The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention in humiliating fashion on Sunday afternoon.
Of course, nobody thought Gang Green had any hopes of snapping its extended playoff drought, but any delusional optimism of a potential postseason berth was mathematically wiped out with a 30-9 clunker against the Saints at home. The loss to New Orleans, which had come into town having lost five in a row, also means another season of double-digit losses for the now 3-10 Jets. It’s the fifth time in the last six years that the team has reached that undesirable landmark.
New York suffered inexplicable penalties from Denzel Mims, who committed two in a row to stall a promising drive late in the first half, effectively spoiling a chance to prove himself with both Elijah Moore and Corey Davis out with injury. The 2020 second-round pick played just one snap the rest of the way. Ty Johnson, seeing more time due to the injury to Tevin Coleman, dropped three passes in the first quarter, matching the most by a Jet in a single game since 2007.
Zach Wilson, the reigning NFL Rookie of the Week, took a major step backward, completing just 19 of his 42 passes for 202 yards and no touchdowns.
By being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, the Jets extend their postseason drought to 11 years, the longest active streak in the league, while matching the franchise record for consecutive seasons without a postseason appearance.
It was expected to be a rebuilding year for New York, so falling short of the playoffs isn’t much of a surprise, but Sunday’s loss did almost nothing to show that the franchise is heading in the right direction, or that this painful postseason drought will be ending any time soon.
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