Jets CB Sauce Gardner: ‘This time next year, we are going to be in the playoffs’

MIAMI — After losing six consecutive games to end the season, most teams would be bitter or upset.

Especially after seeing the team you lost to Sunday make the playoffs and you did not. But the Jets players seem to be motivated for what’s to come.

The Jets will be spending their 12th straight season watching the playoffs from their sofas as they were eliminated from postseason contention after losing to the Seahawks last week. Gang Green will also enter the offseason on a six-game losing streak to end the year thanks to its 11-6 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.

Despite their lack of recent success, Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner believes good things are coming their way eventually.

“We want to win,” Gardner said. “It is very frustrating, but now it is at the point where we can’t dwell on the past.

“We just have to attack this offseason because this time next year, we are going to be in the playoffs. We got the people in this locker room right now to do it. We got the players, we just have to execute more.

“This feeling, this taste in our mouth, everybody is going to come back next year with that right mentality.”

[ Robert Saleh continues to back Zach Wilson ‘through hell or high water’ ]

The 2022 season for the Jets was a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. The team began the year 1-2 without their then-starting quarterback Zach Wilson because of a preseason meniscus tear as Joe Flacco started the year under center.

Then when Wilson returned at the beginning of October, the Jets went on a four-game winning streak to get to 5-2. But their season trajectory changed the moment running back Breece Hall (torn ACL) and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn triceps) were both lost for the season. Despite that, the Jets still found a way to defeat the Bills in Week 9 and get to 6-3 before their bye week.

Gang Green only won one game after that 6-3 start, which was a 31-10 victory against the Bears in Week 12. The Jets began December 7-4 and were holders of one of the final three Wild Card spots in the AFC. They were also a game out of first place in the AFC East. But four consecutive losses in December, followed by a loss to Seattle on New Year’s Day eliminated them from playoff contention.

What may be even worse is the Jets haven’t scored a touchdown since their Week 15 loss to Detroit.

“Frustrating as hell,” Jets tight end Tyler Conklin said. “I don’t know why we haven’t been able to find the end zone.

“I don’t know what the problem is really, but it’s frustrating is the one word I got for you right now. It doesn’t seem real to have a collapse like that.

“I wish I had the answers as it is frustrating as hell as we dropped six straight when we thought we would have a good shot at the playoffs at one point.”

Now what looms large for the Jets is an offseason full of significant questions. After the game, Jets owner Woody Johnson declined to comment outside the team’s locker room as he told reporters he would speak later this week. Any owner would undoubtedly be upset with their team losing six consecutive games to end the year when they had a chance to make the postseason.

The biggest area the Jets need to address is their quarterback. Wilson is the only quarterback under contract for 2023. Flacco and Mike White will be unrestricted free agents. Wilson started nine games for the Jets this season as he threw for 1,688 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Wilson regularly missed open receivers and could have been more efficient, completing just 54.5% of his passes.

Wilson was benched in November following a dreadful performance against Patriots as he completed 9-of-22 passes for 77 yards. Then when White fractured his ribs, Wilson started against the Lions and the Jaguars before being benched in the third quarter against Jacksonville.

White had his opportunity to show he was possibly the Jets quarterback of the future. However, injuries and inconsistent play from White will likely be why the Jets look in another direction this offseason. The quarterback carousel didn’t work for the Jets as now the team will need to decide on a new leading man in a critical season for coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo are two options the Jets could sign during the offseason. Whatever Gang Green decides to do, it will need to free up enough salary cap space to sign free agents and draft picks, as currently, they’re projected to have $15.2 million to play with.

The Jets had a good enough team to make it to the playoffs as their defense improved from 32nd in the league in 2021 to third this year. But without even an average quarterback, the inability to run the ball without Hall was the culprit for the Jets in the end.

“We’ve got a good team,” Saleh said. “We do. We’ve got a good team. 7-4, it wasn’t a mirage. We’ve got a championship-caliber defense, we’ve got a bunch of young guys that are going to be healthy and get back here, and we’ve got an O-Line that’s going to be healthy and get back here, and I know we’ll get the quarterback position right.

“When all that happens, we’re going to be in the same situation and it’s going to be about finishing and it’s going to be about finishing all offseason.”