The Jets are 0-2, are down to their third-string quarterback and were soundly beaten by the Cleveland Browns 23-3 on Monday night. But WFAN's Boomer Esiason was focused on Gang Green's positives Tuesday morning.
"It's so painful," Esiason said at the start of the "Boomer and Gio" show. "But just from a Jets perspective, they played their asses off. They played hard. (Cleveland's) Myles Garrett is going to be one of the best defensive ends in football, and you could see the athleticism that he has, the size that he has, the quickness that he has. I mean, you're asking almost the impossible to beat a team like that with that defensive line with your third-string quarterback. It's just not going to happen."
The Jets were without starting quarterback Sam Darnold, who has mononucleosis. And then his backup, Trevor Siemian, went down with a gruesome-looking ankle injury in the second quarter, leaving Luke Falk, signed off the practice squad earlier in the day, to take his first NFL snaps.
Falk went 20-of-25 for 198 yards and did not turn the ball over. But the Jets' offense only scored three points with him under center.
"And for Luke Falk, you know what? I thought he did OK," Esiason said. "I mean, he stood in there and -- look, folks, it is what it is. It's injuries, and the Saints are going to go through it now; the Steelers are going to go through it now. This is the NFL football season. It is a war of attrition, and right now the Jets are feeling the pain.
"I thought the defense held and held and held. The fact that they held them to 23 points is pretty damn good. And you know, they got after them. I mean, they were flying around. I think there were a couple of guys like (cornerback Nate) Hairston -- I thought he played his ass off."
Boomer noted that in addition to Darnold being sidelined, the Jets were also missing linebacker C.J. Mosley, defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and tight end Chris Herndon.
Esiason's co-host, Gregg Giannotti, wasn't as optimistic about the Jets.
"You just didn't think that 0-2, you felt like the season would be over for the Jets," Gio said. "This was supposed to be a year where I thought they would have a winning season, that they maybe could get to 10 wins, that they could grab a wild-card spot. And at this juncture, it doesn't look like any of that is possible. So Sam Darnold will come back at some point -- when that is I don't know -- but when he comes back, could this team even have a win at that point?"
To listen to the open from Tuesday's show, click on the audio player above.
