5 takeaways from the Jets’ lifeless loss to the Patriots
The Jets did not get the memo that their bye week was over.
New York got off to its worst start of the season, which is saying something considering it has yet to score a single point in the first quarter. Yet the Jets allowed a Patriots offense that entered averaging 20.8 points per game to score 31 in the first half. That was more than enough for New England to complete the season sweep with a dominant 54-13 win.
Nothing went right for the Jets in Week 8. Robert Saleh’s team slept walk out of the gate after a week’s worth of talk about how they supposedly had a plan in place to avoid slow starts. Zach Wilson went down with a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. That left Mike White to work under center in a game that was over shortly after the opening kickoff.
Here are five takeaways from New York’s latest embarrassing loss.
All eyes on Zach Wilson
AP Photo/Mary Schwalm
As if getting blown out wasn’t bad enough, the Jets lost their franchise quarterback to a knee injury in the second quarter. The good news for New York is that Wilson walked off the field under his own power. Walking off the field is never a guarantee that a player avoided a serious injury, but Wilson did not seem to be in an overwhelming amount of pain on his way to the locker room.
Wilson did not return in the second half — likely out of precaution with the result sealed– so all eyes will be on his status moving forward. The hope is that the rookie signal-caller avoided a serious injury, which would greatly hinder his development.
It's on the coaching staff
AP Photo/Steven Senne
The Jets had an extra week to prepare for the Patriots, yet still managed to look like a team that had just arrived home from London. Whatever changes Robert Saleh made to try and bring an end to his team’s slow starts clearly did not work and New York’s gameplan was far inferior to New England’s.
There is a talent disparity between the Jets and the Patriots, but the Jets never had a chance in Week 8. They weren’t ready to play and that falls squarely on the shoulders of the coaching staff.
Jeff Ulbrich's defense flops
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots racked up 300 yards of offense in the first half as Jeff Ulbrich’s defense stumbled. New York had no answer for Mac Jones through the air or Damien Harris on the ground. Jones threw his first 300-yard game and Harris averaged 7.6 yards per carry to go along with two touchdowns.
Ulbrich expressed confidence in his defense’s ability to break into the interception column during the week, but it couldn’t even slow down an average New England offense. The icing on the cake? J.J. Taylor, who’s 5-foot-6, bullied Marcus Maye into the end zone.
Injuries pile up
AP Photo/Steven Senne
Unfortunately for the Jets, Wilson was not the only player to succumb to injury against the Patriots. Ty Johnson and Jamien Sherwood, who was filling in at the MIKE for the injured C.J. Mosley, and Quincy Williams all left to be evaluated for concussions. Sherwood returned, but then injured his calf. The oft-injured Blake Cashman also departed with a groin injury and did not return. George Fant also got banged up in this one.
New York’s injury report after Week 7 will be a lengthy one.
Elijah Moore finally gets involved
Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
It took five games plus the bye week for Mike LaFleur to figure out ways to get Elijah Moore the football. Moore entered Week 7 with just eight catches and 20 targets on the season and only caught one of six targets against the Patriots, but he scored his first career touchdown on a 19-yard reverse.
It would behoove the Jets to find more creative ways to get Moore the ball moving forward. He’s too explosive to continue receiving a minimal amount of touches.
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