The battle to break free from the Ls… The 5-7 Dolphins are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive as they prepare to host the 3-9 Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. A clash of disappointment? Yes, for the fans, that’s what it has been. But hey, for the Phins, there’s still some hopeful water to swim in. For the Gang Green? The season’s been a Mayday! But it’s not about a championship run anymore. It’s about setting the foundation for something better in the future. And Jeff Ulbrich knows it as he critically analyzed his opposite number ahead of the clash.

“Insanely intelligent. Quirky and weird in the best of ways. Authentic to himself at all times,” Ulbrich said when reflecting on Mike McDaniel. Those words speak volumes about the coaching minds at play here. Both McDaniel and Ulbrich worked together under Dan Quinn with the Atlanta Falcons, so there’s some deep familiarity between the two.

It’s always interesting when former colleagues end up on opposite sidelines—especially when one is fighting to keep playoff dreams alive while the other is trying to salvage something from a lost season. Ulbrich has not been able to take the reins after the awkward firing of Robert Saleh. Just FYI, Saleh was 2-3 when Woody Johnson showed him the exit. 

Fast forward to now, the Gang Green fans are frustrated and thinking, ‘When’s the season gonna end?’ Ulbrich’s 1-6, and he mustn’t be blamed over the poor BTS mess that keeps taking the franchise away from the elusive playoffs (2010 is the last year when the Jets made a postseason appearance). That’s not a good look. There’s a lot wrong on the gridiron as well, and Ulbrich addressed it, too.

That’s been the crux of Ulbrich’s temporary reign so far. Pre-match presser, lose the game, and post-match presser, where he’d address the missed opportunities and mistakes. And it wasn’t any different after the loss against the Seahawks.

Jeff Ulbrich is one unhappy man!

The Jets have been their own worst enemy this season, and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich isn’t sugarcoating it. After a messy loss to the Seahawks where the Jets committed a crazy-high 12 penalties for 83 yards, Ulbrich laid it out plainly: discipline—or lack thereof—has been ONE BIG ISSUE. “A disciplined player is one who executes his job every play,” Ulbrich said.

Sure, aggressive mistakes are sometimes excusable. The heat of the moment takes over, and bam, you go in flying. But mental lapses like offsides and delay of game? Absolutely not. And with the Jets sitting at a dismal 3-9, it’s safe to say those mistakes are pretty reflective of where they are right now. To make matters worse, they aren’t just struggling—they’re leading the league in penalties for the second straight year.

Imagine this: five penalties on a single fourth-quarter drive against Seattle. Too many men on the field, pass interference, horse collar—you name it, they did it. These self-inflicted wounds set up the Seahawks’ game-winning touchdown and left Jets cornerback D.J. Reed so frustrated that he took to social media to blast the refs (before deleting his rant, of course). But let’s be real; the refs weren’t the only problem here.

Ulbrich is trying everything to fix the mess, from fines to team meetings dissecting each penalty like game film. Jets players are shown examples of what not to do weekly, but clearly, the message isn’t sticking. Left guard John Simpson admitted, “Not everybody knows what a penalty is.” Well, that feels almost unbelievable at the pro level. Yet, here we are with a team that can’t seem to stay out of its own way.

Now, it’s about waiting for the end of the season and the start of a new one, of course. But hopefully, not a repeat of this season.