Jets hope Davante Adams’ speech will spark winning streak beginning vs. Patriots

Davante Adams has been on the Jets roster for less than two weeks.

But Gang Green’s newest receiver decided to voice his opinion after Sunday night’s no-show 37-15 loss to the Steelers.

Following what was described as a lack of emotion during the game, Adams gave a speech to the team expressing his feelings in hopes of changing the culture in the Jets’ locker room.

“To come out flat like that and essentially give away a game, that’s unacceptable,” Adams said. “So I’m just trying to bring a different type of swag and culture in here.”

The Jets (2-5) allowed 31 unanswered points in the loss to the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers said he believed the team’s energy was flat.

“I won’t say exactly what I said because there’s some cameras rolling and colorful metaphors involved in how I really felt about the speech, but to paraphrase without using any French, I thought it was the realist speech I’d ever heard in a locker room in 20 years,” Rodgers said of Adams’ speech.

October has been a brutal month for the Jets. Following a 2-1 record to start the season, Gang Green has lost four straight and is in a virtual must-win game against the Patriots on Sunday.

During this four-game losing streak, Jets owner Woody Johnson fired coach Robert Saleh following a loss to the Vikings in London. Then, days after defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich became the team’s interim coach, he demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from his play-calling duties and gave those responsibilities to passing game coordinator Todd Downing.

A day after losing to the AFC East-leading Bills on Monday Night Football, the Jets acquired Adams in a trade with the Raiders. But to this point, none of those decisions have helped the Jets get into the winner’s circle.

Ulbrich hoped Downing would help improve the Jets’ offense. However, in his two games as their play-caller, the team has averaged 17.5 points per game, compared to 18.8 points per game in their first five games.

The Jets have missed the playoffs for 13 consecutive years, which is the longest drought in the NFL. Since 2011, they have a record of 79-139. Only the Jaguars (67-151) and the Browns (75-142-1) have a worse record during that span.

Many believed the Jets’ losing culture would change after the team acquired Rodgers in a trade with the Packers in 2023. Obviously, that hasn’t happened, but players claim they have maintained a positive attitude despite the long losing streak.

“I believe the team morale is where it needs to be,” Jets captain and linebacker C.J. Mosley. “We had some adversity hit as a team and we all agree that we didn’t respond the right way with adversity. We had some people say some things throughout these last few weeks.

“We had people step up, we’ve had people show ways not to do those things. So, I think, we are in the right spot. I think everybody is mentally in the right spot, physically and spiritually we are too, which is most important. So, that’s what it comes down to, when adversity hits, it’s going to show who you really are.

“There’s no magic potion to giving up a touchdown and still fighting back to win the game. It’s time for us to respond in the right way when adversity hits in a game whether up or down and we have to be the same team no matter what. I think this week’s game, it will be the right time to show that.”

The Jets got even more help this week after pass rusher Haason Reddick ended his lengthy holdout and agreed to an adjusted contract worth $9 million — plus incentives that could allow him to re-earn the $12 million he lost in fines by holding out basically since he was traded from the Eagles in the spring.

Reddick is expected to play against the Patriots. But it’s unknown how much he will play, considering he hasn’t played in a game since the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Buccaneers in January.

Reddick not only missed all of the Jets’ spring offseason program, but he also didn’t report for training camp.

Now, the Jets will hope Reddick can help a pass rush that has been underperforming over the last few weeks. In their victory against the Patriots last month, the Jets finished with seven sacks. But in their four games since, the Jets have seven sacks combined.

Reddick declined to speak to reporters while in the locker room this week, but defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton believes the 30-year-old can make an impact even in limited snaps.

“It would be ill-responsible for me to go out there and give him every single rep,” Whitecotton said. “It’s a slow ramp-up, but the plays that he has been given, he has done excellent and performed well and looked like he has been in shape.

“From all of my interactions with him, I have believed and trusted the fact that he is a guy that keeps himself in shape, he is always challenging himself physically to stay in shape. He’s not one of those guys that’s up and down. He has done a good job of that throughout his career.

“We had faith in him that he would be ready to rock.”

The Patriots (1-6) are a different team from the last time the Jets played them on Sept. 19. 2024. Rookie third-overall pick Drake Maye is now New England’s starting quarterback after Jacoby Brissett started the first five games.

Maye has already shown progression in the Patriots offense in just two games. In his first start against the Texans in Week 6, Maye finished with 243 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Despite the loss to the Jaguars in London, Maye completed 26-of-37 passes for 276 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.

“My first start, I think it was a three-and-out, and then the second one was maybe another three-and-out,” Maye said. “So, started fast and felt more comfortable under center that first snap than the first time, and got the nerves out of me.

“I’m feeling more comfortable back there, more comfortable in the huddle, play calls and little things like that, little things that you don’t see on the field. Felt more comfortable in the huddle, felt like I was bringing some more energy to the start of the game. From there, I think protecting the football, that’s the big thing.

“Then, you turn the ball over and got some plays which I wish I had back, make better throws, even in the last game that it could maybe be a difference in the ball game.”