PITTSBURGH — Woody Johnson’s chips have now aggressively been shoved to the center of the table.
The last chip — maybe the last chance at this thing before the Jets brass is napalmed for the umpteenth time in Johnson’s 24-year tenure as the team’s owner — was the acquisition of star receiver Davante Adams this week in advance of Sunday’s must-win game at Pittsburgh.
Johnson last week fired his head coach of three-plus years, Robert Saleh, expecting the shake-up to provide a spark for his underachieving team.
He expected his team to play a better, more disciplined brand of football under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich — with fewer penalties, as well as a more efficient offense with embattled offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett having been demoted and tasked with overseeing the Penske files.
And this is what Johnson got in Monday night’s 23-20 home loss to the Bills: a carbon copy of the performances the Jets delivered under Saleh’s watch as they went 2-3 in the first five games.
The Jets committed 11 penalties for 110 yards, were 1-of-4 in the red zone and missed two killer field goals.
They enter this game against the 4-2 Steelers on a three-game losing streak — coming up short by a combined 10 points.
Will Davante Adams, the latest addition in the Jets effort to surround quarterback Aaron Rodgers with everything he wants, make up for those 10 points moving forward?
“It’s a must win,’’ receiver Allen Lazard told The Post. “We’re 2-4 right now, and I think our talent definitely isn’t a reflection on our record. We’ve got to put together four good quarters and do whatever it takes to come out of there with a W.’’
This game features a Jets team frantically making changes in an effort to keep their season from sliding down a ravine, and the other, the 4-2 Steelers, making a significant change at quarterback this week in an effort to go from good to better, maybe even great.
The Steelers could easily have left good-enough alone and continued to start Justin Fields, who has been at the helm so far. But they’re reaching for better with Russell Wilson, who has returned to health from a calf injury suffered in training camp.
With Fields, the Steelers are ranked 26th in total yards and 20th in scoring with an average of 20.7 points per game. He has completed a career-high 66.3 percent of his passes for 1,106 yards with five touchdowns and just one interception, and he has rushed for 231 yards and five TDs.
“Justin has been really good, and we’ve been really good at times, but not to be confused with great,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said this week. “Justin has been an asset to us.’’
Tomlin said he believes the Steelers’ ceiling is higher with Wilson.
So, while the Steelers are seeking their ceiling on Sunday, the Jets are seeking a savior.
Whether Adams, reunited with Rodgers, is that savior remains to be seen. We’ll know more Sunday.
Johnson, speaking to reporters at the NFL owners’ fall meeting this week in Atlanta, sounded very bullish on what the addition of Adams will mean to his team.
“We want to bring a lot of change this week,’’ Johnson said.
When asked if he thinks this season is still “salvageable,’’ Johnson responded, “Salvageable? We’re gonna kick … you can add the words after that. We’re going to do really well.”
Bold, considering the litany of issues they have had this season that have little to do with their receiving corps.
They’re tied for the seventh-most sacks allowed with 16, and make no mistake, the 40-year-old Rodgers has gotten hammered on some hits. Rodgers is tied for the third-most INTs in the league with five.
Can the addition of Adams improve those issues?
“What an impressive guy, a pro’s pro, his preparation has already been noticeable, the way he carries himself and goes about his business has just been awesome,’’ play-caller Todd Downing said. “Obviously, he is dynamic with the ball in his hands, so finding ways to get him the football is going to be fun to do. And just, I think, his understanding of the game, his savviness, his football IQ, knowing where he fits in zones, knowing how to attack defenses, diagnosing coverages, I think that is all a premium.’’
Lazard, who also played with Rodgers in Green Bay, called Adams “the best receiver in the league, hands down — especially when you pair him with the best quarterback.’’
“The connection, the chemistry that those two have is instant. Having that ability obviously adds another level to our offense and makes it a lot more challenging.’’
The challenge will be steep Sunday in Pittsburgh. Even with Woody’s chips pushed to the center of the table.
