After a disappointing loss in London, Jeff Ulbrich must have spent Tuesday morning planning on slowing down Josh Allen on Monday night.
That was until the Jets fired manager Robert Saleh and appointed defensive coordinator Ulbrich as interim head coach, tasked with turning around a disappointing season.
But Ulbrich's first priority was dealing with a team (now his team) that had suffered two straight losing seasons and was currently working on a mid-season transition.
Ulbrich, 47, said in a press conference that he had a message for the Jets: “It's time to hold on to your guns.” “We're back to back and it's us playing against everyone. In my opinion, with the talent we have in that room, we have everything we need to be successful. We can have the season we believe we can have.”
With Aaron Rodgers returning under center after playing just four snaps last season before tearing his Achilles tendon, it will be a tough task to keep a 2-3 team together.
The Jets lost to the 49ers in the season opener, but defeated the Titans and Patriots before faltering.
In a heartbreaking 10-9 loss to the Broncos in Week 4, the Jets committed 15 penalties (13 allowed), including five false starts.
The following week, Rodgers threw three interceptions in a loss to the Vikings in London.
This is an opportunity for Ulbrich to provide a spark for the Jets and show what he can do as a head coach.
“I've seen him coach, I know his relationship with the players, and the players respect him,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said. “They trust him. They saw it at halftime, they saw it in practice. When he speaks, they have an attitude that probably reflects the fact that he's been playing this sport for 10 years as a linebacker. So I think he's going to bring that knowledge and that respect and that knowledge to the game in a way that's going to be really good for the players going forward.”
Ulbrich, who spent his entire career with the 49ers, has been with the Jets since 2021, when Saleh took over as head coach.
His defense has been a bright spot this season for the Jets.
They allow the second fewest yards per game (255.8) and are tied for sixth in points scored.
Ulbrich's defense also ranked first in the league in yards allowed per game in 2021.
Ulbrich said other potential changes to the staff and positions still need to be discussed, including how the defense will be handled and who will be named the play-caller.
He admitted to talking to Rodgers for advice on the offense.
“We're going to take a hard look at what we're doing and our processes by Monday night and make any changes we think are necessary,” Ulbrich said.
