Even in the most disappointing of seasons, you can always find glimmers of hope. 

Sitting at 3-8 after the bye week, the New York Jets 2024 season hasn’t exactly gone to plan. This offseason, the Jets will look to rebuild under the stewardship of a new GM and HC, and part of that will be building out the roster, especially the depth. 

If you look across the NFL, you’ll notice that the top teams in the league that win consistently have a lot in common. One of those things is the ability to identify, evaluate and sign talent that other teams overlook. 

This can be done through the waiver wire, an avenue the Jets have had some success with, highlighted by the pick-ups of both John Franklin-Myers and Quincy Williams. It can also be done through the undrafted free agent process, as with the signing of Bryce Huff. 

This year, the Jets signed a number of exciting prospects who are being given the opportunity to showcase their talent, and the hope is that over the final six games they can continue to build their case for a 2025 roster spot. 

Let’s take a look at some of the undrafted rookies who have already made an impact.

Leonard Taylor III

The former University of Miami defensive tackle was considered by many to be one of the best priority signings after the draft, and although he only has 155 defensive snaps to his name through the first 12 weeks of the season, he’s already made a big impact on the defensive line. 

With 1.5 sacks, 6 pressures and 8 defensive stops that constitute an offensive failure, Taylor III has arguably been the most impressive undrafted rookie on the team. Coming out of high school, Taylor III was a 5-star prospect with the world at his feet. Analysts spoke about his speed, explosion and power from the inside. 

His college career didn’t pan out as expected, but you can certainly see why he was rated so highly and whilst his opportunities have been limited, he’s made an impact when his number has been called, continuing his strong play from the pre-season.

Braiden McGregor

One of my favourite signings of the offseason, McGregor hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of opportunities as Taylor, but he’s still showcased some real positives that lead you to believe that he’s a talent that can be developed. He doesn’t have the elite bend of a speed rusher but he gained a reputation at Michigan as a leader with a non-stop motor and the prototypical body type for an NFL edge.

In the 2024 season, McGregor has only appeared in 71 total defensive snaps, with just 35 opportunities to rush the passer. He’s yet to register his first sack but he has chalked up 3 pressures, which is a pressure for every 11.6 pass rush snaps, a number that would be highly respectable if replicated over a bigger sample size. McGregor is another UDFA who had a stellar pre-season where he registered 3 sacks and 8 pressures on just 53 pass-rush snaps. Definitely someone to keep an eye on over the back half of the season and into 2025.

Eric Watts

Watts was the final UDFA to make the team on the defensive line. Having one UDFA make the roster isn’t overly noteworthy, having two UDFAs make the roster on the same defensive line unit is unique, having three UDFAs make the roster on the same defensive line is nearly unheard of. 

Back in 2022, Watts led the UConn Huskies with 10 tackles for a loss and 7 sacks, while blocking two kicks and forcing two fumbles. The analysts at NFL.com had his draft grade in the 5th round, but when the lights went out in Detroit, Watts was left without a team. The Jets saw something in the 6′ 5, 275 lb defensive end, and while the stats have been lacking he has been given 115 snaps through the season to prove his quality. 

Some players are instant stars, while some take time to develop. Here’s what draft analyst Dane Brugler had to say about Watts: “Watts is a frenetic pass rusher and still figuring out how to properly unlock all his power, but the physical traits and competitive mentality are there for him to become a valuable part of a defensive line rotation with additional coaching. He might never put it all together, but he’s worth a Day 3 draft pick to find out.” We’ll need to wait and see if he can.

When you’re stuck in a 3-8 hole with the playoffs likely out of reach, it’s hard to appreciate the positives. 

We can’t escape the fact that the 2024 season hasn’t gone to plan, it’s been difficult and the record is not where anyone envisioned the Jets being entering the bye week. 

But there have been some positives on the season, and one of those is the play of Jets left guard John Simpson, who joined the Jets this spring on a two-year deal. 

A 4th-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, it wasn’t until he reached Baltimore that he found his stride in the NFL. 

Having joined the Ravens practice squad, he won the battle for the left guard position vacated by Ben Powers in 2023 and never looked back. 

Last season he played every game for the Ravens, blocking the way for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and the 4th-ranked scoring offense. 

In over 700 pass-blocking snaps, Simpson allowed just 1 sack and 31 pressures, and this year he has performed even better. 

Through the first 11 games of the season and over 400 pass-blocking snaps, Simpson has yet to allow a sack and has allowed just 9 pressures.

For offensive guards who have appeared in at least 500 snaps this season (of which there are 47), Simpson is ranked as the 6th best guard in football. Only three guards have allowed fewer pressures and he’s part of a group of just 11 players who have yet to allow a sack.

In terms of pass-blocking efficiency, a PFF signature stat measuring pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed, only Quinn Meinerz and All-Pro Joe Thuney better his mark of 98.9. 

Not wanting to be a one-trick pony, Simpson is also highly graded in the run game. His 82.1 grade is the 4th best among guards who have played at least 200 run-blocking snaps, of which there are 49. 

If you break that down even further, you can see his consistency across both gap and zone run concepts. He’s a top-15 guard in zone and a top-2 guard in gap, making him an extremely valuable commodity and an extension candidate as he enters 2025 on the last year of his deal.

The former Clemson man has perhaps exceeded expectations, which is always a positive when you’re looking at free agent signings. He’s big and powerful, has strong hands, a firm base and is technically sound across the board. 

It’s rare for a guard who possesses his traits to hit free agency and you tip your hat to the Jets Pro Personnel division for identifying him. 

Simpson only turned 27 earlier this season, so it’s reasonable to expect that his best years are still ahead of him, which is an exciting prospect for the Jets. 

Not only would that mean the left guard position is solidified for years to come, but it would also give the offensive line time to grow together. 

Olu Fashanu (21) is expected to be the long-term answer at left tackle having been taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Fashanu, who is starting in place of the injured Tyron Smith, impressed Jeff Ulbrich, who had this to say: “He’s exactly what we thought we were going to get. He’s intelligent, he’s athletic, he’s big, and he’s powerful.”

On the other side of Simpson is Joe Tippmann (23) who’s ranked inside the top-10 himself when it comes to run-blocking and has continued to improve his pass-blocking technique. With those three settled on the line, it gives the Jets an opportunity to build and sustain a cohesive unit for a long time to come. Add in Alijah Vera-Tucker (25) at RG and the Jets have something cooking up front.

The New York Jets have announced their first ever official watch party in Ireland, taking place on 8th December at Buskers On The Ball, Dublin for their matchup with the Miami Dolphins!

The Jets acquired international marketing rights to Ireland alongside the United Kingdom earlier in 2024, and next month’s event will mark their first official fan activation in the country.

Fans can purchase tickets online now, with the €8 price inclusive of a drink and a giveaway item:

PURCHASE HERE

The Jets have previously hosted watch party events in London, Manchester, Leicester and Leeds, with plans to host events in other cities across the UK and Ireland in the following seasons.

Members of NY Jets FC, the Jets international membership club, will be eligible for a prize raffle on the night of the event in Dublin – make sure to sign up for free now on our home page if you are not yet a member.

Pre-game entertainment will begin from 4:30pm GMT, with the game starting at 6pm and the venue staying open til late. Buskers on the Ball will have a dedicated area with plenty of screens, plus a number of games and activities.

The event is strictly 18+, and with capacity limited, we recommend booking your spot now!

It’s hard not to be downhearted at the moment, the Jets are in a bad spot and to many it seems unsurmountable. A season that started with Championship aspirations has quickly turned into a house of horrors. But it’s important to remember that the Jets have yet to be eliminated from postseason contention, and while it feels impossible… it is mathematically in play. Hope. 

If we’re being realistic, the Jets will need to reel off 7 straight wins. The Jets have only ever won 7 or more regular season games in a row once in their history, in 1986. 

Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to having to run the table. After starting with a 4-6 record with Green Bay in 2016, the Packers proceeded to win their remaining 6 games to squeeze into the playoffs. They then used that momentum to go to the NFC Championship game, before falling to the Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome. 

Is it likely that the Jets will go on a Packers-like run? Based on what we’ve seen so far it’s hard to envision, but the NFL is predictable in its unpredictability. 

As players, you can’t focus on the mountain top, you need to focus on taking that first step. That first step will come this weekend as the Jets face off against the Indianapolis Colts, led by returning second-year QB Anthony Richardson. 

The Colts have now lost 3 games in a row to fall to 4-6 and with the AFC picking up steam, this is a game the Colts have to win to stay in touch with the 6-4 Houston Texans, who currently lead the AFC South. 

For the Jets, this really is a case of last-chance saloon. So how can they beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and regain some of the momentum that was lost in Arizona?

This weekend, the Jets will face a defense who are in the bottom half of the league, allowing 22.3 points per game. More tellingly, the Colts have one of the leakiest run defenses in football through the first 10 weeks of the season. 

Indianapolis has allowed an average of 148.3 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs; only the Panthers and the Cowboys allow more. That number jumps up to 152.4 yards per game when you look at just their performance on the road. 

The Colts have been renowned as one of the best run defenses in football over the last two years, ranking 5th and 10th in 2022 and 2023 respectively having allowed 4.1 yards per carry. They still have Grover Stewart who is one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in football. Stewart ranks 5th in ESPN’s run-stop metrics and PFF have him completing 22 tackles that constitute a defensive failure for the offense, 4th most in football. 

But the Colts have been missing a key component of their run defense all season, with Samson Ebukam going down with a torn Achilles in July. Without Ebukam setting the edge, teams have bounced more runs outside, avoiding Grover Stewart as much as possible. 

As the Colts have gotten healthier, their run defense has shown signs of improvement. They have tackled better, they’ve been more disciplined in their gap assignments and the defensive line is getting a better push. But it’s still an area the Jets need to test on Sunday. 

Entering week 11 the Jets have one of the highest pass play percentages in the league at 63.99% (4th highest). Part of that is a consequence of playing from behind, but part of that is by design. It’s the reason you get Aaron Rodgers in the building. 

But to pass the ball effectively, you have to be able to run it. The Jets have one of the best running backs in football in Breece Hall, who ranks just 15th in the NFL in terms of rushing attempts this season. 

Breece was running at 5.2 yards a clip on Sunday but due to the game situation he garnered just 10 rushing attempts. At no point this season has Breece received 20 carries in a game. Most tier one runners in the NFL have at least one 20+ rush attempt game, and most have multiple. 

If the Jets want to try to exploit the Colts run defense, they need to commit to the run and stick with it, which includes the need to mix-up their red-zone looks to involve the running game. There’s no easier offense to defend than a predictable one. 

When the Jets selected Olu Fashanu with the 11th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, it was with an eye to the future. 

One of the most promising tackles in college football, Fashanu had finished his final year at Penn State without allowing a sack in over 700 pass-blocking snaps. 

Over the course of three years (two as a starter), Fashanu had quickly become one of the premier left tackles in the Big Ten Conference. 

Not only had he not allowed a single sack, but he’d only allowed 17 pressures in total; that’s a pressure every 43 snaps. Considering Penn State averaged 32 passes a game his senior season, he allowed under one pressure per game. 

He also made strides as a senior in his run-blocking, with PFF grading him at 70.5, considerably better than the 59.4 he achieved his first year as a starter back in 2022. 

Coming out of college, Penn State head coach James Franklin called him a “high production, low maintenance” player. 

The plan for Fashanu in year one was to sit and learn. 

The Jets had traded for one of their former players and a respected veteran in Morgan Moses to play right tackle and signed All-Pro Tyron Smith to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside. 

It was the perfect environment for a young tackle to come in, learn, watch and develop. With Tyron Smith getting veteran rest days, Fashanu was also guaranteed reps with the starters in practice.

For everything that he achieved in college: his numbers, the Consensus All-American selection, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten – all achieved in 2023 – there was something he had never done. 

Play offensive guard. 

With his size, strength and length he was an offensive tackle, and he’s still going to be an offensive tackle going forward. But when the injuries started to mount up against the Houston Texans last Thursday, he needed to step up and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 

“Coach [Keith] Carter just told me, ‘Hey, if the opportunity comes, you’re going to go in at guard,’” Fashanu said. “At first I was like, ‘Oh, OK. Let’s go.’ It helps that I have such a great center in [Joe Tippmann] and such a great tackle that has a ton of experience like Morgan [Moses] does. So, I always knew I was going to be in good hands playing with those guys.”

Fashanu came into the game and performed at the highest of high levels. In 37 snaps with the Jets mounting a comeback with three touchdown drives over 70 yards, Fashanu didn’t allow a sack, allowed just 2 pressures and helped the Jets run the ball to set up the pass. 

Learning a new position on the fly can’t be understated, not when it’s at the highest standard against an opponent who came in at 6-2. 

Fashanu had never taken a snap at guard in High School, in College or in the NFL. In training camp he worked at both tackle spots but not inside. 

Working inside is a lot different to working as a tackle. I always remember Chargers tackle/guard Jamaree Salyer speaking about the difference between the positions after he was asked to play tackle after being drafted as a guard. He said things happen faster on the inside and unlike tackle where you’re blocking the same guy for the majority of the game, guards have to be aware of stunts, twists, linebackers, safeties. 

He ended by stating that although you play faster at tackle, you have to think much faster at guard. That’s not easy as a rookie, it’s certainly not easy as a rookie who’s never played that position before. 

The fact that Fashanu came in and not only held his own but excelled is something that we need to celebrate, and it was something that caught the eye of his head coach, quarterback and linemate Max Mitchell:

“[Fashanu] freaking balled the hell out,” OL Max Mitchell said after the Houston game. “I couldn’t be more proud of the dude. He’s been working his tail off. He has taken zero guard reps so then to get thrown into [his] first today, I think he was a little overwhelmed with how much information we were giving him, but I mean he’s a stud. He played lights out.”

Having a little versatility to your game is never a bad thing. The hope is that John Simpson and Alijah Vera-Tucker will be available for this weekend’s game, but if they’re not… the Jets know that they can turn to their big offensive tackle and he’ll do a job. 

“I just learned that this is the nature of the league,” Fashanu said. “It is a next man up mentality. You have always got to be dialed in and locked in, making sure that whenever your number is called that you’re ready to contribute.”

On Halloween night, the Jets rose from the dead. With their season on life support, the boys in black said: not today. 

The Jets playoff hopes live on, at least for another week.

Behind a suffocating defense and an absurd touchdown catch by Garrett Wilson, the Jets improved their record to 3-6 and took down budding superstar C.J. Stroud, holding him to under 200 passing yards on the night. 

At one point it looked as though the ‘same old Jets’ mantra would hold true. A rookie goalline error by Malachi Corley meant the Jets were scoreless going into half time, but the defense had allowed just 7 points, giving the team hope that if they could find something, anything, they could come out with the W. 

They did just that, behind an acrobatic Wilson, who did his best Air-Jordan impersonation by hauling in an OBJ-like one-handed grab to help the Jets outscore the Texans 21-6 in the second half and record their third win of the season. It was Wilson’s second score of the evening, guaranteeing already that he will end 2024 with a career high in touchdown receptions. 

That acrobatic catch had a completion probability of just 13.6% according to Next Gen Stats, the 5th-most improbable completion of the season, and most improbable by Aaron Rodgers since 2020.

But while the touchdown grabs will get the attention, this win was so much deeper than that. 

“For this team to have the resiliency to come back and play the way they did against a really good opponent… I’m proud of them.”

The Jets haven’t always handled adversity, they haven’t always shown an ability to bounce back from setbacks, but last night every single player on that field dug deep. 

C.J. Stroud was sacked 8 times by the ferocious Jets pass rush. Will McDonald may not have gotten in the sack column, but the young phenom recorded a season-high 9 pressures on 33 pass rushes (27.3%). Haason Reddick generated 8 pressures on 32 pass rushes and Quinnen Williams was near-unblockable on the inside. 

The Jets generated 33 pressures on the night and Jeff Ulbrich called an excellent defensive game plan to neutralise one of the best QBs in football. 

Starting the game without Allen Lazard, who found himself placed on injured reserve before the game, down both starting safeties (Tony Adams, Chuck Clark) and backup safety (Ashtyn Davis), without defensive captain C.J Mosley, without starting RG Alijah Vera-Tucker and losing their two starting guards during the game, the Jets still found a way to win. 

Rookie tackle Olu Fashanu played his first snaps at guard, swing tackle Max Mitchell filled in at LG and former practice squad signing Jalen Mills did a fine job in the secondary. It was the Wilson show in the highlights package, but the contributions ran up and down that lineup. 

It was that ability to face adversity and come out the other side that leads you to believe that maybe, just maybe, this team can go on an improbable run. They don’t have to look far to find inspiration. Just across town, baseball’s New York Mets rebounded from 11 games below .500 to battle their way to the National League Championship Series. Oh what a story it would be. 

The last time the Jets won the AFC East was 2002, that year they started 2-5 before going 7-2 the rest of the way. I’m not saying that’s going to happen this year, but every great journey starts with a first step and the Jets took that step last night. 

But that step will only matter if they can take the next one, and then the one after that. Realistically the Jets will need to win out to guarantee the playoffs, and they would have a good shot to get in with a 10-7 record – the Pittsburgh Steelers got in with that record last year. In 2022, the Los Angeles Chargers got in at 10-7 and the Miami Dolphins got in at 9-8. So there remains plenty to play for. 

The Jets had a tough start to the year, but their schedule eases off…at least according to the W/L records as things stand.

After taking down the 6-2 Texans (now 6-3) they’ll head west to Arizona to face the 4-4 Cardinals before returning home to take on the 4-4 Indianapolis Colts ahead of their week 12 bye. After that, it’s the 4-4 Seattle Seahawks before travelling to Florida to face the 2-5 Dolphins and 2-6 Jacksonville Jaguars.

Incremental improvement leads to bigger and better things. One game at a time.

If the Jets are going to break the longest playoff drought in North American sports they’re going to have to do it the hard way. 

With the loss on Sunday Night Football to the Pittsburgh Steelers the Jets dropped to 2-5, three games out of first place in the AFC East. 

Aaron Rodgers believes the team is playing “too angry” and Davante Adams wants to see players celebrate each other’s success more. 

There’s still a lot of football to be played, and with one of the most talented rosters we’ve seen in decades, if any Jets team is capable of making a run then it’s this one right here. 

After getting a boost last week with the addition of three-time All Pro and six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams, the Jets will get another one this week in the arrival of Haason Reddick. 

The two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro reported to 1JD this week after the Jets and his agents were able to come to an agreement on a revised contract, ending his holdout and getting one of the best pass-rushers in football into the building. 

You can never have too many pass-rushers in any defense, but particularly in the one that Jeff Ulbrich likes to run. With the early injury to Jermaine Johnson, the Jets have had to adapt and shift their approach this season.

The Jets have blitzed on 27.2% of snaps this season which is the 14th-highest mark in the NFL going into week 8. Last year that number was 16.3% which was the 2nd-lowest in football; the year before it was 14.9%, which was actually the lowest percentage in the league. 

The Jets were consistently able to send four rushers and generate pressure. In 2022, with the lowest blitz rate in the league, their pressure rate of 25.4% was the third-highest in football. In 2023 with the second lowest blitz rate, their pressure rate of 26.5% was the fourth-highest. Their pressure rate of 26.3% this year is still a top-10 number (9th) but they’ve had to send 5 or more defenders to get there, which naturally leaves gaps and holes to exploit. 

Enter Haason Reddick, who’s coming off four straight seasons of double-digit sacks. The hope is that with Reddick and Will McDonald in the building, the Jets can get back to their core principle of rushing four and playing tight coverage.

His speed off the edge is extremely difficult to defend; he’s too fast for offensive lineman and he’s too strong for tight ends and receivers. Last season, he generated a pressure on the QB every 8.6 snaps and the year before that it was even better, generating a pressure on the QB every 5.8 snaps. 

People are well aware of his speed – it’s hard to hide it when you test in the 97th percentile for EDGEs in the 40-yard dash and 98th percentile in the broad jump – but his power is underrated. He has an elite spin move, he has that chop/swim move and you can line him up all over the formation, similar to how the Jets lined McDonald up inside on some third downs against Pittsburgh on Sunday Night. 

Outside of the sacks he also creates turnovers, something that has been lacking for the Jets this season. The Jets have just six takeaways all year which puts them 24th in the league, and combined with their giveaways means the Jets are currently at a -3 turnover differential.

Reddick has 16 forced fumbles over his career and he led the league with 5 forced fumbles in 2022 – recovering three of them. And while it’s unlikely that he will bring down any interceptions, pressured QBs throw bad balls, bad balls often lead to turnovers in the secondary.

Finally, Reddick will help the Jets run game. He’s renowned for the pass-rush, but people ignore the fact that he’s no slouch in the run game either. 

Sometimes it’s just about setting the edge and being disciplined. Don’t try to do too much, just do the job the coaches have set you, stay in your lane, finish your tackles and don’t give up the edge. If you do that, a lot of good things happen.

Haason Reddick won’t fix absolutely everything. But he’s going to do a lot of damage in this defense and he’s going to have a lot of fun doing it. Welcome back Haason.

When you’re sitting at 2-4 with a win-now mentality, the season hasn’t started as well as you expected. You can either sit on your hands and do nothing, or make a move to shift the momentum.

This week, Joe Douglas went out and made a move that reverberated around every front office in the NFL, sending a conditional third round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for star wide receiver Davante Adams, reuniting him with long-time friend and teammate Aaron Rodgers. 

The two formed one of the best partnerships in football over eight years in Green Bay, and while they have been apart since Adams made the move to Las Vegas before the 2022 season, the hope for the Jets is they can pick up right where they left off. 

The addition of Adams gives the Jets one of the most formidable receiving duos in football and his veteran experience can only be a good thing for Garrett Wilson. 

Since coming into the league in 2021, Wilson has been double-covered on 88 targets which is the fourth highest mark in football. Davante Adams has been doubled on 77 targets over that same timeframe, which is the seventh highest mark in football. Defences will have to pick their poison, they simply can’t double both. Especially with Allen Lazard lurking, the same Lazard who currently shares the league lead in receiving touchdowns with 5. 

The kind of chemistry that Lazard and Rodgers have takes time and we’re starting to see some real chemistry develop between the Jets QB and Wilson, but the Adams/Rodgers connection is on another level. That’s what happens when you play over 100 games together. 

Over the course of those 108 games played, Adams became the star receiver we see today. 622 catches, 7,590 yards and 69 touchdowns. He had four 1,000+ yard seasons and five seasons with double-digit touchdown totals. The Jets are hoping that he can bring a little of that magic to turn around a season that’s still extremely young. 

What Adams brings outside of his chemistry with Rodgers is the ability to get open. ESPN tracks wide receiver open rates and in Aaron Rodgers’ 2020 MVP season, Adams received a perfect 99 open rate score, which probably explains why he hit 18 touchdowns while only playing 14 games. In 2021, Rodgers won another MVP award, with Adams again earning an elite open rate score of 85 on his way to a 1500+ receiving yard season and 11 touchdowns. 

Just to prove that he wasn’t totally reliant on the QB, Adams moved to Las Vegas to play with his former college QB Derek Carr in 2022 and put up another elite open rate score of 81 on the way to a 1500+ yard season and 14 touchdowns. Put simply: when he plays, he’s elite. 

According to PFF, Adams was targeted on no fewer than 19.5% of his routes in seasons where Rodgers started and finished the year with Adams as his WR1. In three of those seasons he finished with a target share of 29.5%. I’m not sure it’s going to be as high as 30% with the Jets when you consider we have Wilson, but it’s very clear that Rodgers trusts Adams and that’s been earned over years of production. 

If Adams is targeted on 20% of his routes run, that means there are plenty of targets to go around and with Adams drawing more attention from defensive coordinators, Wilson will see more isolated single coverage, which is great for the Jets, great for Rodgers and great for Wilson.

Adams has only managed to play in three games this season while dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, but he said he felt great in an appearance on the Pat McAfee show on Tuesday afternoon and practiced on Wednesday and Thursday before confirming to reporters he felt ready:

“Definitely, I’ll be ready to roll. I’m feeling good right now… felt good running around”

Coach Jeff Ulbrich stopped short of promising that Adams would make his debut for the Jets in Pittsburgh on Sunday Night, but by the sounds of it… he’s good to go.

This week, the Jets decided that if they want to squeeze the best out of this roster, it was time for a change. After three and a half years under Robert Saleh, Jets owner Woody Johnson made the decision to go in another direction, promoting defensive coordinator to interim Head Coach for the rest of the campaign. 

“This is one of the most-talented teams that has ever been assembled by the New York Jets,” Johnson said. “I wanted to give this team the [best] opportunity to win this this season. I feel that we had to go in a different direction and that’s why I did that today. The change that we made today, that I made, I believe will bring new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins, starting now.”

Now the Jets need to try and deliver on the pre-season promises of a season to remember and Jeff Ulbrich has been trusted to lead the way. 

But what can we expect from Coach Ulbrich?

Ask anyone about Ulbrich and two words will come up more often than not: that he was gritty as a player and that he’s respected as a coach. When he talks, people listen. Part of that comes from him having played the game and that’s something that Jets owner Woody Johnson picked up on over the last three years. 

“When he talks, they listen to him in a way that probably represents the fact that he did play the sport at linebacker for 10 years, which is pretty unique,” Johnson said. “So he brings that knowledge and the respect.”

A third round pick of the San Francisco 49ers, Ulbrich had to fight his way into the starting lineup of defensive coordinator Jim Mora and then Willy Robinson, Bill Davis, Greg Manusky before retiring following a concussion in 2009. 

Before his retirement he racked up plenty of stats to hang his hat on. 120 games played, 501 tackles, 32 TFL, 6 forced fumbles and a handful of playoff appearances as well. Playing linebacker in the NFL is always tough, but playing linebacker in the NFL at the turn of the century was about as physically taxing as football gets. 

Ulbrich has been in the trenches, he’s fought that fight and he’s capable of clearly communicating and teaching the lessons learned over that 10 year period. 

Once he decided to hang up his playing cleats he dived into coaching, first under Pete Carroll in Seattle then under his old defensive coordinator Jim Mora at UCLA. When Dan Quinn became the Head Coach over in Atlanta he hired Ulbrich, who he knew from San Francisco.

It says a lot about a man and a coach when people who know you opt to bring you with them when they’re trying to establish their own legacy. Ulbrich has been hand-picked every step of the way.

Working under so many defensive coaches it’s easy to see why Ulbrich is gaining a reputation for adaptability. Defensively the Jets have been able to make in-game adjustments to stifle opponents. The Vikings game on Sunday is a perfect example, after surrendering 17 first half points the Jets shut the door, allowing two field goals over the final 30 minutes. That adaptability gave the Jets a chance to win that game, but unfortunately we came up just short. 

Working with such great minds like Carroll and Mora will almost certainly help you with X’s and O’s and philosophical approaches to how to run a defense, but it also gives you an opportunity to learn about running a team, 53 individuals plus coaching and backroom staff. That’s a lot of human beings with different needs, different approaches and different buttons to push. Something that Pete Carroll is renowned for and something that Ulbrich spoke about on the official Jets podcast. 

“I was from the outside looking in, I was so intrigued by his approach and have such admiration for it,” Ulbrich said. “He had tremendous success at USC, it was his first year in Seattle. He was everything I thought he was and more. It wasn’t just random juice, but focused energy, focused passion. He’s so deliberate in what he does and he really helped me”

This won’t be the first time Jeff has led a team after being given the opportunity to do so at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. An experience that should give him a level of confidence heading into this period of his career. 

Defensively the hope is that nothing changes. Despite the 2-3 record the Jets have continued to improve on the defensive side of the ball each week. The run defense has noticeably improved and the pass-defense has lowered the opponents’ team passer rating each week, starting with the 89.9 put up by San Francisco to the 54.6 put up by the red-hot Minnesota Vikings. 

Jeff Ulbrich has overseen an attacking front that plays complementary defense, a quick pass-rush to force poor throws, and tight coverage to allow time for the pass-rush to get home. Under his tutelage we’ve seen Quincy Williams go from waiver-wire pick-up to NFL All-Pro, UDFA Bryce Huff become one of the best pass-rushers in football and the Jets consistently put out a unit that offenses fear.

His challenge will be on the other side of the ball. 

How do the Jets get the most out of this talented offense led by future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers? How do you get the most out of this run-game? There’s far too much talent on that side of the ball for the Jets to be ranked 27th in total offense, 32nd in rush yards per game and 25th in points per game. 

For Ulbrich, everything is on the table when it comes to figuring out the solution. 

“I think everything’s on the table right now,” he said. “We’re not playing to our potential right now – we’re not. We’re too talented to put the product we put out there the last couple of weeks especially, so we have to take a hard look at everything and be honest with ourselves.”

In his first game in charge, he’ll be lifted by an energized home crowd as the Jets fight for first place against the Bills. There are a lot of decisions to be made between now and then, including whether the play-callers remain the same. Will Jeff Ulbrich keep defensive play-calling duties? Will Nathaniel Hackett keep offensive play-calling duties? These are the decisions of a Head Coach; these are now the decisions of Jeff Ulbrich.