Jets WR Davante Adams' impassioned critique of team resonates with coach, players
Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) pulls in a pass reception against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) in the first half of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. Credit: AP/Matt Freed
Davante Adams caught only three passes and didn’t get in the end zone in his Jets debut last Sunday, but he scored some points in the locker room afterward with his impassioned speech that resonated with his new teammates and especially his coach.
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich credited Adams for “shining a light” on what was wrong in the Jets’ 22-point loss to the Steelers. Adams railed about a lack of energy and fight, and Ulbrich circled back to that in a team meeting. He was encouraged by the response in practice and expects things to be vastly different in Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
“Before we fix something, we’ve got to identify what went wrong,” Ulbrich said. “When adversity hits — we’ve preached this all week long — it’s an opportunity for us to react the way that we want to react. That’s ultimately a decision. We can’t let the events affect our energy, which we did last game. We had to acknowledge that and recognize it.’’
Adams joined a really long list of people who say the Jets need a culture change. He said their effort was “unacceptable,” among other things, after the loss to the Steelers. His words carried weight because of all he’s accomplished in his NFL career.
Ulbrich called it “a blessing” to have Adams the player and person on the team now, and praised him for how much he’s affecting the “culture.”
Linebacker and captain C.J. Mosley, who has spoken up plenty over the years, thought it was good that Adams delivered the message he did.
“Enough people have said those things that have already been here,” Mosley told Newsday. “I think it’s good it came from him. I think it resonated with everybody. Everybody has to hear or we’re just going to go back to the same problem.”
Mosley said that if any player was bothered by Adams speaking up after only five days with the team, then “he was probably talking to you. That message hopefully was heard from top to bottom and we can move forward.”
Garrett Wilson said Adams’ words were welcomed and that everyone needed to hear it because the losing has been going on too long.
“It’s all I know, so you get used to something. But the reality of it is it’s not OK,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to figure out why we’re not winning games. We got all the time in the world. We got all the pieces, so why are we not winning when it matters?”
The Jets (2-5) are at a critical stage. Losers of four straight, they have put themselves in a must-win situation for just about every game going forward.
If Adams’ words truly stirred them, they should show it Sunday. If they can’t right their sinking ship against New England (1-6) — the last team they beat (Week 3) — they’re setting themselves up for another December of meaningless football.
“I felt like this week it was the team that we need to be going forward,” Ulbrich said. “So excited about reinventing ourselves in a way.”
Low energy and not responding well to adversity aren’t the Jets’ only problems. There have been recurring issues that have led to missing the playoffs for 13 consecutive years.
With Aaron Rodgers leading them, this season was supposed to be different.
The Jets have a far better roster than they did last year but have two fewer wins at this point than in 2023, when Zach Wilson was the quarterback. Rodgers has thrown six interceptions and five touchdown passes during this four-game skid.
The amount of change the Jets have undergone in a short time hasn’t helped. Robert Saleh was fired on Oct. 8. Adams was acquired from the Raiders one week later. Edge rusher Haason Reddick ended his holdout on Monday and will make his Jets debut Sunday.
The Jets didn’t merely add a couple of peripheral pieces. Adams and Reddick are two accomplished players who can make big impacts and now have to be integrated into everything.
The coaches’ worlds were turned upside down with Saleh’s firing — especially Ulbrich and the defensive side of the football. They have more responsibilities with Ulbrich holding dual title of interim coach/defensive coordinator.
“We’re at the point now, enough things have been done, enough things have been said,” Mosley said. “Just got to go out there and handle adversity however it comes on the football field and just find a way to win a football game.”
The upbeat Ulbrich said this is a “positive” and “exciting” challenge. Ulbrich, who has been a player or coach for 22 years, also said this much in-season change is uncharted territory.
“I’ve never been through this,” he said. “I don’t know if anybody’s been through this.”
Leave it to the Jets.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
