The hiring of Steve Wilks was widely considered a solid one for first-year head coach Aaron Glenn, bringing experience to the rookie’s staff. The primary concern was the inexperienced play-caller on the offensive side of the ball, Tanner Engstrand.

After another dismal defensive performance in a second consecutive blowout loss on Sunday, the coordinators’ reputations have flipped.

In northern Florida, the Jets’ defense was blown to smithereens by the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars, who scored touchdowns on six of their first nine drives before taking their foot off the gas pedal. Gang Green lost their 11th game of the season by a 48-20 final score.

It was the most points given up by a Jets team since 2021. At the forefront of the blame remains Wilks. The organization looked ill-prepared to defend Trevor Lawrence, and a lack of effort was clear across the board from key members of the unit.

All Sunday’s performance does is enforce a future decision for head coach Aaron Glenn.

Jets’ defensive collapse

Following New York’s embarrassing defeat on Sunday, Glenn made it clear he would not make a change at defensive play-caller the rest of the season.

“We brought Wilks in for a reason. I want him to run his system.”

Wilks will run the 2025 Jets defense until the final game. What happens after the year ends, though, is inevitable.

It seems the players are even aware of it. Following the defeat in Jacksonville, several starters on the defense refused to speak to the media. Linebacker Quincy Williams explained exactly why.

“I have nothing positive to say today so I’m not doing media,” he said.

The numbers speak for themselves beyond their dismal showing in Duval. The Jets are third-worst in points allowed (28.4 per game) and still do not have an interception.

On Sunday, something even worse reared its ugly head in the 28-point loss: a lack of effort. As the Jaguars overwhelmed the Jets’ defensive front, too many reps featured a lack of hustle and effort from key members like edge rushers Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson.

Jacksonville, which had 31 points at the halfway point, reminded the Jets of their defensive woes—and how much Wilks has failed the Jets.

Coaching decisions

Glenn is well within his rights not to change play-callers at this point in the season. By showing faith and trust in his assistants, he will only prove to others around the league that the Jets will be patient with others who are eventually hired. That kind of loyalty spreads quickly through NFL circles.

However, it doesn’t detract from the obvious. Wilks was brought in to be a stabilizing force in the coaching staff — the one play-caller with experience to help others on the team.

He’s been an abject failure from the very beginning.

And he should be replaced once the season ends.

The loss in Jacksonville only reinforced the narrative that has been growing around Wilks for months. There were plenty of disappointing showings from the Jets all season, starting in Week 1. From a season-opening defeat to Aaron Rodgers, looking unprepared for Mike McDaniel’s scheme in two games against Miami, or a brutal blowout at the hands of the Cowboys, the Jets haven’t been able to stop anyone competent all year.

That falls directly in the hands of Wilks.

It seems more and more likely that Wilks, who has already been shown the door after a single season numerous times, will have another one-and-done mark on his mediocre resume.