Week 17 wasn’t just another loss for the New York Jets. The 42–10 defeat to the Patriots at MetLife Stadium marked their 13th loss of the season and capped a brutal December, one that raised real questions about effort, preparation, and the state of the team as a whole. Following the loss, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn handed the blame to the coaching department.

“Today was probably the one time I felt like our effort wasn’t as good as it should have been. It bothers me.” Glenn said, visibly frustrated, during the post-game press conference.

Glenn also commented on the lack of execution despite having a solid game plan: “I actually thought we had a really good plan going into this game… but today, our effort wasn’t where it needed to be.”

The game was marked by a sluggish start, with the Jets allowing the Patriots to score on their first six drives. “To allow this team to come out and score, I think, on the first six drives, was not good,” Glenn noted.

The Jets’ offensive struggles continued, with Glenn saying, “Offensively, we were stagnant… we allowed them to pressure the quarterback… threw another interception this game, which was not good.”

In his closing remarks, Glenn emphasized that the issue wasn’t just about the players: “I’m upset with the effort, but I’m also upset with us as coaches, too, though. And again, it’s going to start with me… getting these guys ready to play against a hell of a team for our last home game this season. That bothers me. It does. In front of our fans.”

The HC has every right to be upset with his team, coaching staff, and himself. Even though he mentioned that they came prepared, the last few games speak otherwise. The Jets have lost six out of their previous seven games, and in every one of those losses, the score difference has been huge. It is as if it has become a tradition for them. They lost to the Saints 29-6; against the Jaguars, it was 48-20; 34-10 against the Dolphins; and 23-10 and 27-14 against the Ravens and the Patriots, respectively.

Statistically, it is also their worst December point differential (-107) in NFL history. Not only did they lose all their games, but the difference was massive in all those games.

The Jets had already fired DC Steve Wilks, but the defensive problems still seem to be pretty relevant. The franchise ranks 30th when it comes to allowing points per game. While Chris Harris has taken up the play-calling role defensively, he also failed to bring New York on the right track. The offense was equally terrible.

The Jets managed only three first downs all game, and the offense didn’t click until the fourth quarter, when Breece Hall broke a 59-yard touchdown. The Patriots outgained New York 440–307 and dominated early.

Coming back to Week 17, Drake Maye was the dominant figure behind the Jets’ loss. He delivered one of his best performances to date and secured a place in the history books after completing 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns. He became the first QB in NFL history to complete ≥90% of his passes while throwing for ≥250 yards and 5 TDs in a game, with each of them coming from different players.

Even after such a beat-down, the New England Patriots were kind enough to slow things down for the Jets.

Mike Vrabel’s call potentially saved Aaron Glenn’s Jets from further embarrassment

The Patriots absolutely demolished the Jets, earning their 13th win of the season. As Aaron Glenn said, the Patriots scored on each of their first six drives/possessions, building a 35–3 halftime lead. However, things could have been even worse at the MetLife Stadium if not for Patriots HC Mike Vrabel.

Midway through the third quarter, New England was leading by 42-3, and the HC decided to take out star quarterback Drake Maye. Joshua Dobbs took the field for the rest of the game. Their score remained the same, but the Jets managed to score a touchdown to make it 42-10.

Mike Vrabel may have very well taken mercy on their divisional rivals; he pulled Maye midway through the third quarter with New England up 42–3; Joshua Dobbs closed out the contest. Otherwise, Drake Maye could have very well gone for the record of 8 TDs in a single game.

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Nonetheless, Aaron Glenn is still hopeful about his team. He believes that the Jets have improved, but it is from the inside, and it cannot be seen from the outside.

It can mean a lot of things. Has the communication between the players gotten better? Did the play calling become error-free? Are the players taking some secret lessons? No one seems to know except for the HC.

With everything that has happened, he is still looking to finish the season strong by winning next week against the Buffalo Bills. It is a challenging task, especially with Qwan’tez Stiggers, John Simpson, and Breece Hall injuring their knees, and Isaiah Davis in concussion protocol. Besides them, Tyrod Taylor is also nursing an injured groin. So, it will be interesting to see how the New York Jets finish their season. Will they continue their massive-scale losses, or does Aaron Glenn have something up his sleeve? Either way, a tough week lies ahead for them.

Lastly, it remains to be seen whether Aaron Glenn keeps his job after such a performance. 3-13, and going up against the Bills. The optimism might not last long for the head coach when the franchise is evaluated at the end of the season.