Frustration boiled over for the slumping New York Jets following their 26-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, with cornerback D.J. Reed taking to social media to vent about the game’s controversial officiating. In a since-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), Reed blasted the officiating crew, writing “@NFLOfficiating you f—— suck, yall should be ashamed of yall selves.!”
The heated remarks came after the Jets, now 3-9 on the season, unraveled down the stretch with a flurry of ill-timed penalties. Gang Green was flagged a staggering 12 times for 83 yards in the contest, with eight of those infractions coming in a disastrous fourth quarter span of just eight minutes.
Fourth Quarter Meltdown
The most critical sequence occurred on the Seahawks’ go-ahead touchdown drive midway through the final period. Clinging to a 21-19 lead, the Jets’ defense shot itself in the foot with five backbreaking penalties that extended Seattle’s possession. The drive culminated with rookie running back Zach Charbonnet punching in the decisive 8-yard touchdown run with 5:31 remaining.
Perhaps the most egregious of New York’s miscues was a too many men on the field infraction on a Seahawks 4th-and-6 play. With Seattle’s punt unit coming on, return man Xavier Gipson trotted out to field the kick, apparently not realizing the Jets defense was still deployed. The mental lapse gave the surging Seahawks a fresh set of downs in Jets territory.
I have to look at every single one of those penalties and see exactly if they’re real, if they’re not real, what caused them, and get to the bottom of it. It’s not OK. It’s not acceptable. It’s not our standard. Penalties ultimately extend drives. We can’t let that happen.
Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich
Reed’s Rough Day
For Reed, it was an especially frustrating afternoon facing his former Seahawks teammates. The fiery corner, who had a key pass interference penalty in the first half, didn’t mince words in voicing his displeasure with the zebras’ performance.
Penalties have been a thorn in the Jets’ side all season long. Sunday marked the fifth time this year that a New York opponent has picked up a first down via a penalty on fourth down, the most such instances in the NFL.
I always say this: The refs, they’re not perfect. We’re perfect. If they think they see something, they’re going to throw the flag. So I’m not going to sit up here and just talk bad about the refs. Nobody’s perfect. They were doing their job how they felt. It’s the highest level, and that’s just what it is. And we got to live with those results.
Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner
Playoff Hopes Fading Fast
With the crushing loss, the Jets fell to 3-9 on the season, all but extinguishing their already faint playoff hopes. It was a bitter pill to swallow for a talented but underachieving squad that had designs on snapping the NFL’s longest active postseason drought, now extending to a franchise-record 12 consecutive years.
Head coach Robert Saleh, who received a lucrative contract extension in the offseason, finds himself squarely on the hot seat amid the team’s hugely disappointing campaign. Touted as a quarterback whisperer upon his arrival in 2020, Saleh has yet to develop a consistent signal caller, shuffling between the underwhelming Zach Wilson and unproven trio of Joe Flacco, Mike White, and Chris Streveler.
As the losses mount, the restless Jets fanbase grows increasingly impatient for a return to relevancy. Gang Green faithful are no doubt hearkening back to the glory days of Rex Ryan, Mark Sanchez, and the back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances that seem like a distant memory now.
With his team spiraling toward another lost season and the calls for change growing louder, the fiery Saleh must rally the troops for a strong finish to restore a sense of hope and stability to the franchise. For a Jets organization long mired in mediocrity, the path back to prosperity remains treacherous.
Hawks Soaring Out West
Meanwhile, it’s full speed ahead for the high-flying Seahawks, who improved to 7-5 with their fourth straight victory to maintain pole position in the rugged NFC West. Resurgent quarterback Geno Smith continued his remarkable comeback campaign, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns to outduel New York’s Wilson in a battle of high draft picks who never lived up to the hype with their original teams.
Pete Carroll’s club seems to have recaptured the magic of the famed “Legion of Boom” era, with Smith providing steady leadership, dynamic wideouts Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf comprising a lethal 1-2 punch, and an opportunistic defense generating big plays in key moments. After years of retooling in the post-Russell Wilson era, the balanced Seahawks have the look of a legitimate Super Bowl contender. With a rejuvenated Smith at the controls and an energized fan base packing the stands at Lumen Field, the Seahawks are soaring toward what they hope will be a memorable finish to a wildly entertaining 2024 season. The best may be yet to come for Seattle.
