Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets have reached a point in the season where their playoff hopes are almost gone, and it looks like major changes are on the way.
A team that had Super Bowl hopes just a few months ago is now struggling and heading into its bye week, looking for solutions.
“Today, we’re going to attack this game and put this game to bed and learn and grow from it as best we can,” interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said Monday, a day after the Jets dropped to 3-8 following a 28-27 loss to Indianapolis.
“And then tomorrow, we’re going to go into a deep dive into our self-scouting.”
This means they will look closely at everything, from coaching to the performance of the players on the field.
“Take a hard look at ourselves,” Ulbrich said. “So these guys leave before they go to the bye with a real clear idea of this is who we are right now, this is what we’re doing well, and this is what we can improve, both individually and collectively.”
Since taking over for the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8, Ulbrich is 1-5. He has kept the defensive play-calling duties as the team’s defensive coordinator during this time, but the Jets’ defense has not performed as well.
“I have noticed that,” cornerback D.J. Reed said after the game. “The last couple of games, we haven’t played to our standard on defense. We’re giving up touchdowns, we’re giving up explosive plays. I can’t really account for what it is. Coach Ulbrich does have a lot on his plate, but he’s a grown man and he can handle it.”
“I just think it comes down to executing and playing our role. … What we’re being told to do, we’re just not executing on the field.”
Could Ulbrich change his role or even step back from calling the defense?
“Not as of today,” Ulbrich said. “But the next couple days, we’ll definitely assess everything.”
