At 3-9, the Jets are trying to find a way to escape the loss of their footing

The New York Jets’ season seems like a soap opera in which fans were deceived, cheated and misled. The team fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start. With interim coach Jeff Ulbrich replacing Saleh, the Jets traded six-time NFL Pro Bowler Devante Adams and demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and replaced him with Todd Downing, previously passing game coordinator. To add another episode to the drama, they also fired general manager Joe Douglas three weeks ago.

The result of the moves? The 3-9 Jets picked up Ulbrich’s only win, beating the Houston Texans 21-13 on Oct. 31, between two three-game losing streaks. Last Sunday at home at MetLife Stadium, the Jets were up 21-7 in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks and were just nine yards away from a commanding 28-7 lead. After rushing wide receiver Garrett Wilson for a touchdown, quarterback Aaron Rodgers — who turned 41 on Monday — threw a pick-six interception while former Jets and Giants defensive end Leonard Will threw it 92 yards for one touchdown returned.

The Jets didn’t score another point and lost 26-21, ironically led by their former starting quarterback Geno Smith, who like Williams also played for the Giants.

Related: Amid Another Lost Season for the Giants, Upheaval Adds to Frustration

“We have to figure it out quickly and it’s never up to one person,” Ulbrich said when asked in the fourth quarter if the team had a chance to win five games with Rodgers but lose them all. It’s on the entire team, from the coaches to the players to every single person out there on offense, so we have to get better in those moments.”

Unfortunately for Ulbrich, the team is soon running out of time to improve – it only has five games remaining, starting Sunday against the Miami Dolphins on the road.

“(There were) moments where we really played our football at the highest level and there were moments where we didn’t, and that’s kind of the common story of this season,” Ulbrich said. “We have to clean this up because there were mishaps at critical moments that didn’t allow us to win games.”

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