NFL programming makers showed no mercy for the Jets.
Gang Green will face another playoff contender this week in the Rams. The Jets (0-13) could use a game against a team in their weight class, but that hasn’t happened, as the last three games have been against teams with playoff hopes, and that continues Sunday in Inglewood, California .
The Jets enter this game with the worst football offense (269.8 yards per game). The Rams (9-4) enter the game with the best defense in football (allowing 285.8 yards per game). This one could look really ugly.
The question about the Jets for weeks has been whether this team would pack it up and give less effort. Even in the 40-3 loss to the Seahawks last week, it didn’t seem like a lack of effort, just a lack of talent.
Coach Adam Gase has been asked this week if players have started dreaming about where they will fly when the season ends in two weeks.
“I haven’t seen it,” Gase said. “I think the boys have done a good job of re-establishing and preparing to go to the next one. They know what kind of challenge we have this week, they know how we should play, they know that this must be a very well-played complementary football match so that we can place ourselves in the fourth quarter ”.
This is the Jets ’third trip to the west coast in the last month and their second in two weeks. The original plan was to stay out of the west and practice between the Seahawks and Rams games, but the COVID-19 protocols made them change those plans and will take four long-haul flights in ten days.
“I think on Wednesday we were a little slow, I know that trip was a long one, just trying to get the guys back into programming and stuff like that,” Gase said. “On Thursday we noticed a rise in energy levels, execution and practice. When we left the practice [Thursday] I felt good about the kind of person we are. ”
For quarterback Sam Darnold, a trip to the Los Angeles area should have been a happy return home. Darnold grew up about an hour south in San Clemente and would have had family and friends in the stands. Instead, he will play in an empty stadium for a team with no victories with his future in question.
“I was really looking forward to going home, seeing some family if possible, but obviously that’s not a thing,” Darnold said. “But we’re looking forward to going there and playing a good team and having that opportunity.”