Jets fall to 0-5 with poor effort on both sides of the ball vs. Cardinals

Adam Gase’s Jets continue to be a comedy of errors on offense and an overall laughingstock on the football field.

The Jets remain winless five weeks into the NFL season, and have been mostly non-competitive in each game. That trend continued on Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals came into MetLife Stadium and blasted the Jets, 30-10.

This team is bordering on historically bad and they could get there. The last time the Jets were 0-5 was in 1996, when they finished a franchise-worst 1-15 under Rich Kotite. That mark looks in jeopardy the way Gase’s team has played this season.

But Gase might not still be employed to have that dubious record hung on him.

"We’re not giving ourselves a chance to be there in the end," Gase said.

The same could be said about Gase unless the Jets have a drastic and miraculous change.

Gregg Williams’ defense had its own issues. The Cardinals finished with 496 yards of offense that would have been 500 if not for Kyler Murray kneeling three times at the end of the game.

But Gase’s offense continues to be awful. They got Le’Veon Bell back from a three-game stint on IR, but he couldn’t do much to change their woes or fate.

The truth is the Jets continue to look lost and they make so many head-scratching decisions on offense. That falls on Gase.

Brought in for his offensive acumen, Gase couldn’t get the Jets 1 yard in the red zone on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 in the second quarter. Overall, the Jets failed to convert three third-and-1s and one fourth-and-1.

The Jets also were called for a delay of game on first-and-goal from the 10 following an Avery Williamson interception. They ended up settling for a field goal.

"We just haven’t been able to get out of our own way," quarterback Joe Flacco said. "At some point, we make a mistake that kind of kills the drive."

With Sam Darnold sidelined with a sprained right shoulder, Flacco ran the offense. He was 18-for-33 for 195 yards and one touchdown.

Jamison Crowder caught eight passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. Bell had 13 carries for 60 yards, and one catch for 7 yards.

Arizona’s Kyler Murray put up a career-high 380 passing yards. He was 27-for-37 with one touchdown pass and one interception. Murray also ran for 31 yards and a touchdown.

DeAndre Hopkins had six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.

"It’s definitely very frustrating," Williamson said. "Shoot, we’re working our (butts) off all week. We’re just not coming out on top. It’s tough. I can’t express how tough it is."

This game appeared to be in doubt on Friday when a Jets player tested positive for COVID-19. But it was a false positive.

Everything about the Jets is negative, though. Even when something positive happens, it quickly turns.

The Jets cut a 14-point halftime deficit to 17-10 in the third quarter when Crowder caught a short Flacco pass and scored on an 11-yard touchdown.

Flacco and Crowder hooked up for a 52-yard pass play on the drive. Flacco also had a big 5-yard run on third-and-1 to on the play before the Crowder touchdown.

The Jets needed a stop, and Williams’ defense couldn’t get it.

The Cardinals went for it on fourth-and-1 from their own 39 and completed a 31-yard pass from Murray to tight end Darrell Daniels. The risky move by Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury paid off when that drive ended with Kenyan Drake taking it in from 1 yard to make it 24-10.

"I was shocked that they went for it," Williamson said. "I thought they might try to hard count it and not snap it. That was definitely a tough one. I thought we were going to be off the field right there."

Hopkins caught a 37-yard touchdown pass later for the final scoring.

The Cardinals made everything look so easy, while everything was difficult for the Jets.

They had a 14-play drive in the first half that resulted in no points. On third-and-1, Gase called a fullback dive for third-string tight end Trevon Wesco. He was stuffed. On fourth-and-1, it was Bell’s turn to get the ball. He was stopped.

All was not lost because Williamson intercepted Murray four plays later. But the delay-of-game call was just a brutal mistake for a team that has been incompetent in the red zone. Sam Ficken kicked a 26-yard field goal.

"We had a third- and fourth-and-1, we had an interception," Gase said. "We’re not getting anything out of that. It’s too much for us to overcome."

The same, at some point, could be said for Gase.