EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Mike LaFleur laughed coming off the sector. He shook palms and hugged Jets workers he used to know, and dapped up media members who used to query his selections and ponder whether he was the proper man to be the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Now in the identical place for the Los Angeles Rams, LaFleur received the final snigger on Sunday, his Rams leaving with a 19-9 victory over a hapless Jets staff that already feels checked out on the 2024 season.
Almost two 12 months in the past, LaFleur’s destiny because the Jets’ play-caller was within the steadiness. In exit interviews after the 2022 season, some key gamers made it clear to their bosses that the offense, of their minds, had change into predictable — Garrett Wilson mentioned as a lot throughout his season-ending press convention. However that was solely a microcosm of the issues the Jets had on offense. Lots of them had been rooted in quarterbacking incompetence, significantly from Zach Wilson. When Wilson wasn’t behind heart the offense underneath LaFleur typically thrived, particularly with Mike White and Joe Flacco.
However exterior strain gained out. Jets proprietor Woody Johnson pushed coach Robert Saleh to fireside LaFleur. Saleh pitched alternate options, together with one during which LaFleur would stick round however in a diminished position, working alongside Todd Downing and Keith Carter. However too most of the Jets’ key offensive gamers had been pissed off, plus followers (and a few media) had been calling for LaFleur’s head — Johnson wasn’t swayed.
To many within the Jets locker room, that was a lifetime in the past. On Sunday, the Rams offense didn’t precisely run circles round a Jets protection that’s fallen far over the past half of this season — L.A. had 110 passing yards. However LaFleur’s presence on Sunday, and his smiles, are half of a bigger dialog about what number of fallacious turns the Jets have made since LaFleur was fired and changed by Nathaniel Hackett.
“Love him, man,” Jets broad receiver Garrett Wilson mentioned of LaFleur. “My rookie 12 months, wanting again on it, it was a particular time and I would’ve taken it without any consideration.”
The Jets had been younger whippersnappers in 2022, a staff that wasn’t imagined to be any good however jumped out to a 6-3 document powered by a exceptional rookie class. They fell aside and completed 7-10, and that collapse led to a choice the Jets most likely remorse on reflection. Saleh had a tough time convincing any offensive coordinators to take the job if it was solely going to be for one 12 months — the notion on the time, particularly since Johnson pressured LaFleur’s firing to start with — and so he settled on Hackett with the concept that it might assist the Jets land Rodgers. However the Jets had been mainly beginning over on offense, with a coach (Hackett) whose observe document was spotty when he wasn’t working with Rodgers. Then, when Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 final 12 months, the offense unraveled.
Now it’s the tip of 2024. Hackett was demoted earlier this season and Downing — employed because the passing sport coordinator after LaFleur was fired — has taken over play-calling. Actually, it’s nonetheless Rodgers’ present, although the offense has improved each when it comes to manufacturing and creativity since Downing took over. However most of the similar issues persist.
Wilson was focused solely 3 times on Sunday earlier than the Jets’ closing offensive drive as Rodgers as an alternative funneled targets to Davante Adams, seemingly decided to have his five hundredth landing cross land within the arms of his closest good friend on the staff. Wilson was focused 4 extra instances towards the tip of the sport, but it surely was too late to matter at that time. Rodgers mentioned he didn’t goal Wilson due to the way in which the Rams had been overlaying him. Wilson was much less positive of the rationale.
“I don’t know, to be trustworthy with you man,” Wilson mentioned. “I don’t know. I simply gotta exit and put my finest foot ahead and hope that issues fall my means. I’d like to be concerned, like to make an influence on the sport, but when folks see it in a different way that’s out of my management. Simply attempting to do what I can do.”
The Jets began their opening drive at their very own 1-yard line. Rodgers authored a formidable 14-play, 99-yard scoring drive, capped by an 11-yard landing cross from Rodgers to Adams (adopted by a missed additional level from Anders Carlson). After that, their decision-making at massive left a lot to be desired.
On their subsequent drive — which began after Tony Adams intercepted Matthew Stafford — interim coach Jeff Ulbrich made the confounding determination to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Jets’ 33-yard-line. Operating again Breece Corridor was stuffed on the line of scrimmage, and the Rams scored a landing three performs later.
“For one, their offense was being very environment friendly at that time,” Ulbrich mentioned. “Our offense was being very environment friendly as properly. We had been sustaining drives. We had been transferring the ball. We had been changing third and fourths there for some time, so I wished to remain aggressive and hold the ball within the palms of our offense.”
Subsequent, the Jets ended a 15-play, 67-yard drive with a 21-yard Carlson area aim. Outdoors of these two scoring drives (of 99 and 67 yards) the Jets gained solely 155 complete yards. On a chilly afternoon — the coldest of the season up to now at MetLife Stadium — they solely ran the ball 20 instances versus 44 dropbacks. The Jets have run the ball lower than any staff within the NFL this season regardless of the presence of Corridor, who expressed some frustration along with his lack of carries earlier within the week: “I don’t actually have an excessive amount of to say, you recognize, simply with how the season’s going, how the video games are going, you recognize, that’s similar to simply the way it labored out,” Corridor mentioned on Friday. “So, you recognize, clearly I would like the ball as many instances as I can, but when I’m not getting the ball out, all I can do is simply my job.”
Within the third quarter, the Jets received to the Rams’ 13-yard-line and went for it on fourth down once more — moderately than taking the factors with a area aim. Rodgers threw for Adams ultimately zone, however the ball was batted out of the receiver’s palms for one more turnover on downs.
Early within the fourth quarter, Rodgers held on to the ball too lengthy, received strip-sacked and the Rams recovered in Jets territory. L.A. scored once more a couple of performs later to go up 16-9.
“In all probability ought to have dealt the ball,” Rodgers mentioned. “Seemed like we had been fairly gloved to all of the spots, however I feel I ought to have gotten out of the pocket and simply dumped it someplace.”
The Jets went for it on fourth down once more on the following drive — and failed once more. On one other fourth-quarter possession, Carlson missed a 49-yard area aim broad proper. The sport ended when Xavier Gipson muffed a punt and the Rams recovered. Although none of that even scratches the floor of all of the Jets’ confounding psychological errors on Sunday.
The Jets, one of many NFL’s most penalized groups, had eight extra penalties on Sunday — together with no less than one from every of the six offensive linemen who performed. (Rookie left sort out Olu Fashanu left within the fourth quarter with a foot harm that seemed to be critical, although Ulbrich didn’t have an replace after the sport.)
“It’s been all 12 months,” mentioned Rodgers, who completed 28 of 42 for 256 yards. “I feel that’s what wants to scrub up transferring ahead for a few of these guys to succeed in their full potential is to simply lock in on the small print. And that’s not simply this offense. No matter comes subsequent after this, there’s going to be vital particulars in each offense. And that’s simply the little tweaks which might be the distinction between explosive positive aspects or conversions and turnover on downs.”
Possibly the Jets would nonetheless have most of the similar issues even when that they had caught with LaFleur. That they had a few of these points when he was round — similar for Saleh, earlier than he was fired. However it was by no means this unhealthy, this undisciplined, this confounding. Good groups discover methods to win. Week after week, the Jets discover methods to lose. Sunday was solely the second time since 1940 that an NFL staff didn’t punt in a sport but failed to attain no less than 10 factors, based on ESPN.
It’s clear that neither Hackett nor Rodgers was the treatment to what ailed the offense — and it’s honest to marvel how issues would have regarded if LaFleur was capable of stick round and construct the unit the way in which he envisioned, the way in which Saleh envisioned. Corridor instructed the New York Submit on Sunday that he, Garrett Wilson and LaFleur are nonetheless in common contact, an indication that their relationship maybe has grown stronger since LaFleur was pressured out.
LaFleur seems to be comfortable in Los Angeles. The Jets, however, will begin from scratch once more in 2025 — coach, play-caller and, most likely, quarterback.
So what did Wilson imply when he mentioned he might need taken his time with LaFleur without any consideration?
“Simply among the relationships,” Wilson mentioned. “I go searching and there’s not too many acquainted faces from that point. That’s form of the way it goes whenever you don’t win video games.”
(Picture: Emilee Chinn / Getty Photos)