EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Shortly before midnight local time, Woody Johnson climbed into the passenger row of a golf cart that would transport New York Jets brass from the locker room toward their MetLife Stadium vehicle entrance.
Six days had elapsed since Johnson had exercised his control as team owner to fire head coach Robert Saleh.
Even fewer days had passed since the Jets stripped offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of play-calling duties, a responsibility that on Monday against the Buffalo Bills fell to passing game coordinator Todd Downing.
Now, as Johnson and Co. rode down the tunnels of MetLife Stadium, his assertion that this Jets team is the most talented he’s had in 25 years seemed further validated. So, too, did concerns about whether that talent would capitalize on its potential.
Because even as the Jets unlocked their run game and bolstered their explosive pass game, the first contest of interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich’s tenure will tally in the same column as Saleh’s last two: a loss.
The Bills improved to 4-2 atop the AFC East with a 23-20 win, while the Jets fell to 2-4 and third in the division.
Their season was not over. But their chance of making the playoffs, per the New York Times’ playoff predictor model, hovered at 40%. Their chance of winning the division: 10%.
A close Monday night game slipped from their grasp, taking with it some of their postseason viability.
“This was a golden opportunity,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, after a late interception doomed the Jets’ last chance to close a deficit that all night had seemed manageable. “Some games you win in the NFL and some games you give away.
“This was a giveaway.”
The Jets are likely asking themselves: How much more than a Week 6 game was given away?
How soon, and through what means, can they find that elusive win?
A three-game losing streak hung over the heads of a locker room that was dead silent as players began to head to the shower. Eventual murmurs picked up and…
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