Why are Jets such a terrible road team? It could cost Todd Bowles his job

CHICAGO — In retrospect, it seems almost unbelievable that these Jets opened the season with a 48-17 win at the Lions. 

Not because the Lions are great. They’re not. They’re 3-4 after Sunday’s loss to Seattle. But because the Jets, over the past season-plus, simply can’t win on the road. 

After Sunday’s 24-10 loss at the Bears, the Jets are now 2-10 on the road since the start of last season, including 1-3 this year. They went 1-7 on the road last year, with their only victory coming at the Browns, who finished 0-16. 

If the Jets don’t figure out how to win the road soon — starting with next week’s trip to Miami — coach Todd Bowles is going to be out of a job. 

“In the National Football League, you’ve got to win on the road to get to where you want to go,” said running back Isaiah Crowell. “So we’re going to have to do that one way or another.” 

Outside linebacker Brandon Copeland called the Jets’ road issues “a big hurdle. You’ve got to be the same team on the road that we are at home. On the road, we’ve got to bring our own energy. Me personally, I love away games. I love hearing boos. I love shutting crowds up.” 

So why haven’t the Jets been any good on the road over the past season-plus? 

“That’s a great question,” Copeland said. “I think we’ve got to line the ball up and be accountable play in and play out. It’s frustrating. I’m not going to lie and sit here and act like it’s where we want to be. But we still have life.” 

Takeaways from Jets’ loss at Bears

Still, four of the Jets’ final eight games are on the road.

Defensive end Leonard Williams was at a loss for words when asked how the Jets can fix what ails them on the road during the back half of this season. 

“I’m not sure what it is,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s lack of focus. I don’t know if it’s just being unfamiliar with our surroundings. I don’t know. It’s going to be hard to have a winning season if you can’t win on the road.” 

Darryl Slater may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.