FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Think the New York Jets’ season couldn’t get any worse after the “butt touchdown?” Think again.

The reeling Jets, losers of eight straight after Sunday’s 24-10 defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs, saw the task ahead of them grow even larger late Sunday night when Ben Roethlisberger continued his assault on the NFL record book. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback threw for six touchdown passes in a 43-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Roethlisberger is the first quarterback in history to throw six touchdown passes in consecutive games. This Sunday, he plays the Jets and their piecemeal secondary filled with street free agents, so the rewriting of the record book may continue.

“They’re on fire right now,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said Monday afternoon. “To say we have our work cut out for us, I think, is an understatement.”

It’s been an understatement all year. The Jets were all but buried Sunday when they fell behind Kansas City 14-0 in the first quarter. The Chiefs scored their second touchdown when tight end Anthony Fasano, lying flat on the ground after delivering a block, “caught” the ball that was batted at the line of scrimmage by Jets linebacker Calvin Pace.

Fasano crawled into the end zone for a 2-yard score.

“It was devastating,” nose tackle Damon Harrison said. “You have guys who are working their tails off to make a play, and then something so simple hurts us. There’s a guy sitting on the ground, and he gets a touchdown. That’s heartbreaking.”

That’s the season for the Jets.

REPORT CARD VS. CHIEFS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B-minus — QB Michael Vick (21 of 28 for 196 yards and one touchdown) wasn’t great in his first start in 53 weeks. He compiled nine of his completions and 102 of his yards on the Jets’ final two drives, neither of which netted any points, but he didn’t turn the ball over, which qualifies as a giant plus following Geno Smith. Afterward, coach Rex Ryan anointed him the starter for next week, health permitting. Backup QB Matt Simms (3-for-8 for 39 yards) was OK in two fourth-quarter series while Vick was being checked for a concussion but didn’t look ready to take the reins for an entire game. WR Percy Harvin (11 catches for 129 yards) had his best receiving game in more than two years, though 62 of his yards came on three receptions in the final two drives. WR Eric Decker had nine catches for 63 yards and the Jets’ lone touchdown. He had just four catches for 25 yards before the final two drives. Only two other players (RB Chris Johnson and WR Jeremy Kerley) caught passes.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: B-minus — Chris Johnson lives. After complaining about his role during the week, Johnson ended up setting season highs in rushing yards (69) and receiving yards (32). He barely missed scoring on a 12-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Alas, Johnson’s big day came at the expense of RB Chris Ivory, who had just 22 yards on eight carries. Of course, it was tough to feed Ivory the ball when the Jets fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. RB Bilal Powell gained 20 yards on five carries, though he had three carries for no gain. Vick (18 yards on four carries) showed he still has the legs to go along with the arm.

–PASS DEFENSE: D — Chiefs QB Alex Smith (21 of 31 for 199 yards and two touchdowns) is a dink-and-dunk specialist, so the numbers don’t look that bad. However, he had no trouble carving up the Jets’ decimated secondary in directing the Chiefs’ four scoring drives, during which he went 15-for-20 for 158 yards. Beleaguered CB/S Antonio Allen drew the start at cornerback but was benched at halftime after getting beaten for a 12-yard touchdown by TE Travis Kelce as well as a 34-yard reception by Kelce, which was the longest of the season for the Chiefs. The Jets finished the game with street free agents Marcus Williams and Josh Thomas seeing the majority of snaps at cornerback. In addition, rookie S Calvin Pryor also got benched in favor of journeyman Jaiquawn Jarrett. It figures that the one touchdown that was no one’s fault — the 2-yard “butt touchdown” catch by TE Anthony Fasano — still made the Jets a laughingstock.

–RUSH DEFENSE: B-minus — Once again, the numbers seem OK, especially for a team that was often helpless against the run in October. But while the Jets limited the Chiefs to 113 yards on 24 carries, including 78 yards on 20 carries by All-Pro RB Jamaal Charles, they were basically powerless to stop Kansas City from doing what it wanted to on its four scoring drives, during which the Chiefs rushed 17 times for 93 yards and a touchdown.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: C-minus — The story of the Jets’ season was penned over the final minutes of the first half. After pulling within 14-7 with 2:14 left, the Jets allowed Chiefs RB De’Anthony Thomas to return the subsequent kickoff 79 yards to set up a touchdown. With 39 seconds left, Harvin returned the Chiefs’ kickoff 65 yards but was tripped up — literally — by Chiefs K Cairo Santos. The Jets settled for a 39-yard field goal at the gun by K Nick Folk, and they never scored again. New York averaged 29.5 yards on four kick returns, though the bulk of that came on Harvin’s two returns for 88 yards because Santos twice squibbed kicks to avoid Harvin. Kerley’s lone punt return was negated by a holding penalty on WR Saalim Hakim. Both of Folk’s kickoffs traveled into the end zone. P Ryan Quigley averaged 49.3 yards on three punts, but Thomas had two returns for 35 yards.

–COACHING: C — The Jets didn’t quit when trailing 14-0, but they looked as flat as they have all season in falling behind by two touchdowns. Of course, at this point, it is apparent all the coaching ability in the world wouldn’t make up for the lack of talent the Jets have. Starting street free agents in the secondary in Week 9 affords Rex Ryan quite a curve, though probably not a curve nearly big enough to save his job.