Now the Jets are hoping that Jeff Ulbrich, the defensive coordinator who has been promoted to interim head coach, will help the team rediscover its identity and spark a playoff run. The former NFL linebacker is highly respected throughout the league and is considered a no-nonsense leader with a tough personality and great attention to detail. He received rave reviews for his work as head coach at the Reese’s Senior Bowl last winter. In conversations with coaches and executives who worked with Ulbrich during college all-star game week, they praised his management and organizational skills. These traits should serve him well as he tries to right this wayward ship.

If you study New York’s recent games, the team needs an offensive identity. Through five games in 2024, the Jets have scored the exact same number of points (93) and amassed nearly the same yards-per-game average (286.6, as opposed to 283.6) as the Zach Wilson-led unit through the first five games . games of 2023. Rodgers’ struggles suggest some of the responsibility needs to be taken off the four-time MVP’s shoulders to carry the offense. Considering the 40-year-old quarterback just posted back-to-back games with a sub-60 percent completion rate, the Jets should reassess their offensive approach, especially with a trio of promising young playmakers (running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen , plus wide receiver Garrett Wilson) who can fuel the unit. If Gang Green’s patchwork can hold up, the offense should be able to rely on a ground-and-pound/play-action attack to move the ball against top defenses based on their personnel.

This is why Ulbrich’s decision to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and replace him with Todd Downing as offensive play-caller could have a significant impact on New York’s performance. While Downing can’t completely revamp the playbook or call sheet at this point, he can begin to transition the offense to a different approach to maximize the individual and collective talents of top players. Whether it’s using more movement and shifts to create favorable matchups or picking up the pace to change the tempo of the game, Downing can make subtle adjustments to help this offense find an identity and rhythm. Additionally, he can modernize the offense to make it harder to defend in games against the defensive heavyweights in the AFC.

Furthermore, Ulbrich will now have an extended trial period in the big chair, with the possibility of landing the permanent job if he plays his cards right and demands more responsibility from his players. As a former NFL player himself – after spending a decade as a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers – Ulbrich automatically commands respect from his troops, but he must hold his team to a higher standard to see better results on the field.

By demanding more effort and better execution from the offense, defense and kicking units, the Jets’ interim head coach can take control of a winnable division and earn a spot in the postseason tournament. And once you make the playoffs, anything is possible.