The New York Jets will be sitting home for the playoffs — again — and trying to figure out their future at quarterback — again.
They're both recurring, frustrating themes for the struggling franchise, which extended the NFL's longest active postseason drought to 15 seasons with a 34-10 loss to Miami on Sunday.
“It’s a yearly thing,” said running back Breece Hall, who's finishing his fourth season with the team. “It definitely starts to weigh on you.
You see your peers and you see other guys that you know you’re just as good as or better than, and they get to have a lot of fun.”
A few generations of Jets fans know the feeling.
Many weren't even born when Rex Ryan last led the franchise to the playoffs during the 2010 season behind a stifling defense, a young quarterback in Mark Sanchez and a ground-and-pound running offense.
The Jets' search for a consistently productive signal caller is in an even longer slump, with only some flashes of success and optimism along the way since Joe Namath’s last game with the franchise in 1976.
Undrafted rookie Brady Cook could become the next in a long line of quarterbacks to start for the team after he made his regular-season NFL debut against the Dolphins when he replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor late in the first quarter. Cook, who was Taylor’s backup because Justin Fields was ruled out with knee soreness, was 14 of 30 for 163 yards and two interceptions.
“I thought Brady did some good things,” coach Aaron Glenn said. “Listen, he was put in a tough situation and it’s always tough for a backup quarterback to actually go in and get the rhythm that he needs from not getting as many reps as you want to get during the week, but I thought he had true command of the offense."
Glenn had no updates on either Taylor, who's dealing with a groin injury, or Fields, who had already been benched before the knee injury.
“We've got to see what guys are healthy enough to go out there and give us a chance to win,” Glenn said.
The coach then declined to say whether he'd go back to Fields as the starter if he's the healthier of the two veteran quarterbacks.
“I’m going to play the guy that I think gives us the best chance to win,” he said.
At 3-10, there obviously haven't been a lot of victories. And there's just as much uncertainty under center as there has been at any point during the Jets' playoff-less stretch.
Fields was signed to a two-year, $40 million contract last March with the hope he could thrive in his third NFL start. That didn't work out, to put it lightly.
Taylor is a 36-year-old journeyman backup with an injury history. He's a positive influence on the locker room, but hardly a player who can be relied on to be a long-term solution.
Cook, meanwhile, has some potential but is unproven and likely won't be able to do much to dissuade the Jets from looking to add a quarterback in free agency and possibly the draft.
As another season for New York fizzles, Glenn has continued to preach the need for building a foundation. Finding the quarterback, though, is the biggest brick. And the Jets have shown for the last 50-plus years that has always been the toughest task of all.
The return game. Isaiah Williams became the third player in franchise history to have multiple punt return touchdowns in one season, joining Dick Christy (1961 and 1962) and Santana Moss (2002). He had a 78-yard return for a score against Miami and a 74-yarder for a TD against Cleveland last month. Kene Nwangwu also has a 99-yard kickoff return for a score, giving the Jets three TDs on returns this season — their most since also having three in 2007.
Run defense. After a solid stretch following some early season struggles, the Jets are again having teams run right through them. The Dolphins rolled up 239 yards on the ground Sunday, with missed tackles throughout the game. “That many rushing yards is completely unacceptable,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said.
That came a week after Atlanta had 167 yards rushing against them.
TE Mason Taylor. The second-round pick and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor led the Jets with five catches for 51 yards against the Dolphins before suffering a stinger. He tops the Jets with 44 receptions, joining Dustin Keller (2008) and Pete Lammons (1966) as the only rookie tight ends in franchise history to top 40 catches.
DC Steve Wilks. The Jets' defense has been disappointing for most of the season, and that was the case even before New York traded cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline last month. Wilks' unit has routinely missed tackles, leading to explosive plays. The Jets also have no interceptions through 13 games — an NFL record for futility.
WR Garrett Wilson (knee) is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, but Glenn said the team will rely on what the doctors say to determine when — or if — he'll return this season. ... TE Stone Smartt was being evaluated for a concussion. ... Rookie DE Tyler Baron has a knee injury. ... Rookie LB Kiko Mauigoa cleared the concussion protocol during the game but didn’t return because of a shoulder injury.
6 — The Jets had six dropped passes against Miami, according to Tru Media, the most by a team this season.
Glenn will get the medical reports and determine who his quarterback will be Sunday when the Jets travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars.
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