Take flight with the Jets

Text with Brian Costello all season as he brings Sports+ subscribers the latest Jets intel from on the field and off.

These Jets have proven to be good at one thing: ensuring a high draft pick. Their fans haven’t had to worry about Gang Green winning a game that ruins their position.

There wasn’t even a hint of endangering their top pick Sunday — which now sits at No. 3 heading into the regular-season finale — in what felt like a road game at MetLife Stadium. Patriots fans poured into the building and were able to thoroughly enjoy a stress-free afternoon of humiliating their AFC East rivals.

It was as competitive as a scrimmage, like an SEC powerhouse taking on a Division II school that was paid to play the game. The final score of 42-10 didn’t do the one-sided game’s nature justice. New England could have scored 70 if it chose.

“Today was probably the one time I feel like our effort wasn’t as good [as] I would want it to be, and that’s just me not BS-ing you guys,” coach Aaron Glenn said. “Just being honest. I didn’t think the effort was where it needed to be.”

In the lead-up to the home finale, Glenn said he wanted to make this a game Jets fans would remember. They will for all the wrong reasons.

The Jets (3-13) didn’t pick up a first down until the second quarter. It was already 21-0 by then. At halftime, the Patriots (13-3) led 28-3 and quarterback Drake Maye was 17-of-19 passing for 229 yards and four scores. New England had more touchdowns (five) than the Jets had first downs (three). The Patriots scored touchdowns on their first six drives, before pulling Maye midway through the third quarter.

“S–t, boss,” linebacker Quincy Williams said.

The Jets own the worst December point differential in NFL history at minus-107, according to ESPN. The 1960 Bears previously held the record at minus-106. The carnage could continue with a trip to Buffalo to take on the Bills to finish the season.

“This last game, I want to see pride,” Williams said.

Breece Hall did go over 1,000 rushing yards for the season for the first time in his career. The last Jet to reach that plateau was Chris Ivory in 2015. Hall scored the lone Jets touchdown, a 59-yard run over the right side, and ran for more than 100 yards for the fourth time this year.

It was another lowlight in a season full of them for Glenn. With a loss against the Bills, Gang Green would equal their second most losses (14) in a season in franchise history. Glenn is now the third Jets coach to lose 13 games in his first season, joining Rich Kotite and Robert Saleh.

Glenn was part of the lone 15-loss team in Jets history, the Kotite-led 1996 group, that led to the franchise-altering hire of Bill Parcells. The only good news was the Jets improved their draft stock by continuing to lose. Courtesy of the Browns upsetting the Steelers, the Jets own the No. 3 overall pick.

By the first play of the second quarter, the Patriots held a 21-0 lead. They had 199 total yards; the Jets had managed 13. The Patriots had 13 first downs to zero for the Jets.

“It’s unacceptable,” offensive guard John Simpson said. “We have to play better across the board.”

The New England crowd was enjoying itself, chanting “M-V-P” for Maye after his second scoring strike, a 22-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. They booed Jets players as they took the field. If there were any Gang Green fans at MetLife Stadium, they would’ve done the same throughout this disastrous afternoon.

It was strange, hearing cheers at half-empty MetLife Stadium. The sound was rarely heard during another waste of a season for the Jets and Giants.

Of course, it wasn’t for the home team. The one thing Jets have to be happy about is the season is almost over.