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The Jets are in the midst of one of the most epically disappointing seasons in franchise history. And after they completely threw away Sunday’s game against the Colts, Mike Francesa couldn’t hide his fascination, and frustration with the deteriorating situation.
“There’s no way to pull this together,” Francesa said Sunday night on The Mike Francesa Podcast. “There’s nothing to pull together. … Give me a break. This is a clownshow. … This ship is not only sinking, it’s going to just get worse and worse. Empty seats, bad games. … I mean, this is as bad as you can turn a season into.”
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The New York radio legend took to his podcast to skewer the Jets moments after they blew an eight-point fourth-quarter lead to fall 28-27 to the Colts. And he spared no one, including…
Joe Douglas: “The general manager, I don’t even know if he’s still working,” Francesa said.
Owner Woody Johnson for his decision to fire coach Robert Saleh with the Jets at 2-3:
“It was bad under Saleh, but it’s gotten worse,” Francesa said. “Because Woody had a good idea but he didn’t know how to do it. So he made it worse.”
Cornerback Sauce Gardner, for his role in the 39-completion that set up the game-winning touchdown:
“The bottom line is the defense has been atrocious,” Francesa said. “And one of the biggest has been Sauce Gardner, who has played terribly. … I’ve been honest about him when he’s playing great, and you’ve got to be honest when he’s playing terribly. And he’s played terribly all year.”
And quarterback Aaron Rodgers, mocking him mercilessly for last week endorsing interim coach Jeff Ulbrich to return in 2025:
“[Last] week Rodgers comes out with, ‘I think I want to play here next year,’ and then throws his support behind Ulbrich and the coaching staff as if they’re doing a good job. What are you, serious? Who are you going to sell that to? I mean, if I was there I would have laughed in his face. What are you talking about!? ‘I see how he’s made things better.’ Made things better!? Are you — how are you going to sell that to anybody. Nobody’s buying that crap. …
“These guys are trying to sell you that they’re going to bring this staff back?” Francesa said. “If they brought this staff back. If they elevated this head coach full-time, they would be the biggest laughingstock in the history of the National Football League. That’s how bad this is. That’s how ridiculous it looks. They do nothing right. They have no idea what they’re doing. They have no semblance of order in any part of the game. … They are so past clueless. And I don’t want to pick on the man, but the idea that we are even trying to address that he has a chance be here next year. I mean, come on. Are we in fantasy land, or what? How would you possibly bring anyone from that coaching staff back in the building?”
Francesa wasn’t done with Ulbrich, who took over when the Jets fired Robert Saleh at 2-3 after losing to the Vikings in London. The Jets have gone 1-5 since with Ulbrich maintaining his defensive coordinator responsibilities along with his new role.
“I don’t know,” Francesa said. “He seems like a decent guy. ‘I’m in the wrong call. I’ve got to do more.’ But he is so clueless … it’s laughable. … He is so lost right now between trying to run the team and run the defense, which has gotten worse because you had Saleh and you had Ulbrich running the defense, now you don’t have either one of them running the defense. It has gotten worse, by the week.”
He also mocked Ulbrich for saying the bye week was coming at a good time for the Jets, and repeatedly saying he has to “take a hard look” at the Jets’ issues after they lost seven of their last eight games.
“Good time for a bye? How about good time for bye bye,” Francesa said. “What do you mean good time for a bye? What do you mean a good time for a bye. ‘We’ll take a hard look?’ Take a hard look at what? Take a hard look at the want ads, OK, because you’re not going to be here next year. Take a hard look at what? This is a joke! This is an embarrassment! With talent. This team with the talent it has, I mean I can see Davante Adams on the sideline saying ‘What did I get myself into?’ They come out and go 0-for-5. They don’t get a first down. When have you seen Aaron Rodgers, in a full building, where the fans are mocking him for getting a first down? That’s Aaron Rodgers! They’re mocking him! For getting a first down! … They were so bad in the first half it was scary!”
Francesa said there is one good thing about the Jets losing. It puts to bed the silly notion that a team with one win in the last two months could get hot enough to go on a season-ending winning streak and make the playoffs.
“Hey, now,” Francesa said, “at least you don’t have to hear that nonsense anymore.”
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Andy Vasquez may be reached at [email protected].
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