Jets frustrated as offense sputters again in loss to Chargers،
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The New York Jets are coming off one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history, and the frustration dissipated Monday night after a discouraging 27-6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium.
Receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, the Jets’ top playmakers, seemed annoyed by another no-show from the offense. Hall said, “We all have to grow up and do our jobs,” and Wilson echoed that sentiment.
“It’s inexcusable, man, and it’s getting to the point where it’s disappointing,” Wilson said in a quiet locker room. “I hate coming off the field, looking our defense in the eye and knowing we have to send them back out there after three outs. These boys are my dogs and they go out and play. They put us in a great position. He It’s time for us to start paying back, man. It’s time. We gotta figure it out.”
The Jets (4-4) made just two field goals against the NFL’s 31st-ranked pass defense, ending their three-game winning streak. They lost three fumbles (two by quarterback Zach Wilson), allowed eight sacks and converted just three of 17 on third down. Their third-down completion rate (22%) is the lowest in the NFL over the past 45 years.
It was not an isolated waste. The Jets have scored just eight offensive touchdowns this season, tied for third most in their first eight games in team history.
Garrett Wilson paused when asked if the Jets’ problems were related to the scheme.
“I don’t know, man, I really don’t know,” he said. “I like to think that’s not the case and that we can just watch the film and say, ‘All right, we have to do better and it will lead to a touchdown.'”
The Jets intended to be a prolific offense in 2023, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles tendon in the fourth play of the season. In came Zach Wilson, the former No. 2 overall pick. After making subtle improvements over the past few weeks, he took a step back Monday night.
His stat line wasn’t ugly, as he completed 33 of 49 career attempts for 263 yards, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. He missed open receivers and didn’t feel pressure well, while the offense stuttered in every way imaginable. They had three penalties before the snap, which didn’t help. Even a stellar performance from the defense, which sacked Justin Herbert five times and held him to a career-low 136 passing yards, couldn’t bail out the Jets.
Coach Robert Saleh refused to blame his quarterback.
“Was it his best game? Obviously not,” Saleh said. “Was it his worst game? No, I’m not going to say it was his worst game.”
Although he led the offense to just eight touchdowns, including four in one game, Wilson insisted he was not the same quarterback who was benched twice all season last.
“If you’re not angry, I would think something is wrong. It’s disappointing and it messes with your psyche a little, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. We’re professionals. We’ll go all the way. that and it’s going to be better in the background. But yeah, I’d be lying if I said we were all happy with what we’re doing on the field because we’re not.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson
“I feel like I’m a different player,” he said. “I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve ever felt, mentally, in my understanding of the game. I feel ready to get out there and compete, and so it’s very frustrating to not getting things done. It’s frustrating and it starts with me finding a way.”
Saleh said he had no plans to change players; he sticks to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who came to the Jets from the Denver Broncos, ranked 32nd in scoring last season. A change would not suit Rodgers, who is extremely close to Hackett.
Currently, the Jets are 30th in points per game and 31st in total yards per game.
“If you’re not mad, I think something’s wrong,” said Garrett Wilson, who spoiled a potential field goal with a fumble in the first quarter. “It’s disappointing and it messes with your psyche a little bit, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. We’re professionals. We’ll see it through to the end and it will be better in the end. But, yeah , I’d be lying if I said we were all happy with what we’re doing on the pitch because that’s not the case.”
Tight end Tyler Conklin shook his head when told they only had eight touchdowns for the season.
“I really don’t know what to say right now, to be completely honest with you,” he said.
