Jets Fall Flat in New Orleans as Defensive Shake-Up Fails to Spark Change
The New York Jets made a bold move heading into Week 16, shaking up the coaching staff in hopes of salvaging something from a season that’s been spiraling for weeks. But after Sunday’s 29-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome, it’s clear that the changes didn’t bring the spark they were hoping for.
Now sitting at 3-12, the Jets are limping toward the finish line of the 2025 season, and the latest loss painted a familiar picture: offensive struggles, defensive breakdowns, and a team that looks increasingly lost.
Let’s break down what went wrong in New Orleans.
Defensive Coordinator Switch Doesn’t Pay Off
The Jets made headlines by parting ways with their defensive coordinator and promoting Chris Harris to take over the unit. Early on, it looked like there might be some juice. The Saints held just a 9-6 lead at halftime, and the Jets defense had shown some signs of life.
But any hope of a turnaround was short-lived.
New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough carved up the Jets secondary for 308 passing yards and a touchdown, leading a second-half surge that left the Jets defense scrambling. The back end, in particular, couldn’t hold up-giving up chunk plays and failing to make the kind of impact you’d expect after a midseason coaching change.
The fact that Shough, a young and largely unproven quarterback, looked that comfortable is telling. The Jets didn’t just lose-they were outclassed by a Saints offense that’s been inconsistent all year.
Trevor Cook’s Struggles Continue
At this point, defenses aren’t even pretending to respect rookie quarterback Trevor Cook-and it shows.
Cook couldn’t find the end zone and failed to generate much of anything through the air. The Saints dared him to beat them, and he simply couldn’t. While it was never likely that Cook would be the long-term answer under center, his recent play is raising serious questions about whether he’s even in the mix as a backup heading into 2026.
With two games left, it’s unclear if he’ll get more reps or if the Jets will look elsewhere to evaluate other options. But what’s clear is that Cook hasn’t done enough to inspire confidence.
Breece Hall Bottled Up Again
When your quarterback isn’t a threat, defenses can key in on the run-and that’s exactly what the Saints did. Breece Hall found himself running into stacked boxes all afternoon, and the result was another frustrating outing.
Hall finished with just 54 yards on 16 carries, averaging 3.4 yards per tote. His longest run? Seven yards.
It’s not a knock on Hall’s talent-he’s shown what he can do when given space. But right now, there’s just no room to operate.
Opposing defenses are loading up to stop the run, knowing the Jets aren’t going to beat them over the top. Until that changes, Hall’s production is likely to stay grounded.
A Record No One Wants
The Jets’ secondary didn’t just struggle-they made history for all the wrong reasons.
Sunday marked the 15th straight game without an interception for New York, setting a new NFL record. That’s not just a bad stat-it’s a glaring indictment of a unit that’s supposed to be built on playmakers.
Interceptions can change games. They can flip momentum, bail out an offense, and give a team life.
The Jets haven’t had that kind of moment in over three months. And unless something changes fast, that streak could easily carry into the 2026 season.
Whatever Spark Glenn Had, It’s Gone
There was a stretch earlier this season when the Jets looked like they might be turning a corner. They had won three out of five, and head coach Aaron Glenn was starting to get some credit for building a tough, resilient group.
That feels like a long time ago.
Since then, the Jets have unraveled. The energy, the fight, the belief-it’s hard to find any of it right now.
Glenn’s message, whatever it was, doesn’t seem to be landing anymore. And with the season nearly over, the Jets look like a team just trying to get to the finish line.
Bottom Line
The Jets made changes. They tried to shake things up.
But Sunday’s loss in New Orleans showed that the problems run deeper than one coordinator or one player. With two games left, the focus shifts to the offseason-and the long list of questions that need answering.
Because right now, the Jets aren’t just losing. They’re stuck.