All week long, the Jets insisted they would give the unbeaten defending champion Patriots a competitive game on "Monday Night Football" at MetLife Stadium.
After all, unlike their 30-14 blowout loss in New England in Week 3, Gang Green had quarterback Sam Darnold and linebacker C.J. Mosley active for Monday's contest. The leaders of the offense and defense, respectively.
Some difference, huh?
Instead of falling behind 20-0 by halftime, the Jets limped to the locker room on Monday night trailing 24-0 en route to an even more embarrassing 33-0 defeat.
So much for all the goodwill extended to the Jets following their first win of the season last Sunday, a 24-22 home victory over Dallas.
Here are some comparative stats from Gang Green's two first-half performances against the Pats:
Week 3 Week 7
NE points 20 24
Jets points 0 0
NE first downs 14 14
Jets first downs 3 (1 by penalty) 6 (3 by penalty)
NE total net yards 217 210
Jets total net yards 67 65
NE net passing yards 199 173
Jets net passing yards 46 21
Eerily similar, right? Really the only variance between the two halves was that Darnold's discombobulation resulted in two ghastly interceptions and a lost fumble whereas Luke Falk, the Jets' third-string QB, didn't even bother trying to make any plays in the earlier meeting and played turnover-free for 30 minutes.
"I've just got to see the field a lot better," Darnold said of what he called one of the worst games of his life.
It got so bad on Monday night that ESPN captured Darnold on the sideline in the second quarter muttering, "I'm seeing ghosts." It was scary for Jets fans to watch as well.
Oh no Sam Darnold do not admit to "seeing ghosts" when you're mic'd up in prime time. pic.twitter.com/E0pukwhL4s
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) October 22, 2019Darnold appeared shell-shocked from playing behind the mess that is New York's offensive line. Injuries had already wiped out the left side and center Ryan Kalil attempted to play through a bum shoulder. However, the line's problems run deeper than personnel. I mean, never have I seen so many free pass rushers in all my years watching this team as I have this season. It's like the Jets have never encountered a blitz before. Or a stunt.
It looked like Darnold, who wears extra padding to protect his spleen from any further consequences of the mononucleosis that sidelined him for three games, just threw prayers downfield to avoid taking hits. At least one of his four picks, however, occurred against no observable rush — Darnold had time to set his feet but threw hastily while square to the line of scrimmage. By the second half, he was just tossing the ball out of bounds if his first read wasn't open. He finished with 15 off-target throws on 32 attempts, per ESPN, and a QB rating of 3.6. That's the second-worst rating in franchise history with a minimum of 20 attempts, beating only the 2.7 registered by the immortal J.J. Jones in 1975.
As for Mosley, he did not look completely healed from the groin pull that he incurred during the opening day loss to Buffalo. Still, the prevailing theory was that having him on the field to coordinate the defense was worth something.
I'm still searching for that something. Where was Mosley's impact? As an inside linebacker, he doesn't rush the passer or excel in coverage. He had three tackles and no QB hits or passes defended.
Like in the earlier game, New England could have scored 50 points if it kept its foot on the gas.
With Mosley all pumped to re-enter the fray, the Patriots took the opening kickoff and marched 78 yards in 16 plays, finishing off the possession 8:47 later with the first of three Sony Michel touchdown runs. On the drive, New England converted four third downs, including a third-and-10 pass from Tom Brady that Julian Edelman received just a few yards past the original line of scrimmage but still managed to reach the sticks.
The Jets then held the Patriots to a field goal after Darnold's first interception, but only because of Michel's egregious drop of a third-down screen pass behind a convoy of blockers that would have paved his way to the goal line.
The Jets continued to offer little resistance on New England's next two possessions. The pass rush couldn't get within spitting distance of Brady, and the Pats' receivers, if they weren't covered by either Brian Poole or Jamal Adams, were open targets. Much-maligned Jets cornerback Trumaine Johnson gave Phillip Dorsett a healthy cushion yet still got beat badly over the top from 26 yards out at the end of the first quarter to give the Patriots a 17-0 lead. Darnold's fumble on a strip sack then set up a short field and New England easily converted the turnover into seven more points. Over nine minutes remained in the second quarter, yet the game was in essence over.
Having Darnold and Mosley back couldn't erase the chasms that exist between the two organizations. It runs from ownership competence to the way the teams are constructed to the way the teams are coached. Those are the reasons why the Jets have now lost the last eight meetings, with only two of those margins within one score.
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