Unable to give us hope as the regular season approaches its final chapter, the Jets at least provided some irony this week. It was too perfect that the Jets, in the final game of ABC’s Monday Night Football, should lose to the New England Patriots by the same score, 31-21, that they lost to the Cleveland Browns back in 1970 in MNF’s maiden voyage. And just to reward those who stayed to see the end of this excruciating game, there was an exquisite finale: Both teams inserted an ancient Heisman Trophy winner for the final series: 43-year-old Doug Flutie for the Pats and 42-year-old Vinny Testaverde for the Jets. Together, their combined ages are greater than any two NFL players ever to appear in the same game outside of George Blanda and anyone else.

There would only have been one thing more appropriate: to activate Joe Namath for the game and trotting him out for the final snap. Namath is not only the most famous former player associated with this franchise, he is arguably the most famous former pro player associated with any NFL franchise. His brief era of greatness and his victory in the 1969 Super Bowl are the only accomplishments that distinguish the Jets from the NBA’s L.A. Clippers in futility.

Jets fans didn’t ask for much this Christmas, just some reason for optimism in 2006. What were the signs on Monday night? Well, former rugby star Ben Graham punted for an average of better than 43 yards a boot, which is good news since the Jets are probably going to spend a lot of time punting next year.

And the defense wasn’t that bad, really – it’s just that it was on the field so much. There’s the nucleus for a great defensive team, with one outstanding player at each tier: end John Abraham (who had a sack on Tom Brady Monday night), linebacker Jonathan Vilma (who played like a maniac against the Patriots with 13 tackles),and cornerback Ty Law (who returned a pass 74 yards for a touchdown in perhaps the Jets’ most spectacular defensive play of the season). But if the defense is going to be asked to carry so much of the load for this team, the Jets had better plan on being two or three deep at each position.

There wasn’t a single positive indication for the Jets’ offense against New England, none at all. Derrick Blaylock’s third-quarter run for nine yards was the only Jets ground play that gained more than four. A week after catching nine passes against Miami in the best game of his career, tight end Doug Jolley was shut out. He dropped two passes, got called for holding, and pass-blocked about as well as could be expected from Stevie Wonder.

It is impossible to tell from this game if Brooks Bollinger has a future with the Jets, other than to say that it’ll be best for all involved if Chad Pennington picks up where he left off next season and Bollinger is no longer relied upon. But Pennington has been able to play just 26 games over the last three seasons and wasn’t that sharp this year before being injured yet again. Will the Jets use him as trade bait for a high draft pick?

On straight drop backs against the Patriots, Bollinger scarcely had time to set and throw; he was sacked four times and knocked down hard on six others. Throwing mostly off his back foot – at least when he wasn’t running for his life – Bollinger completed 11 of 19 passes, but, having no time to get the ball downfield, gained only 100 yards.

The Jets’ offensive linemen were as lax as security guards in a Greek airport, allowing Patriot pass rushers through indiscriminately. It almost seemed a shame that Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet weren’t on hand to at least put in an appearance for the Monday Night finale, but then, given the level of support they were likely to receive, it was probably merciful.

As for the fate of head coach Herman Edwards, let’s at least acknowledge that the players with nothing left to play for seem to be putting out for him. That’s something. I suppose, given the horrendous luck he’s had, Edwards deserves a shot at putting the shards of this team back together. Really, though, is that what he wants? If you were a pro football coach, wouldn’t you rather be doing anything but coaching the New York Jets next year?

Fans on the call-in shows seemed divided as to whether the Jets are more in need of a quarterback like Matt Leinart or a running back like Reggie Bush. The truth is, neither of USC’s Heisman Trophy winners could do a thing behind this offensive line, which is where the Jets had better be looking in the off-season.

Mr. Barra is the author, most recently, of “The Last Coach: A Life of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.”