Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich identifies culprit behind embarrassing loss to Cardinals
New York Jets head coach Jeff Ulbrich revealed the main culprit behind his team's embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Davante Adams' claims that the Jets were about to go on a winning streak turned out to be false on Sunday. This was largely due to Aaron Rodgers and the offense's struggles against the Cardinals' stout defense in the 31-6 defeat. Despite the issues on that side of the ball, Ulbrich pointed to a larger culprit that cost the Jets the game.
"They (the Jets) were not prepared to play. We didn't execute even close to our standard, and that falls on my shoulders 100%. I didn't do a good enough job getting these guys ready," said New York's head coach, according to SNY. This stunning statement comes on the heels of a crucial game for the team's playoff chances.
The Jets missed an opportunity to get back into the playoff hunt
Woody Johnson's franchise has had an incredibly disappointing season to this point. Labeled as a legit Super Bowl contender , the Jets have plummeted out of the playoff picture after their 2-1 start. The early struggles led to Robert Saleh's firing , and it has only gotten worse from there. The Jets are 1-4 since promoting defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to head coach.
Sunday was a huge opportunity for New York to get squarely back in the playoff hunt. Going into Week 10, the Jets were tenth in the AFC Conference and only two games out of the seventh seed. The last team in the playoffs, the Denver Broncos, beat New York earlier in the year.
Despite holding the tiebreaker advantage, the Broncos picked up a heartbreaking loss against the Chiefs on Sunday. The other two teams between the Jets and a playoff slot, the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, also suffered defeats. The loss against the Cardinals keeps New York exactly where they were, going into Week 10. Meaning that Aaron Rodgers and company are going to need a lot of help to make the playoffs.
Looking ahead, the Jets still have many winnable games on their schedule. Outside of a trip to Buffalo, every game going forward for New York comes against teams with records of .500 or below. But to break the longest playoff drought in the NFL, the Jets can't have any more performances like the one in Glendale.
