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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — A look at what’s happening around the New York Jets:
1. Still echoing: Let’s call it a war of words, but not in the typical sense.
Davante Adams‘ postgame speech from Sunday night resonated with the Jets all week, according to players and coaches. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich was so moved by it that he brought it up again in a midweek team meeting, later telling reporters that it allowed them to fix the issue highlighted in Adams’ fiery talk — lack of energy. Ulbrich went so far as to say they spent the week “reinventing” themselves.
On the flip side, there’s the New England Patriots, whom the Jets face Sunday at Gillette Stadium. They, too, made news after an ugly loss. First-year coach Jerod Mayo, in his postgame news conference, accused his players of being “soft.”
So which approach will prove more inspiring: stinging criticism from a coach or a rallying plea from a player who arrived on the scene only a few days earlier?
Ulbrich said Adams’ words sparked one of the best weeks of practice he has witnessed in three-plus years on the staff. That statement will prompt fans to roll their eyes. They’ve heard that from multiple coaches over the years; it usually doesn’t carry over to the game. It certainly helps that the Jets are facing a 1-6 opponent that is on a six-game losing streak.
Maybe the Adams speech will be a turning point in the season. At 2-5, with a four-game losing streak, there’s virtually no margin for error.
Some might find it curious that a new player, who barely had time to unpack, was the one who did the talking after the 37-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even Ulbrich admitted it “sounds crazy” that a new arrival could have such an impact, but he believes Adams’ impressive résumé affords him that clout.
Captain C.J. Mosley agreed. If any player objects to it, he “would get weeded out real quick because that’s not winning football,” Mosley said. “That’s not being a teammate. That’s not holding your own self accountable.”
2. Past pep talks: Adams wasn’t the first Hall of Fame-caliber player to deliver a motivational speech to the Jets. In 2010 and 2011, LaDainian Tomlinson was known for his fiery pregame speeches. Players said it reminded them of the movie “Gladiator.”
In 1994, Ronnie Lott tried to rally the team after a crushing late-season loss to the Miami Dolphins in what is remembered as the Dan Marino “Fake Spike Game.” After addressing the team, Lott handed out a copy of the AFC East standings to every player in the locker room, illustrating how they still had a decent shot at the playoffs.
Lott’s ploy didn’t work. The Jets lost their last four games. No playoffs.
3. Future beer commercial: While on the subject of memorable speeches, let’s not forget about Herm Edwards’ celebrated “You play to win the game” rant in 2002. It wasn’t a pep talk, per se, as it came in response to a question at a news conference. But the Jets were 2-5 at the time, same as now.
The ’02 Jets won four straight after Edwards’ fiery reply and won the division. They haven’t won it since.
4. Grin and bear it: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is banged up, probably more than he’s letting on.
In practice, he rode a stationary bike while the team jogged in pregame warmups. He passed up some turns in quarterback drills. In last week’s loss to the Steelers, he eschewed a “few” scrambling opportunities, Ulbrich acknowledged.
Rodgers is listed with hamstring and knee injuries, and he also had a recent ankle sprain. He was a full participant Friday, but it’s clear that his mobility — once a strength — is compromised.
His toughness is unquestioned, though. You’re talking about someone who played with a partially torn ACL from the end of his high school career through his first year at Cal.
“To have someone at that stage of his career willing to — obviously, things aren’t going great right now — so to be able to still go out there and do that for everybody, that really shows how much you care,” tight end Tyler Conklin said.
5. Red flag: While Rodgers deserves praise for toughing it out, his performance hasn’t been close to his usual standard. His six interceptions over a three-game span are a career first.
What’s alarming is that he has struggling in a clean pocket. He was under no pressure on six of his seven interceptions, per Next Gen Stats — a league high.
His inability to rally the team from deficits is another concerning trend. When trailing, he has seven touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 76.2 passer rating. In his 16 previous seasons as a starter, his lowest passer rating when trailing was 88.6 (2014). Now, more than ever, the Jets need Rodgers to display some of his old magic.
6. Flipping the script: For years, the Jets had to answer questions about their losing streak against the Patriots — 15 straight until their win in the 2023 finale. Now the Jets have a chance to sweep them in a season for the first time since 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season as the Patriots’ coach.
7. Uh, oh — a rookie: Given the Jets’ recent history against rookie quarterbacks, they shouldn’t sleep on the Patriots, who will start Drake Maye.
Since 2022, the Jets are 1-3 against rookie starters, most recently Bo Nix (Denver Broncos). They allowed a combined 37 points in the three losses, but lost because … well, you know.
8. Quiet king: Remember all the draft buzz about wide receiver Malachi Corley, the “YAC King”? It has been a quiet season for the third-round pick — two offensive snaps, one reception and three games as a healthy scratch.
Todd Downing, who assumed the playcalling duties in Week 6, said the Jets have “an embarrassment of riches” at receiver, and that the lack of playing time isn’t a reflection on Corley.
“I think he is maturing and understanding this game as a profession,” Downing said. “It isn’t like college where you show up and you’re the best guy on the team and things just always go your way.”
With Allen Lazard (chest) doubtful, Corley could be active on Sunday.
9. Swiss Army knife: Isaiah Oliver was the Jets’ first free agent addition in the 2024 offseason, and he’s proving to be one of the best values (one year, $2.5 million). In the secondary, he has played nickel, dime, outside corner and safety for a total of 223 defensive snaps. He’s expected to start at safety Sunday. Sometimes it’s the unheralded moves that turn out to be the most helpful.
10. The last word: Last week was a stressful game for Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, who faced his son, Steelers wide receiver Van Jefferson. In fact, the younger Jefferson scored a touchdown in the Steelers’ 37-15 win.
“It’s f—ing an emotional roller coaster, right?” Jefferson said of playing his son. “Because if he f—ed up something, I can’t go like, ‘Hey, you have to do this.’ If he scores, I’m like, ‘Goddamn.’ You know what I’m saying? It’s an emotional roller coaster. I literally go home, and I’m emotionally just drained, I really am.”
Source: www.espn.com