FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New York Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who took over the team three weeks ago after the sudden firing of Robert Saleh, stood at the podium with glassy eyes and a shaky voice at times. He tried to make sense of a once-promising season that seemed all but lost.

“I'm pissed off; they’re mad,” Ulbrich said of the players. “I am hurt; They are hurt.”

The Jets (2-6) lost their fifth straight game, a demoralizing 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots (also 2-6) on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. It was one of the franchise's lowest points in recent memory, and Ulbrich called it “a moment of darkness” as he delivered his message to the team after the game.

Three weeks ago, the Jets were playing for first place in the AFC East. They are now tied for last place with the Patriots, who, despite losing quarterback Drake Maye (concussion) in the second quarter, outscored the Jets 18-9 in the second half.

The Jets are a quality team with a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and they collapsed in spectacular fashion.

“I mean, five losses in a row is pretty damn dismal,” tight end Tyler Conklin said, echoing Ulbrich’s words. “S—, one or two losses in a row can get grim. That sucks.”

Aaron Rodgers deadpanned: “I was in the dark. You have to go in there and make peace with it.”

Unlike a Rodgers retirement, there's no guarantee this will end soon based on the way the Jets played against the struggling Patriots, who were on a six-game losing streak.

In a situation where it was practically a win, the Jets lost a game that seemed impossible to lose. According to ESPN Research, they became the first team since 2012 to go clean and lose by fewer than 250 yards. This happened to Rodgers in 2012 when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the famous “Fail Mary Game.”

The Jets appeared ill-prepared as the offense wasted three timeouts in the first quarter and incurred a delay-of-game penalty on a crucial 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. They were also undermined by kicker Greg Zuerlein, who missed a field goal and an extra point in a season-long lull that has put his roster spot in jeopardy. He missed six field goals, twice as many as he missed in 2023.

“We didn't take action in critical moments,” said Ulbrich, whose team gave up the lead twice in the last seven minutes. “We say this is not who we are, but this is who we are until we prove otherwise.”

Team owner Woody Johnson recently called this probably his best squad in 25 years. When the score was 2-3, he fired Saleh in the expectation that this move would give the team some momentum. The Jets also traded star wide receiver Davante Adams and welcomed back pass rusher Haason Reddick, who made his debut Sunday after a lengthy holdout.

There was no spark.

Reddick played no role, recording no tackles and two quarterback pressures in 26 defensive snaps. He was on the field for five of the final eight plays of the Patriots' 12-game winning streak, which culminated with Rhamondre Stevenson's 1-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds left.

“Right now I have nothing to say about the holdout,” said Reddick, who declined to answer several questions about it. “The only thing I’m worried about right now is what I can do to get better, what I can do to get up to speed.”

Adams (four catches for 54 yards) had another quiet game, although his presence opened up opportunities for Garrett Wilson (five catches for 113 yards). Otherwise, the offense sputtered and seemed confused at times. Plays from the sideline progressed slowly and players occasionally didn't know where to line up.

Rodgers appeared annoyed at times, but kept his mouth shut afterwards.

“During one of the timeouts, we were left behind from the huddle,” he said. “Firstly, I tried to find the right protection. First of all, I felt like we could have gotten away, but it was OK to take a timeout there.”

“Yes,” he concluded, “our operations have been a little slow at times.”

“I'm pissed off; they are angry. I am hurt; They are hurt.”

Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich

On the delay of game that took the 2-point attempt back to the 7-yard line, Rodgers said he didn't like the playcall compared to the Patriots' defensive look. So he let the game clock expire, thinking it was better than wasting another timeout. Ultimately his pass failed. Instead of a 24:17 lead, it was 22:17.

Which didn't last long.

This was the third five-game losing streak of his career for Rodgers, who went 17 of 28 for 233 yards and two short touchdowns.

His mission in New York was to change the culture of a star-starred franchise, but that didn't happen. When asked about it, he bristled and said the question was “a little dramatic.”

“The NFL is tough,” he said. “It's hard to win. It’s even harder when you make it difficult for yourself.”

Since replacing Saleh, Ulbrich has led a defense that has allowed 85 points in three games – well above average. He continued to dictate defensive plays, but that could soon change.

“I’ll take a close look at everything,” he said. “If that’s one of the things that could help us, then it’s definitely going to be on the table.”