5 ultimate takeaways from the NY Jets' late-season collapse

A once-promising 2022 NY Jets season turned for the worse when the calendar hit December. The team was officially eliminated from playoff contention on the first day of January, but the truth is that the franchise's hopes of making the postseason fell asleep long before the team touched ground in Seattle.

Even though the Jets played meaningful games almost up until the very end, something the franchise hadn't done in seven years, it's challenging to find silver linings in the Jets' skies moving forward.

Instead of a natural progression or feeling that the team is ahead of schedule, the Jets feel like they are again off course, heading toward another crash, and ultimately, yet another franchise reset. 

Long-time Jets followers have seen this movie many times before. The football club is in a position where they have uncertainty at quarterback — a seemingly never-ending theme. And now, the latest wrinkle and development is the growing sense of doubt in the Jets' leadership and coaching staff.

The Jets' 2022 season revealed a lot about the team and its trajectory moving forward. Unfortunately, the outcome of the team's demise didn't shine a positive light on their future.

Here are my five takeaways on the Jets' late-season collapse and the team's uncertain future.

1. Will Woody Johnson make a power play on the current NY Jets regime?

It's hard to fathom any significant changes immediately coming off the failure of 2022. However, some alarming signs could prompt a rash reaction from Jets owner Woody Johnson.

Had the Jets won seven games this season in a different fashion, the idea of Johnson making any radical changes would've seemed far-fetched.

However, based on how the Jets' season transpired, a scenario where Woody steps in and makes a power play seems realistic. Not just because of Johnson's history of changing course suddenly — see the rise and fall of Eric Mangini.

It goes beyond the fact that the Jets fell short of the playoffs in 2022. It's how they did it. The team was barely competent or competitive down the stretch of a season that had critical games in the balance.

The Jets' failings at quarterback and the quality of their play late in 2022 fall directly on the team's leadership, particularly Robert Saleh and his coaching staff.

The Jets don't have their answer at quarterback, and now there's serious doubt that they have the right people in the front office and coaching staff.