It was more of the same for the Jets in Week 3 against the Patriots, as New York failed to get anything going on offense and did not show up on defense in a 30-14 loss.
It’s hard to expect much of the Jets at this point. However, Sunday’s performance on both sides of the ball left more to be desired than usual. It’s not going to get any easier for Gang Green moving forward, but at least the upcoming bye week will afford New York the opportunity to get healthy and fine-tune numerous flaws displayed throughout the first three weeks of the season.
With that being said, here are four takeaways from the Jets’ third loss of the season.
The Jets never had a chance
Let’s face it. Given the current state of the team, the Jets never had a chance against the Patriots.
Beating the best team in the AFC with six starters out and a No. 3 quarterback making his first career start is nearly impossible. Factor in an underperforming offensive line and poor cornerback play and the Jets are left between a rock and a hard place.
Fortunately for the Jets, it’s only up from here. It can’t possibly get any worse at this point.
Can’t blame Falk
There’s plenty of blame to go around for Sunday’s loss, but none of it should fall on Luke Falk.
Yes, it is Falk’s job to go out and move the chains. However, what could the Jets really expect from a third-string quarterback making his first career start against a defense that registered five interceptions and allowed only three points in two games entering Week 3?
Falk was on the practice squad to begin the season for a reason. The Jets can only hope he gets better from here on out, but he shouldn’t be blamed for New York’s most recent loss.
Offensive line play is only getting worse
Incredibly, the Jets offensive line took yet another step back against the Patriots.
Le’Veon Bell had no holes to run through and was routinely stuffed for a loss throughout the afternoon. Luke Falk barely had any time to throw on multiple occasions, making his already tall task of filling in for Sam Darnold even harder.
No more sugar-coating it — New York’s offensive line has been downright terrible through the first three weeks of the season. The whole unit needs to step up before Adam Gase is forced to turn to his backups in search of an answer.
Swiss Cheese Secondary
Did the Jets’ secondary forget there was a game on Sunday? That is a legitimate question that needs to be asked with the way the unit played against the Patriots.
Tom Brady had at least a 10-yard window to throw in on almost every dropback, as New York’s cornerbacks afforded New England’s receivers a ridiculous amount of room to operate. Even when the Jets did try to get physical at the line of scrimmage, the Patriots beat them over the top. Yes, Jamal Adams had a pick-six in the fourth quarter, but garbage time plays don’t mean much when you’ve already given up 300 yards passing and 30 points.
New York’s secondary wasn’t too bad against the Browns in Week 2, making this week’s performance the unit’s worst of the season. Stopping an offense as good as New England’s is never easy, but Gang Green’s secondary didn’t even bother on Sunday.
