The Jets fired Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start. Now, with interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich at the helm, things have only gotten worse. The Gang Green is 1-4 since the switch, and the mood in New York? Let’s just say it’s pretty bleak. At this point, it feels like they’re just padding other teams’ stats, handing out “Ws” like Halloween candy (someone tell them that spooky szn’s over). This week, it was the Cardinals’ turn to troll with a 31-6 W. Now, who’s at the end of Ulbrich’s candid responses? Yup, Sauce Gardner and Co. in the D-line took it.

Well, Ulbrich did not hold back. Post-loss, he called the Jets’ tackling “egregious” and even threw in “criminal” for good measure. “That’s where I’m so disappointed in myself,” he admitted. “We knew [tackling] was a point of emphasis… obviously didn’t drill it well enough.” Yikes. When your head coach is blaming himself, you know things have gone south.

And then there’s Sauce Gardner, who’s found himself at the center of the blame game. After ESPN’s Rich Cimini pointed out Gardner’s missed tackle as “costly,” Sauce wasn’t about to take it lying down. “Yup I’m 100% sure me missing that tackle… is in fact what lost us the game,” he replied, dripping with sarcasm. The X post didn’t last long, though; Sauce deleted it faster than a Jets’ three-and-out.

It’s a mess all around, but accountability? Yeah, that seems to be in short supply. As for the Gang, they’ve got a long way to go to turn this ship around—or at least stop it from sinking further. But if they do or don’t, that’s another part. The other? Well, there’s something way off about how Gardner’s competing on the gridiron.

Sauce Gardner’s fall needs to be studied

The Jets’ season has been tough to watch, but Sauce Gardner’s struggles are something fans just didn’t see coming. The All-Pro corner, who lit the gridiron in his first two years, is now looking uncharacteristically shaky. Especially when it comes to tackling. Yup, he’s not even able to do what he’s supposed to do. That is something of a pickle. In Sunday’s 31-6 blowout by the Cardinals, Gardner missed a crucial tackle on tight end Trey McBride. What could have been a third-down stop turned into a 17-yard gain and, ultimately, another Arizona touchdown.

Gardner isn’t in denial about it, though. “I’ve got to make that tackle,” he admitted. “It starts with me. I’ve got to be better.” Honest, but it highlights a bigger issue: Gardner’s fall from elite status is more than just an off day. For a player who once seemed untouchable, his third season has been riddled with lapses, particularly against the run—an area that top cornerbacks need to master.

And it’s not just this game. Gardner, who was on track for greatness, now finds his reputation—and possibly his future contract—at stake. Despite his solid coverage grades, his struggles with tackling are eroding the impact he brings to the field.

In many ways, Gardner’s decline reflects the Jets’ broader issues. It raises questions when even their best players aren’t playing to their potential. For Gardner, though, 2024 needs to be a lesson. More or less, the Gang Green’s hopes look dead and buried, but if a miracle is to happen, then the top CB needs to reignite that form of his.