Jets Eliminated From Playoff Picture With Ugly Loss to Seahawks

New York needed to win their last two games of the year just to have a chance at making the playoffs.

The longest playoff drought in the NFL just got longer.

With a 23-6 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday, the Jets are officially out of postseason contention for the 12th season in a row.

New York showed so much promise early on this year, exceeding expectations. Even with a quarterback carousel, young playmakers like Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Quinnen Williams and more captured national attention. The Jets were fun to watch, a team that had a championship-caliber defense and plenty of potential.

What looked like a significant leap forward has rapidly shuffled in the wrong direction over the last few months, though. The Jets have now lost five games in a row. They were winless in December. After beginning the season with a 5-2 record, this team has lost seven of their last nine games. 

New York's elite defense has regressed. Inopportune lapses on that side of the ball have led to debilitating losses. The offense has been inept, a slump that persisted on Sunday, even as Mike White returned at quarterback from his rib injury. New York hasn't scored a touchdown in two full games.

On Sunday, New York fell behind early thanks to missed opportunities on offense and an inability to stop explosive plays on defense. Gang Green scored six points in the first half despite several drives deep into Seahawks territory. Meanwhile, Seattle racked up huge gains, pushing New York on their heels while scoring on each of their first three drives.

White threw for 122 yards with an interception in the first half, struggling when under duress. He threw another awful interception in the fourth quarter, completing 23 of 46 passes with 240 total yards through the air in the loss. He looked like a completely different player than the one that threw for over 300 yards in back-to-back games after replacing Zach Wilson five weeks ago.

Don't stop until @Teamjackson28 gets enough! 🕺🏻

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/KBqhFYZmB6

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) January 1, 2023

New York had momentum in the first half running the football against the Seahawks—a weakness of late—but they abandoned the run game in the second half. After 76 rushing yards before halftime, the Jets finished with 75 yards on the ground at the final whistle. 

Bottom line, it's hard not to be disappointed with this Jets team. They had a real shot to end their 11-year playoff drought and fell flat on their face, looking like the same old Jets that have been shrouded in mediocrity for more than a decade. 

New York didn't bounce back as they tried to keep their season alive. They deteriorated in embarrassing fashion.

To find one positive in this ordeal, this campaign is still technically a success for New York. The Jets achieved their goal of playing meaningful games in December, showing what they're capable of with their talented young core. Expectations and aspirations will change during a season, though. A pathetic finish to the year casts quite a dark shadow over any of the progress that was made. 

MORE:

• Jets Don't Plan to Trade Zach Wilson in 2023, Says NFL Insider
• Jets Got This Wrong When Evaluating Zach Wilson, Choosing to Draft Him
• Jets Must Find Running Game to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

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