It’s been a feel-better few weeks for the Jets.
After the 0-7 start, they entered Sunday’s home game against the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium having won three of their previous five games and the arrow appeared to be pointed up.
With that came much talk about the improved culture rookie head coach Aaron Glenn has instilled into this program.
And then came the game.
That’s when things turned ugly early for the Jets, who turned in a pathetic performance from the start en route to losing 34-10 to the Dolphins to fall to an embarrassing 3-10.
Not that there was any drama or surprise to this, but the loss officially eliminated the Jets from playoff contention.
They’ve now missed the playoffs for 15 consecutive years — a decade and a half. That’s the longest futility streak in North American sports and has them tied for 10th all-time in NFL playoff droughts.
The Jets looked unprepared and anything but hungry for a fourth win in six games, allowing the Miami offense to shred their defense on the opening drive.
The Dolphins (6-7) took a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard Tua Tagovailoa scoring pass to Jaylen Waddle just 2:14 into the game.
On the four-play, 69-yard drive, the Jets defense looked completely disinterested in tackling, allowing Miami running back De’Von Achane to rumble 39 yards to the 2-yard line to set up the score.
The whole thing — the scoring drive, the TD itself … the day — all looked far too easy.
That didn’t change.
The Jets defense allowed an unruly 239 rushing yards and three TDs on 41 carries to the Dolphins.
Miami lead back De’Von Achane ran for 92 yards and a TD on only seven carries before he left in the second quarter with a rib injury. His backup, Jaylen Wright, rushed for 107 yards and a TD on 24 carries. Ollie Gordon added a TD, the last of the day for Miami.
After a Jets three-and-out, the Dolphins took a 14-0 lead on a 13-yard Achane rushing TD on which the Jets defensive players looked more like they were escorting him into the end zone than actually trying to tackle him.
It took the Jets offense just 1:21 after the Achane TD to give the ball back to the Dolphins when a Tyrod Taylor pass deflected off rookie tight end Mason Taylor and into the arms of Miami linebacker Tyrel Dotson at the Jets 29-yard line.
Just six plays after the Jets’ turnover, the Dolphins made it 21-0 when running back Jaylen Wright scored on a 2-yard TD. He was untouched by a Jets defender until he got into the end zone. Inexcusable.
Taylor never returned after the Jets second possession because he was knocked out with a groin injury, making way for rookie Brady Cook to make his NFL debut.
Not surprisingly, that didn’t go well.
