The Jets continue to spiral, even after firing Robert Saleh - ESPN

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The unrest began the morning of Oct. 8, when New York Jets owner Woody Johnson walked into coach Robert Saleh's office and fired him in a conversation that lasted only slightly longer than a 30-second timeout.

The turmoil spiked Sunday at Gillette Stadium, where the Jets unraveled in mind-boggling fashion in a last-minute loss to the New England Patriots. It brought interim coach Jeff Ulbrich to the verge of tears in the locker room as he tried to convince his demoralized team that its five-game losing streak is «a moment of darkness,» not a permanent blackout.

Over a 20-day span, the Jets changed head coaches, demoted playcaller Nathaniel Hackett, traded for quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite wide receiver in Davante Adams and settled a contract holdout with Haason Reddick, an edge rusher who had been in no rush to report to the team that traded for him in April. Amid the upheaval, they tried to rally around a locker room speech from Adams that raised some eyebrows.

Final tally on the 20 days of tumult: Three losses, $20 million out of Johnson's pocket (for Adams and Reddick) and questions about whether the «all-in» Jets might be all-out on the season by Tuesday's trading deadline.

«Status quo is killer,» Johnson told a small group of reporters at the league's fall meetings, explaining his rationale behind the coaching bombshell and the acquisition of Adams.

«One of the most talented teams ever assembled by the New York Jets» (Johnson's words on Oct. 8) is on its way to becoming one of the biggest busts in recent NFL history. On this Halloween, the Jets are the scary movie. If New York (2-6) continues to spiral, maybe it can use Vincent Price in an AI-generated voiceover for its 2024 highlight