Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets

As the New York Jets navigate a season marked by losing records, injury setbacks, and faded playoff hopes, the franchise has made a deliberate choice to shift its  success from wins and losses to a more meaningful metric: growth. Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets isn’t a consolation prize for a disappointing year; it’s a strategic commitment to building a sustainable foundation—prioritizing the development of young talent, the refinement of schematic identities, and the strengthening of team culture, even when the scoreboard doesn’t favor them. For a team that has endured over a decade of inconsistency, this focus on growth represents a shift in mindset: it’s about playing the long game, embracing short-term struggles as part of a larger journey toward competitiveness.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets is most visible in how the team has allocated playing time to its youngest players, even when it means sacrificing immediate on-field results. Rookie defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, a first-round pick in 2024, saw his snap count jump from 40% in the first half of the season to 75ter the bye week—despite the Jets allowing more sacks in games where he played extended minutes. The coaching staff has been open about this choice, framing Johnson’s growing pains (like occasional misreads of offensive blocking schemes) as necessary steps toward becoming a franchise pass-rusher. Similarly, undrafted rookie wide receiver Xavier Gipson has gone from a special teams contributor to a regular in the offense, with the Jets designing specific plays to get him the ball—even when those plays sometimes result in incompletions or dropped passes. “We’re not here to win pretty right now,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “We’re here to teach these young guys how to win eventually. Every rep they get—good or bad—is a chance to learn, and that’s more valuable than a few extra wins this season.”

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets also extends to the team’s schematic development, with the coaching staff using losses as opportunities to refine their systems. On offense, the Jets have experimented with a more run-heavy approach in recent weeks—shifting from a 55-45 pass-run split to 60-40—partly to reduce pressure on quarterback Zach Wilson, but also to build consistency in a foundational part of their identity. Even when this approach failed (like in a 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins where the Jets rushed for just 82 yards), the staff used film sessions to highlight small wins: better blocking angles from the offensive line, quicker decision-making from Wilson on run calls, and improved tackling from the defense on Miami’s counter plays. On defense, the Jets have tested different personnel groupings—using more three-man fronts and nickel packages—to see how players like rookie linebacker Marte Mapu and veteran safety Jordan Whitehead fit together. “Struggles force you to adapt, and adaptation is where growth happens,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett explained. “We’re not just trying to win games—we’re trying to build an offense that can compete for championships in two or three years, and that means being willing to try new things, even if they don’t work right away.”

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets has yielded tangible progress in some areas, even if it hasn’t translated to more wins. Wilson, who was widely criticized for his inconsistent play earlier in the season, has shown improvement in decision-making: his interception rate has dropped from 3.1% in the first eight games to 1.8% in the last six, and he’s completed 65% of his passes in two-minute drills—up from 52rlier in the year. The offensive line, which was a liability early on, has reduced its sack rate by 18% since Week 12, thanks in part to better communication between veteran fill-in George Fant and rookie guard Joe Tippmann. Even the special teams unit, which ranked 30th in the NFL in net punting average in September, has climbed to 22nd—with rookie punter Thomas Morstead improving his average by 3.2 yards per punt after working with a specialist coach midseason. For the New York Jets, these small wins are evidence that their growth-focused approach is working, even if the standings don’t show it. “You don’t turn a franchise around overnight,” general manager Joe Douglas said. “You do it by stacking small improvements—one player, one play, one week at a time. That’s what we’re seeing here.”

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets has also shaped team culture, fostering a sense of resilience among players. In post-game locker rooms after losses, the focus isn’t on assigning blame but on identifying takeaways: what did we do well? What can we fix? How can we apply this to next week? Veterans like linebacker C.J. Mosley have played a key role in this, leading “growth circles” after practice where players share one thing they learned that day—whether it’s a new technique, a better way to read a defense, or a lesson in staying calm under pressure. This culture has helped keep morale high, even as the losses mount. “It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not winning, but the coaches and veterans keep reminding us that this is part of the process,” Johnson said. “We’re not just a team right now—we’re a group of guys growing together, and that makes the tough days easier.” For the New York Jets, this culture of resilience is just as important as on-field growth; it’s building a foundation of trust and accountability that will serve the team well when it starts competing for playoffs.

Growth Focus Amid Struggles for the New York Jets is a long-term investment—one that the franchise hopes will pay off in future seasons. While fans may be frustrated by the current losing record, the team has been transparent about its timeline, emphasizing that 2024 is a “building year” and that true competitiveness will take time. The front office has already begun planning for the 2025 offseason, with a focus on retaining key veterans (like Fant and Mosley) who have mentored young players, and using draft picks to fill gaps in the roster that have hindered growth this season (like offensive tackle and tight end). “Growth isn’t always linear,” Saleh said. “There will be setbacks, there will be losses, but as long as we’re moving forward—even if it’s slow—we’re on the right track.” For the New York Jets and their fans, this focus on growth amid struggles is a test of patience. But it’s also a sign of progress: after years of chasing short-term fixes, the Jets are finally committed to building a team the right way—one that can sustain success, not just fleeting moments of it. As Douglas put it: “The struggles we’re facing now are temporary, but the growth we’re building will last.”