EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Mike LaFleur laughed coming off the sphere. He shook fingers and hugged Jets workers he used to know, and dapped up media members who used to query his choices and wonder if he was the appropriate man to be the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Now in the identical place for the Los Angeles Rams, LaFleur acquired the final chortle on Sunday, his Rams leaving with a 19-9 victory over a hapless Jets staff that already feels checked out on the 2024 season.
Almost two 12 months in the past, LaFleur’s destiny because the Jets’ play-caller was within the steadiness. In exit interviews after the 2022 season, some key gamers made it clear to their bosses that the offense, of their minds, had grow to be predictable — Garrett Wilson stated as a lot throughout his season-ending press convention. However that was solely a microcosm of the issues the Jets had on offense. A lot of them have been rooted in quarterbacking incompetence, significantly from Zach Wilson. When Wilson wasn’t behind middle the offense underneath LaFleur typically thrived, particularly with Mike White and Joe Flacco.
However outdoors strain received out. Jets proprietor Woody Johnson pushed coach Robert Saleh to fireplace LaFleur. Saleh pitched alternate options, together with one during which LaFleur would stick round however in a diminished position, working alongside Todd Downing and Keith Carter. However too lots of the Jets’ key offensive gamers have been annoyed, plus followers (and a few media) have been calling for LaFleur’s head — Johnson wasn’t swayed.
To many within the Jets locker room, that was a lifetime in the past. On Sunday, the Rams offense didn’t precisely run circles round a Jets protection that’s fallen far during the last half of this season — L.A. had 110 passing yards. However LaFleur’s presence on Sunday, and his smiles, are half of a bigger dialog about what number of incorrect turns the Jets have made since LaFleur was fired and changed by Nathaniel Hackett.
“Love him, man,” Jets extensive receiver Garrett Wilson stated of LaFleur. “My rookie 12 months, trying again on it, it was a particular time and I’d’ve taken it as a right.”
The Jets have been younger whippersnappers in 2022, a staff that wasn’t speculated to be any good however jumped out to a 6-3 report powered by a exceptional rookie class. They fell aside and completed 7-10, and that collapse led to a call the Jets in all probability remorse on reflection. Saleh had a tough time convincing any offensive coordinators to take the job if it was solely going to be for one 12 months — the notion on the time, particularly since Johnson pressured LaFleur’s firing to start with — and so he settled on Hackett with the concept it may assist the Jets land Rodgers. However the Jets have been principally beginning over on offense, with a coach (Hackett) whose observe report was spotty when he wasn’t working with Rodgers. Then, when Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 final 12 months, the offense unraveled.
Now it’s the top of 2024. Hackett was demoted earlier this season and Downing — employed because the passing sport coordinator after LaFleur was fired — has taken over play-calling. Actually, it’s nonetheless Rodgers’ present, although the offense has improved each by way of manufacturing and creativity since Downing took over. However lots of the similar issues persist.
Wilson was focused solely 3 times on Sunday earlier than the Jets’ closing offensive drive as Rodgers as an alternative funneled targets to Davante Adams, seemingly decided to have his five hundredth landing move land within the arms of his closest buddy on the staff. Wilson was focused 4 extra instances towards the top of the sport, however it was too late to matter at that time. Rodgers stated he didn’t goal Wilson due to the way in which the Rams have been protecting him. Wilson was much less positive of the rationale.
“I don’t know, to be sincere with you man,” Wilson stated. “I don’t know. I simply gotta exit and put my greatest foot ahead and hope that issues fall my method. I’d like to be concerned, like to make an influence on the sport, but when individuals see it otherwise that’s out of my management. Simply making an attempt to do what I can do.”
The Jets began their opening drive at their very own 1-yard line. Rodgers authored a powerful 14-play, 99-yard scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard landing move from Rodgers to Adams (adopted by a missed further level from Anders Carlson). After that, their decision-making at massive left loads to be desired.
On their subsequent drive — which began after Tony Adams intercepted Matthew Stafford — interim coach Jeff Ulbrich made the confounding choice to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Jets’ 33-yard-line. Working again Breece Corridor was stuffed on the line of scrimmage, and the Rams scored a landing three performs later.
“For one, their offense was being very environment friendly at that time,” Ulbrich stated. “Our offense was being very environment friendly as effectively. We have been sustaining drives. We have been shifting the ball. We have been changing third and fourths there for some time, so I needed to remain aggressive and preserve the ball within the fingers of our offense.”
Subsequent, the Jets ended a 15-play, 67-yard drive with a 21-yard Carlson subject purpose. Outdoors of these two scoring drives (of 99 and 67 yards) the Jets gained solely 155 whole yards. On a chilly afternoon — the coldest of the season to this point at MetLife Stadium — they solely ran the ball 20 instances versus 44 dropbacks. The Jets have run the ball lower than any staff within the NFL this season regardless of the presence of Corridor, who expressed some frustration along with his lack of carries earlier within the week: “I don’t actually have an excessive amount of to say, you recognize, simply with how the season’s going, how the video games are going, you recognize, that’s similar to simply the way it labored out,” Corridor stated on Friday. “So, you recognize, clearly I would like the ball as many instances as I can, but when I’m not getting the ball out, all I can do is simply my job.”
Within the third quarter, the Jets acquired to the Rams’ 13-yard-line and went for it on fourth down once more — quite than taking the factors with a subject purpose. Rodgers threw for Adams ultimately zone, however the ball was batted out of the receiver’s fingers for one more turnover on downs.
Early within the fourth quarter, Rodgers held on to the ball too lengthy, acquired strip-sacked and the Rams recovered in Jets territory. L.A. scored once more just a few performs later to go up 16-9.
“In all probability ought to have dealt the ball,” Rodgers stated. “Seemed like we have been fairly gloved to all of the spots, however I feel I ought to have gotten out of the pocket and simply dumped it someplace.”
The Jets went for it on fourth down once more on the subsequent drive — and failed once more. On one other fourth-quarter possession, Carlson missed a 49-yard subject purpose extensive proper. The sport ended when Xavier Gipson muffed a punt and the Rams recovered. Although none of that even scratches the floor of all of the Jets’ confounding psychological errors on Sunday.
The Jets, one of many NFL’s most penalized groups, had eight extra penalties on Sunday — together with no less than one from every of the six offensive linemen who performed. (Rookie left sort out Olu Fashanu left within the fourth quarter with a foot damage that gave the impression to be critical, although Ulbrich didn’t have an replace after the sport.)
“It’s been all 12 months,” stated Rodgers, who completed 28 of 42 for 256 yards. “I feel that’s what wants to scrub up shifting ahead for a few of these guys to succeed in their full potential is to only lock in on the main points. And that’s not simply this offense. No matter comes subsequent after this, there’s going to be vital particulars in each offense. And that’s simply the little tweaks which might be the distinction between explosive features or conversions and turnover on downs.”
Perhaps the Jets would nonetheless have lots of the similar issues even when that they had caught with LaFleur. They’d a few of these points when he was round — similar for Saleh, earlier than he was fired. But it surely was by no means this unhealthy, this undisciplined, this confounding. Good groups discover methods to win. Week after week, the Jets discover methods to lose. Sunday was solely the second time since 1940 that an NFL staff didn’t punt in a sport but failed to attain no less than 10 factors, in response to ESPN.
It’s clear that neither Hackett nor Rodgers was the treatment to what ailed the offense — and it’s truthful to surprise how issues would have appeared if LaFleur was capable of stick round and construct the unit the way in which he envisioned, the way in which Saleh envisioned. Corridor instructed the New York Publish on Sunday that he, Garrett Wilson and LaFleur are nonetheless in common contact, an indication that their relationship maybe has grown stronger since LaFleur was pressured out.
LaFleur seems to be completely satisfied in Los Angeles. The Jets, then again, will begin from scratch once more in 2025 — coach, play-caller and, in all probability, quarterback.
So what did Wilson imply when he stated he may need taken his time with LaFleur as a right?
“Simply among the relationships,” Wilson stated. “I go searching and there’s not too many acquainted faces from that point. That’s type of the way it goes whenever you don’t win video games.”
(Picture: Emilee Chinn / Getty Photos)
