jets were minutes removed from a disastrous loss to the previously-winless Dolphins. They looked ill-prepared, undisciplined, poorly coached. He implored them that what they did on Monday Night Football wasn’t acceptable. It couldn’t happen again.
A coach berating his team like that is a desperate measure. Grown men seldom appreciate being screamed at. When done at the right time and appropriately, though, it can provide a boost.
New York’s performance against Dallas makes you wonder if this team is already tuning its coach out.
The Jets were down 20 to the Cowboys by the time they retreated back in at halftime. They again committed double-digit penalties (12 called, 10 accepted). They again turned the ball over (Breece Hall fumble) to thwart a drive seemingly destined for the end zone. They missed 14 tackles. They failed to create a takeaway – they’re the only team in NFL history to not have one through five games. They managed just one sack (when Dak Prescott gave himself up on a scramble) versus a Cowboys line missing four of five starters.
A “Let’s Go Cowboys” chant at MetLife Stadium was the only thing to drown out the boos this frustrated fan base rained down from above in the third and fourth quarters.
“I don’t know what it is,” said cornerback Sauce Gardner, who allowed two catches including a 43-yard touchdown, when trying to figure out why this season has gone so wrong. “It’s been keeping me up at night.”
Struggles under a new regime aren’t uncommon. The difference is that these Jets aren’t like most teams. Compared to the one Robert Saleh inherited from Adam Gase – “expansion” was the word he used to describe it. The roster was void of any semblance of talent. That must be acquired before they could compete.
This roster isn’t, at least not in name. Hall, who ran 113 yards on just 14 carries, is among the game’s best backs. Garrett Wilson, who caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown, is one of the game’s best receivers. The offensive line is infused with high draft picks (Olu Fashanu, Armand Membou, Joe Tippmann) and free-agent dollars (John Simpson).
The defensive line has players like Quinnen Williams and Will McDonald. Jamien Sherword, a high-priced re-signing, at linebacker. The secondary is manned by Gardner, Brandon Stephens and Andre Cisco, among others. Players the organization invested significant money in.
The Jets still have their warts, but so does every team. They’re not supposed to be winless-through-five bad. Their offseason vacancies at head coach and general manager were considered two of the more coveted in the NFL because of how far along the team was. That was not green-and-white propaganda, but a testament to ex-GM Joe Douglas.
“I couldn’t say I knew what I was getting into,” Wilson said, “As far as the growing pains that come with (this).”
The Jets are worse now than they ever were under Saleh. They haven’t been 0-5 since Gase’s second season, which finished 2-14. You’d be hard pressed to find any problem they identified and fixed this year. They brought referees in to practice because they wanted to fix their penalties. They tackled in training camp to fix their poor defense. They preached a new energy and vibe with Glenn that was supposed to make everything better.
The Cowboys entered Sunday allowing a league-worst 420 yards per game and 30 (second worst) points per game. Through three quarters (before compiling garbage time yards against a prevent defense) the Jets had six points and 210 yards. Their offensive line, supposedly one of the better in the NFL, allowed five sacks and 14 quarterback hits.
Gardner, the league’s highest-paid cornerback, blamed the coverage for why he gave up another touchdown. While he was focused on George Pickens, his secondary counterparts allowed Ryan Flournoy to catch six passes for 114 yards and rush for another 10.
Players sulked on the field and on the sideline. There was no energy. There was no life. The team looked defeated, hapless from the opening seconds until the final.
“I think the future is bright for this organization and I’m happy to be a part of this organization,” said Simpson, fighting back tears. “I know deep down – I get emotional about this s—. But I know we’re going to turn this s— around.”
Glenn’s softened up as the losses piled up. He was so combative in his early news conferences, argumentative. That works when you’re winning (see Bill Belichick), not so much when you’re the avenue for fans to understand what’s wrong.
The coach has stressed, even more so in recent weeks, the Jets message is sound. Their practices have been “damn good” he said. He spent this week talking to Jimmy Johnson and Tony Dungy, two Hall of Fame coaches who endured similar struggles to begin their careers.
Glenn is right about one thing: He’s asking the right things of his players.
The problem is that, until you see results, there’s no reason to believe anyone is listening.
