The New York Jets fell to the New England Patriots by the score of 15-10 in Week 3. Sunday’s defeat to the Patriots handed the Jets their 15th consecutive loss to the Patriots, with their last win coming in Week 16 of the 2015 season.
For the second straight week, the offense was nonexistent following the season-ending Achilles injury that Aaron Rodgers sustained in Week 1. Zach Wilson made another start under center and he took what would end up being a game-sealing safety with fewer than three minutes remaining.
Buy Jets TicketsAfter another disappointing loss, here are our five immediate takeaways from the Jets’ five-point loss to the Patriots.
Zach Wilson and the offense was woeful again
Wilson got his second straight start under center for the Jets and it was another forgettable outing for the former first-round pick. The offense entered halftime with only 39 total yards and would finish the game being outgained 358 to 171 by the Patriots on Sunday.
The young signal-caller completed only half of his 36 attempts for 157 yards, giving him 327 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in the last two weeks. The Jets continued to express their confidence in Wilson entering Week 3, but it remains to be seen if they can continue starting him if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive sans Rodgers.
The running game is suffering from a dismal passing attack
The offense line of the Jets has certainly been an issue early in the season. At the same time, the lack of a consistent passing attack is negatively affecting New York’s ground game.
On Sunday, Breece Hall and the Jets finished with a mere 38 rushing yards on 22 rushing attempts. Teams are able to stack the box more and commit to stopping the run, which won’t change anytime soon if Wilson remains the starting quarterback.
Garrett Wilson is understandably getting frustrated
Following last week’s lopsided defeat, Garrett Wilson came out in defense of the current starting quarterback of the Jets. The star wideout was able to turn a short pass into a 68-yard touchdown in Week 2, but he was unable to generate any chunk plays in Week 3 versus the Patriots.
The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year hauled in five of his nine targets for 48 yards, and there was a moment in Sunday’s contest where he had an animated exchange with his quarterback. Wilson is one of the most talented wideouts in the NFL, and with the Jets still having their sights on being a playoff team, his patience with the third-year quarterback could be waning.
The defense performed well again
When you hold an opposing team to 15 points, you are always going to have chances to win a game. While the weather wasn’t ideal, New York’s defense still did its job by limiting New England’s offense to 15 points, and the Jets made much-needed stops in the second half to give the offense a chance to win.
Coming into the season, we knew the Jets were going to boast one of the best defensive units in the league. Even with last week’s blowout loss, the defense has performed well, only for the offense that is operated by Wilson to fall flat again.
Xavier Gipson was a bright spot
Trying to find positives on the Jets is a tall task right now, but Xavier Gipson has been a bright spot on special teams. Gipson would return two kickoffs for 55 yards, along with totaling 39 yards on four punt returns in the Week 3 loss.
Gipson set the Jets up with fantastic field position multiple times, but Wilson and the offense could not take advantage of anything the special teams unit accomplished. The undrafted rookie wideout had a game-winning punt return touchdown in Week 1 and continues to be a positive on special teams despite losing in Week 3 to the Patriots.
