“I don’t care about anything else but a win at the end. They played well, and they did not give up. They showed up today.”
Those were the words that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson provided to the media after the team’s 32-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins. While he expressed disappointment in the team falling short of expectations, Johnson seemed very enthused about starting 2025 with a victory.
From purely an on-field perspective, there was definitely a good chunk of positive moments. In what could be his last career game, quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns. He effectively managed the offense, hit some shots down the field, and took advantage of a weak and depleted Miami Dolphins defense.
In the process, he became the fifth quarterback ever to hit the 500-touchdown mark, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Brett Farve, and Peyton Manning in that club.
Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis were effective on the ground, as they both averaged over four yards per carry. Davante Adams had 88 yards and a touchdown, going over 1,000 yards once again in the process. Garrett Wilson went over 100 catches on the year, Allen Lazard had another solid game, and Tyler Conklin stepped up when it counted, grabbing touchdown No. 500.
On defense, Ashtyn Davis had two interceptions and showed more flashes of being a full-time ball hawk in the secondary. Will McDonald provided constant pressure all game, while Quincy Williams flew around the field and racked up nine total tackles.
After the game, Rodgers, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, and multiple other players echoed Johnson’s sentiment.
“It was amazing. All the work that has been put in by the men in that locker room and all of the adversity they’ve had to face on and off the field, everything they have been through, it’s really cool for them to have that moment. It’s so well-deserved. This is an opportunity just to celebrate this team. Finishing it the right way was big for all of us,” said Ulbrich.
Wilson said that it “feels great” to finish the season on a high note.
“This is how you want to do it. It obviously hasn’t been what we want throughout
the season, but this is how you want to end it, so you feel good about it.”
Hall spoke about this more in depth, as he answered a question about what the win said about the team.
“Some would say it’s a dime mentality. It’s been frustrating with all the lessons from losses, one-possession losses, last-possession losses, and it’s hard for a team to win when your coach and GM (General Manager) get fired halfway through the season. Just a lot of stuff’s up in the air, so it’s just been cool to see how everybody on this team have stuck together, and not pointing fingers and just stay the course.”
Of course, Rodgers said it was “nice” to go out on a high note. He also spoke more about the gratitude he felt for getting through a season healthy, especially after his lost 2023 campaign.
“Just a lot of gratitude for the ability to be healthy this season, all the people that put me in the position to be able to start 17 games. There’s time for other emotions, but tonight I’m just thankful for the performance and the guys that made plays tonight.”
I will never rip on a player for being happy about winning a game. The public has no idea about the individual battles, both mental and physical, that these warriors go through on a daily basis. Tomorrow is never guaranteed in the league, which means that every moment and game should be appreciated by players.
This was the type of sentiment Rodgers spoke about when I asked him if he has had any time to reflect on getting to this point in his career.
“I had a few hugs in the locker room, a few emotional moments with some people I really care about, but I think it’s not great to make emotional decisions about anything in life. I need some time to step away from this and see how I’m feeling, if I want to keep going, and obviously the Jets are going to make the decision they’re going to make.”
However, the same cannot be said for the owner of the team, Woody Johnson.
This is the second straight year that “finishing on a high note” has been mentioned by the owner. Johnson speaks about these end-of-the-season wins as if they will ensure a productive future for New York.
Let me ask a question: After winning against the Patriots to close out the 2023 season, did the Jets carry that momentum into 2024? Did they build off an impressive end-of-season win to have success and break their playoff drought?
The answer is a resounding no. Instead, the Jets were even worse in 2024. They had even more dysfunction, even more issues, and just floundered in the wind.
So, someone in Johnson’s position saying that this win is “all that matters” is utter nonsense. It is completely disengenious.
Rather, the owner should be saying that this win is a reflection of what he expects to build for the future. New York needs to grow up and join the modern football world.
The Jets need to find a trusted general manger who can build out a weak football operations department, especially when compared to the rest of the league. They need to find a head coach who can be a leader and coach with a modern philosophy. Whether the candidate specializes in offense or defense does not matter; rather, they need to have an aggressive mindset that pushes the team to power through adversity and play to win the game.
Most importantly, Johnson must ensure that he commits to a winning mentality. No matter what it entails, the Jets’ owner must put the franchise’s complete focus on football. Optics and business are essential, but everything else falls into place when the team wins football games.
New York has a playoff drought that is a year shy of 15 seasons. They have very important questions to solve both on the field and off of it. For a lack of a better term, the Jets are a laughingstock.
For this lowly franchise to actually get out of the dirt, Johnson must change the organization’s mindset to one focused solely on consistent success. He must get the right people in the building and get the football operations nailed down.
But with comments like those he made after the game, Johnson does not seem like he is changing. And until he does, the Jets will be going nowhere fast.
