HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Kicker Doug may be the popular scapegoat, but the Jets’ loss to Pittsburgh in the AFC playoffs on Saturday exposed some of the glaring problems that hindered Gang Green throughout their 10-6 regular-season campaign.

In two games against the Steelers, the Jets had zero offensive touchdowns. Chad Pennington, who missed three games because of a strained right rotator cuff, was never the same when he returned, and offensive coordinator Paul Hackett came under increasing scrutiny as the year wore on because of his predictable play calling.

Head coach Herman Edwards has not made a decision on whether Hackett will return, but did not give him a ringing endorsement at the Jets end-of-season press conference yesterday, either.

“You don’t make knee-jerk decisions in life,” Edwards said. “You sit back and you weigh everything you have to do, and it starts with the head coach. At the end of the day you do what’s best for the football team and the organization.”

Pennington, who last year said Hackett’s critics “have about a third-grade education in football,” gave lukewarm responses when asked about his embattled coordinator.

“I am going to support the decision that Coach Edwards makes,” Pennington said.

Even Curtis Martin admitted not everyone believes in the West Coast system Hackett employed.

“I can’t say everyone on offense buys into it,” Martin said. “I know a lot of the guys in New England, most of the guys buy into Charlie Weis’s philosophy. They just buy into it.”

That could be a major reason for the problems. The Jets ranked 17th in the NFL in scoring despite having the league rushing champion in Martin, who topped the chart for the first time in his career with 1,697 yards. Santana Moss was critical of the play calling at times, and LaMont Jordan also lamented the failures of the offense in big games on more than one occasion.

The Jets ranked 22nd in passing and managed 51 total points in the first quarter during the regular season.

Then there are the impending personnel decisions Edwards and the Jets have to make. The Jets have 12 unrestricted free agents, including Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham and starters Jason Ferguson, Kareem McKenzie, and Anthony Becht.

Abraham, who missed the last six games with a sprained right knee, is all but guaranteed to return, perhaps as the team’s franchise player.

“John is going to be a Jet,” Edwards said.

Backup quarterback Quincy Carter and Jordan also are free agents. Then there is the matter of receiver Wayne Chrebet, who will take a few months before deciding whether to end his career after sustaining another concussion in the regular-season finale against St. Louis. It might not be up to him if the team decides to let go of the veteran in March.