It only took 3 games for a Jets coach to land on the hot seat

It only took three games for a member of the New York Jets coaching staff to land on the proverbial hot seat. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks is at the center of the storm after another late-game collapse doomed the Jets in Week 3.

The Jets clawed back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter and briefly took the lead following a wild Will McDonald blocked field goal that was returned for a touchdown, only to watch it all unravel when the defense was asked to finish the job.

Baker Mayfield calmly sliced through Wilks’ unit on the final drive, moving Tampa Bay into easy field-goal range without facing so much as a third down. It was the second time that afternoon the Jets were burned by Mayfield in a critical moment, and it left fans pointing their frustration squarely at the man calling the plays.

Jets fans wasted no time making their frustrations clear, and much of it was directed at Wilks.

Jets fans are already calling to fire Steve Wilks after Week 3 meltdown

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn made Wilks the first big-name addition to his inaugural coaching staff, and hopes were high for the well-traveled defensive assistant. Unfortunately, Jets fans have been left wholly uninspired by the defense's performance through three weeks.

The numbers tell a clear story. The Jets are allowing an average of 31 points per game, the fourth-worst mark in the NFL. Their defensive EPA/play allowed (0.214) ranks second-worst in the league, ahead of only Miami, while their 0.310 EPA/dropback is fourth-worst.

Perhaps most damning is the fact that they have yet to force a single turnover through three weeks. That's a troubling trend for a defense expected to be aggressive and opportunistic under Wilks.

Of course, personnel shortcomings have compounded the problem. The safety play hasn’t been nearly good enough. The defensive end depth behind the starters is virtually nonexistent.

The performance of the team's linebackers has been underwhelming, and the injury to Quincy Williams only threatens to make it worse. In the secondary, Brandon Stephens and Michael Carter II haven't come close to living up to their contracts.

Add in missed tackles and discipline issues, and it becomes clear why this defense struggles to hold up late in games. This Jets defense just isn't built to make late-game defensive stands — teams will find ways to exploit their liabilities.

The schematic approach hasn’t helped, either. Wilks has leaned heavily on Cover 1 man looks and aggressive blitzes, a strategy that can work with top-end personnel but has left this group overexposed.

Mayfield exploited those tendencies in Week 3, first with a 33-yard scramble on a crucial late drive and then with chunk completions of 28 and 20 yards on the game-winning possession. The Jets’ defense looked powerless to stop Tampa's offense.

The big-picture concern is that this isn’t a one-off situation. The Jets have bent but broken in critical moments on multiple occasions this season, and opponents are quickly learning how to exploit their weaknesses.

While Aaron Glenn has praised his team’s fight, even he admitted there are “a number of things we have to correct.” That correction may need to start with Wilks.

Three games into the season, patience is already wearing thin amongst the Jets fanbase. The Jets don’t just need fight — they need results. And unless Wilks can quickly shore up his scheme and get more out of this flawed roster, his seat will only get hotter.

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