Another prime-time opportunity lost by the Jets
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson walks off the field after the Jets lost to the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday in Las Vegas. Credit: Getty Images/Steve Marcus
LAS VEGAS
Two weeks ago, the Jets somehow won a game against the Giants that they should have lost and found themselves with a chance to be relevant — Aaron Rodgers or no Aaron Rodgers.
They were over .500, in real contention to win the AFC East title and facing a pair of seemingly manageable opponents in the Chargers and Raiders.
Now they have lost to both, victims of a punchless, error-prone, touchdown-averse offense that specializes in spectacularly ill-timed penalties.
The latest flop came on Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium, where the Jets lost to the Raiders, 16-12, to fall to 4-5, with tough games upcoming against the Bills and Dolphins.
It has been a maddening stretch, one that is wasting the efforts of one of the best defenses in the NFL.
The Jets have scored eight offensive touchdowns this season and none in their past 11 quarters, plus an overtime.
Eight!
The Cowboys scored seven touchdowns on Sunday alone against the Giants.
Speaking of the dysfunctional Giants, at least their fans most weeks can stop paying attention by halftime. The Jets tantalize their fans, then often disappoint.
“I wish I had answers to these questions,” tight end Tyler Conklin said. “There’s really no good answer to give you [reporters] besides we have to figure it the [expletive] out.
“It’s frustrating as [expletive]. It’s frustrating for every player . . . It’s frustrating for the fans, frustrating for everybody.”
What made this loss harder to swallow was that Zach Wilson and the rest of the offense showed more signs of life than in other recent outings.
The Jets actually were able to move the ball (365 total yards), converted third downs (7-for-16) and at times did what normal offenses do.
But eight penalties for 83 yards — most of them at the worst possible times — and a late interception of Wilson by Robert Spillane that halted a potential go-ahead touchdown drive ruined everything.
After last week’s loss to the Chargers, the Jets repeatedly used the phrases “self-inflicted wounds” and “shooting ourselves in the foot.”
They did it again Sunday.
“Self-inflicted wounds, same story as the last couple of weeks,” coach Robert Saleh said. “We’ve got to figure it out, figure out how to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Of the penalties, Saleh said, “Just dumb, dumb stuff that we need to get cleaned up or it’s not going to change.”
Two weeks ago, the Raiders were in disarray, firing their general manager and coach. Now they are 5-5 and rookie coach (and former Giant) Antonio Pierce is 2-0, having beaten the Giants and Jets, both in Vegas.
The problem is that what happened in Vegas does not stay in Vegas, and now the Jets are a couple of losses away from joining the Giants in oblivion.
Even the heralded defense showed down the stretch that it is human, tiring as it continued to carry too much of a burden.
“It’s frustrating; I’ve been saying that really since the first week,” said Breece Hall, who had a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter called back on the second of tight end C.J. Uzomah’s two crushing holding penalties.
“Once you have a defense out there so long, they’re going to start to wear down a little bit. We just have to come together and do better.”
Hall added, “You have to look at the man in the mirror first. You can’t point fingers or anything like that.”
It is perhaps time for Saleh to point fingers at someone, from coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to Wilson. Or maybe not, as there are so many other contributors.
Nothing but a concerted effort can cause an NFL team to score eight offensive touchdowns in nine games. That defies football physics.
Saleh said he will try to address the penalty thing.
“They know what the rules are; they’re just coming at the worst times, obviously,” he said.
But this might be too far gone at this point. The Jets’ defense has to be near a breaking point, and Wilson might not get much better than what he was Sunday — which was good at times, including a no-look, Patrick Mahomes-style sidearm completion, but not good enough.
Saleh balked at the notion that the Jets are “wasting” their defense but added, “We’ve got to find a way to start generating points, for sure.”
Who knows what the next eight weeks will bring? What we do know is that the current situation is a pity.
From the time Rodgers went down four plays into the season, all anyone asked for was a competitive, interesting autumn and a shot at a playoff berth.
That possibility still is there, but it is more distant than it was two weeks ago.
The Jets and Giants began the season with hopes of playing here in February when Las Vegas hosts its first Super Bowl.
Instead, both came here in November and demonstrated how far from that dream they are.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
