Jeff Ulbrich shook up the New York Jets’ struggling offense in his first major move as interim head coach.

Ulbrich announced Thursday he replaced Nathaniel Hackett with Todd Downing as the offensive play caller. Downing, the Jets’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, takes over as New York prepares for a showdown with the AFC East-rival Buffalo Bills on Monday night.

“After a lot of time to think about it, and I did not make this decision easily, by any means, I’m going to make Todd Downing the play caller for the New York Jets moving forward,” Ulbrich said. “This is more a byproduct of a different take on things. Not saying it’s a better or worse take on things, by any means.

“But it’s just a different take on things. A fresh approach.”

Hackett — who is close to quarterback Aaron Rodgers — chose to remain with the team and will retain the offensive coordinator title, but is taking a back seat to Downing in what is now an undefined role.

Ulbrich took over as head coach Tuesday after owner Woody Johnson stunningly fired Robert Saleh with the team off to a 2-3 start and on a two-game losing streak.

“I knew there’d be changes after they let Robert go,” Rodgers said. “I had conversations with Brick over last the two days. I knew that he was thinking about it, leaning toward it, and I told him I’d back him up whatever he decided.”

New York can move into a tie with Buffalo for first place in the division with a win, but things need to get a lot better on offense first for that to happen.

The Jets with Rodgers at quarterback have been inconsistent this season and appeared conservative and predictable in the team’s past two games, in particular.

Hackett’s performance has been criticized by many fans and media, who thought the Jets needed a change. There were reports Saleh was considering making a similar move to demote Hackett before he was fired.

maye to start at QB for patriots sunday >> Jacoby Brissett won only one game as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback. Now we’ll find out if he was any better as a mentor for first-round draft pick Drake Maye.

The Patriots are going with Maye as the starter for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, coach Jerod Mayo confirmed, hoping the rookie can help the team slow the descent to the bottom of the NFL.

The Patriots have lost four games in a row; they haven’t been competitive in two of them.

“We’re trying to win every game. At the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games,” Mayo said. “Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been developing. He’s been getting better every single week.”

texans WR collins goes on IR >> Nico Collins, the NFL’s leading receiver, will miss at least four games after the Houston Texans placed him on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Collins left Houston’s 23-20 victory over the Bills on Sunday after scoring on a 67-yard reception late in the first quarter.

Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that he considered Collins week to week with the injury before the Texans made the move to shut him down for a month.

Collins, who is in his fourth NFL season, has 32 receptions for an NFL-best 567 yards with three touchdowns. He and quarterback C.J. Stroud have carried the offense with running back Joe Mixon out for the past three games with an ankle injury.

o’connell taking over at QB for raiders >> Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is turning to Aidan O’Connell as the new starting quarterback as Gardner Minshew hs been benched.

O’Connell went 5-4 after he became the starter last season.

The Raiders went 2-3 under Minshew. He threw an interception that was returned for a touchndown in Sunday’s 34-18 loss at Denver, and he threw another interception in the third quarter and then was replaced by O’Connell, who had his own struggles in passing for 94 yards with a pick.

rookie rattler to start at Qb for saints >> New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler is scheduled to take his first regular-season NFL snaps on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Saints coach Dennis Allen selected Rattler as this week’s starter after confirming that usual starter Derek Carr will miss at least one game because of a left oblique injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 26-13 loss in Kansas City on Monday night.

The decision means that — for now — the 24-year-old Rattler moves ahead of second-year pro Jake Haener on the depth chart.

Rattler, 24, was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft out of South Carolina, where he started for two seasons after transferring from Oklahoma.

status of giants’ thibodeaux, nabers uncertain >> New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has had wrist surgery and will be week to week, coach Brian Daboll said. Thibodeaux played in Sunday’s 29-20 win over the Seahawks in Seattle. Daboll did not say when the injury happened.

Also, rookie receiver Malik Nabers did not advance to the next step in the NFL’s concussion protocol, diminishing his chances of playing against Cincinnati on Sunday night. Nabers remained in the third stage in the five-step protocol on Thursday, meaning he was allowed on the field for stretching and to work with trainers away from practice. Coach Brian Daboll said it’s the same spot the No. 6 overall pick in the draft was on Wednesday.

To be ready to play the Bengals (1-4) at MetLife Stadium, Nabers must take part in a non-contact practice and then be cleared by both a team doctor and an independent neurologist.