Jets’ play-caller switch to Todd Downing has been ‘very disappointing’
When Todd Downing took over play-calling duties before the Jets’ Week 6 game against the Bills, he was tasked with figuring out the solutions to offensive woes that offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett couldn’t fix.
They had Aaron Rodgers. They had other stars in Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
They even assembled a revamped offensive line, too.
But with Gang Gang’s offense set to play its eighth game under Downing on Sunday, the underwhelming results have remained underwhelming, and Downing, who previously called plays with the Titans, described it as “very disappointing” — because he knows interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich promoted him to make it better.
The Jets are averaging the second-fewest yards per game in the NFL (291.3) this season, ahead of just the Patriots.
They averaged 18.6 points per game under Hackett, and that number has risen just tenths to 18.9 under Downing.
“It’s difficult to feel like you were asked to help in a situation or see if you can make an impact when the change occurred,” Downing said, “and to this point, we haven’t had better results.”
There have been moments — such as the 21-point second half Oct. 31 during the Jets’ win over the Texans — when the Jets’ offense operated as it was expected to under Rodgers and with Downing in charge. They even added wideout Davante Adams to the unit in October, too.
But in other instances, the offense has gone missing again.
Gang Green managed just six points during an embarrassing loss to the Cardinals on Nov. 10, and after two touchdown drives in the opening frame Sunday against the Seahawks, they didn’t manage another one the rest of the game.
“We’ve shown who we can be as an offense in small stretches,” Downing said, “but unfortunately that’s fizzled out like a bottle rocket, and we need to find a way to sustain and have consistency.”
Hackett echoed a similar sentiment all of last season after Rodgers’ season-ending torn Achilles.
It carried over into the first five weeks of 2024 with Rodgers back, too.
And even under Downing, that hasn’t changed — and the struggles haven’t faded.
Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said Kene Nwangwu’s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown Sunday didn’t surprise him at all.
Nwangwu, a 26-year-old running back who has spent the season on the practice squad after signing in September, earned the AFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week nod Tuesday.
“He wasn’t over there sulking about his lack of play time,” Boyer said, while acknowledging he told his players it’s a “really good lesson” for anyone. “He wasn’t sulking about not being on the active roster. He was working his butt off, and then when you get your opportunity, you make the most of it, and he certainly did.”
RB Hall (knee), CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring), OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), OL John Simpson (illness) and LB C.J. Mosley (neck) didn’t practice Thursday, while OL Morgan Moses (knee/shoulder), OL Olu Fashanu (toe) and CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (illness) were limited participants.
OL Wes Schweitzer (finger) and WR Allen Lazard (chest) were full participants for a second consecutive day.
Boyer said he’d never seen a gunner get triple-teamed before — as the Seahawks attempted to contain wideout Irv Charles at one point Sunday — and still make the tackle. “If you can find me a better special teamer in this league,” Boyer said, “I’d like to see it.”