“Shame on the Jets for playing like trash,” Yahoo! Sports’ Inside Coverage host Jason Fitz said on October 28, after the New York Jets faced their fifth consecutive, and sixth overall loss this season in Week 8 against the New England Patriots (22-25). For a team that was running for first place in the AFC East merely three weeks ago, the recent meltdown is the lowest of lows. And star quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ heart-breaking confession is a reminder of the team’s dilapidated condition. But before we get to that…

It was a must-win situation for Gang Green. But what did they do? They became the “first team since 2012 to lose with zero giveaways and less than 250 yards allowed”, as per ESPN. Despite Patriots’ rookie QB Drake Maye suffering a concussion late in the first quarter, his team spectacularly turned their fortunes around after the Jets took a lead late in the fourth quarter. With 2:53 left and a five-point lead, Rodgers’ team failed to contain their opponents on two long third-down plays—one converted by Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett on a run and another on a 34-yard strike to Kayshon Boutee to set up first-and-goal.

On top of that, Maye’s replacement Jacoby Brissett orchestrated a game winning 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with Rhamondre Stevenson scoring on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 22 seconds left in the game. Stevenson then scored the two-point conversion to settle the final score, driving a wedge into the Jets’ Super Bowl dreams—that, to be honest, looks almost done now, which was evident in interim HC (after Robert Saleh was fired post a disappointing start to the season and reported tension with Rodgers) Jeff Ulbrich’s downcast demeanor.

In a post-match addressal, Ulbrich admitted with a shaky voice, “I’m pissed; they’re pissed [the Jets players]. I’m hurt; they’re hurt,” before adding, “This is a moment of darkness, and we understand that the outside world is going to get really loud right now…We talk about being at our best when our best is required, and that was not it. That’s on coaching, first of all, and then second, we’ve got to execute, and we did not execute in critical moments. We say that’s not who we are, but it’s who we are until we demonstrate otherwise.” ” 

However, the coach also drew a hopeful figure: “But the only thing I know in life is that when it gets dark and it gets hard, that you work and you point the finger at yourself and you look inward and you figure out what can I do better from an individual standpoint…If we do that collectively, which I believe we will, that’s your only opportunity to dig yourself out of this. That’s your only opportunity to improve and fix some of these wrongs.” 

Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, was equally stunned and almost seemed like he was on the verge of giving up. “I’ve been in the darkness…You’ve got to go in there, make peace with it,” he said, before adding, “The NFL is hard. It’s hard to win. Harder when you make it difficult on yourself.”

Talking about what the team could’ve collectively done to make things better, the 40-year-old said, “Offensively we can’t worry about what else happens. We’ve got to be efficient. We’ve got to make the most of the opportunities. Again, there was yards left out there, opportunities left out there. Can’t leave it up to — we’ve got to score touchdowns. Can’t leave it up to Greg or try and pin it on Greg. We had a lot of opportunities to score 30, to make it a two-score game at times and didn’t do it.”

A raw take, especially from a future Hall of Famer. But he’s not wrong—sometimes, we’re our own worst enemy on the field.

Rodgers’ line about how “hard” it is to win was more than a admission; it was a reality check. And even the fans didn’t really accept his take without a pinch of salt. One comment read: “Chiefs don’t think it’s hard to win, they do it every week”. The Jets didn’t give up any turnovers but managed to rack up eight penalties for 55 yards, along with allowing a monster punt return that did set up New England’s final touchdown. Not major mistakes, but just enough for a loss that ended the Jets’ season with a 2-6.

So now, here we are—Jets and Patriots, tied for last in the AFC East. With the season hanging by a thread, this loss is bound to make the next week feel really long for Gang Green. As for A-Rod, he would be thinking, what else can he do to help?

Aaron Rodgers ran the O-line but in vain

Since that week 2 clash against the Titans, Aaron Rodgers has been a bright spot in a dim season. That’s no agenda, just see the numbers. He has thrown for over 200 yards each game—a special feat! Especially with the Jets’ roster feeling more patched up than a beaten-up O-line.

Against the Pats? Yep, Rodgers kept grinding, putting up 233 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, on 17-of-28 passing. Solid, right? But once again, other pieces just couldn’t hold—the jigsaw’s still incomplete.

Take New York’s kicker, Greg Zuerlein. He missed an extra point early on and, just when the Jets needed it most, missed a fourth-quarter field goal. Those four points could have easily tilted the game in the Gang’s favor. Instead, it was a 3-point defeat. Ouch! And maybe, just maybe, a W could have done wonders in helping Rodgers start preparing a clean slate with the fans. Alas, it was not to be.

And the defense? Not the shutdown unit fans were hoping for. Once projected to be a top-tier crew, they let New England convert clutch third downs and piled on the penalties. The Pats ran for 111 yards, marking the fourth time in five losses the Jets’ defense let opponents break 100 on the ground.

It’s a tough watch now. Can New York still dream of the playoffs? Hearsay is when A-Rod’s there under the center you don’t count them out. But the recent trends just keep on squashing those sayings.