Jets offense searching for answers, touchdowns
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa (97) while New York Jets guard Laken Tomlinson (78) tries to block in the second half. Credit: Ed Murray
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Nathaniel Hackett is overseeing an offense that is spending so little time on the field that their players are hardly working up a sweat.
Zach Wilson has led 30 drives in the last two games. Eleven of them have resulted in a three-and-out, five in turnovers and just five in points. Hackett is pointing to “self-inflicted wounds” as the reason for the Jets’ failures.
“We’re killing ourselves,” the Jets offensive coordinator said.
A common response this week has been self-inflicted wounds, said by Robert Saleh, Hackett and Wilson. Another has been that the players are “pressing” because they want to make a play and it’s contributing to those self-inflicted wounds. Saleh and Hackett used that. If only the offense was on the same page the way everyone is on the whys.
Mistakes are a huge problem. Penalties, missed blocks, turnovers, Wilson holding on to the ball too long and missing his receivers all played big roles in the Jets’ 27-6 loss to the Chargers on Monday.
They’ve also led to the Jets putting up some historically bad offensive numbers overall.
The Jets are just 1-for-13 in red zone trips over the last four games. They’ve converted only 7 of 43 third downs in their last three. Overall, the Jets are last in both categories, and by a wide margin.
Another damning stat is that two players — Miami running back Raheem Mostert and San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey —– have each scored more touchdowns (13 apiece) than the Jets (eight) this season. Two more — Miami receiver Tyreek Hill and Jacksonville running back Travis Etienne — have eight themselves.
Hackett’s offense and play-calling have produced the fewest number of touchdowns in the NFL.
“It’s unbelievably frustrating,” Hackett said. “It’s unbelievably frustrating I think for all of us. The only thing we know how to do is keep working. For me, keep coaching, keep looking at different things . Find what we do good. That’s what we’re always trying to do.”
The fact that the Jets are 4-4 heading into Sunday night's game at Las Vegas is a testament to how dominant their defense is. The offense has been head-scratching. The Jets have scored three offensive touchdowns in the last four games, and all were one-play drives. They haven’t put together a multi-play touchdown drive since Oct. 1 against Kansas City.
Additionally, the Jets haven’t scored on an opening drive all season and have just one first-quarter touchdown.
“As coaches we feel like we have a good plan that’s going to be executed,” Hackett said. “We practice it all week. We believe in it. We feel good about it and then certain things happen.”
Many factors have gotten the Jets here. The biggest is the offense was built for and in large part by Aaron Rodgers. He suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in Week 1. The Jets turned to Wilson and had to change the offense and tailor it more to what he likes.
Whatever that is, it hasn’t been good. Wilson has thrown just five touchdown passes. If he has another clunker, against a porous Raiders’ defense, the Jets could make a quarterback change.
“It’s not just him,” Hackett said. “It’s us as a group. It starts with me. It’s all of the guys.”
Another element in this fiasco is the state of the offensive line.
Left tackle Mekhi Becton and left guard Laken Tomlinson are the only linemen to start every game. The Jets are expected to start their sixth different O-Line combination on Sunday. There has been no continuity there.
“It’s just one of those crazy years,” offensive line coach Keith Carter said.
“Those dudes are fighting,” Wilson said. “They are doing everything they can to give it everything they have. I have so much love and respect for those guys because I know how challenging that can be and I think it's just going to make us stronger.”
Another common refrain is the Jets feel they’re close to breaking through, offensively. They believe they will if they eliminate their mental and physical mistakes.
“Right when we are getting things going something has happened,” Hackett said. “We have to get over that hump. This team, this offense has to get over that hump.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
