The Jets’ pain somehow got worse one week after an embarrassing lid-lifter that made you think that, well, it couldn’t get worse.
Gang Green was torched 31-13 by the injury-ravaged 49ers in its home opener Sunday to fall to 0-2. Thankfully, nobody was actually inside MetLife Stadium to witness the latest disappointment in what promises to be an excruciating 17-week journey.
Somehow a team missing its starting quarterback, top running back, three stud defensive linemen, All-Pro tight end and future Hall of Fame cornerback dominated Adam Gase’s club.
The Jets dug a 21-3 halftime hole that they couldn’t overcome. The banged-up reigning NFC champs used creativity and mismatches to their advantage for their first win of the season.
“I’m going to keep it blunt,” outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “We haven’t shown progress. It’s rinse and repeat the last two games. It’s either we’re going to keep getting embarrassed or we’re going to [improve].”
Gase fell to 30-37 as a head coach with his 29th loss by double digits.
“I’m pissed off right now,” Gase said. “That s–t is no fun, going out there and getting your ass beat.”
With all due respect, Gase should be used to that by now. The so-called brilliant offensive mind has lost 36% of his games (24) by at least two touchdowns.
The Jets were outcoached and outclassed in every imaginable way, even after the Niners’ rolled out their de facto JV squad thanks to a litany of first-half injuries.
One week after the Jets were non-competitive in a season-opening loss to the Bills, they rolled over against a battered and bruised opponent that played Nick Mullens at quarterback for the entire second half.
“This has got to stop,” Jenkins said. “There hasn’t been no progress yet. We need to do it now.”
It took a grand total of 17 seconds for the Jets to fall behind. Raheem Mostert’s 80-yard touchdown gallop on the first play from scrimmage set the tone for another annoying day for the Jets.
Both offense and defense shared culpability on this day.
Everyone basically stunk.
“We need to get better fast,” Gase said.
The Jets averaged 4.5 yards per play, which was worse than their anemic 4.8 yards per play last week. The defense allowed nine plays of at least 15 yards, including a 55-yard run on 3rd and 31.
“It sucks,” said Sam Darnold, who 21-for-35 for 215 yards, one touchdown and a 75.3 passer rating. “No one’s yelling at each other. We understand that we have to stay together. It’s only our second game of the season. Obviously, we didn’t envision these two games going like this.”
It’s been a nightmare.
Mostert’s was running free after a “misalignment,” according to Jenkins. It got much worse for a defense that finished second in the league against the run last season. When it was over, Kyle Shanahan’s team racked up 182 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry.
Jimmy Garoppolo hooked up with tight end Jordan Reed twice before intermission to build an 18-point cushion and cue the laugh track before intermission. Garoppolo (high ankle sprain) and Mostert (MCL sprain) didn’t play in the second half, but it hardly mattered.
The Jets were still the Jets.
“We moved the ball at the beginning of the game and then we had some injury issues,” Gase said. “We were down to two wide receivers. We didn’t execute in the red zone. We got to put it in there to get seven. We have to stay with the other team. If our defense is struggling, we have to do better on offense. We have to find a way to get in the end zone. If we’re kicking field goals, it’s not going to help us if they’re scoring touchdowns.”
Gase’s offense did a whole lot of nothing despite facing a depleted San Francisco front that lost Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas to feared ACL tears on the second drive. The Jets were 0 for 2 in the red zone, but don’t be fooled. They weren’t nearly good enough again.
“We put ourselves in good positions on some second and third downs,” Darnold said. “There were just little details here and there that cost us.”
The Jets lost wide receiver Breshad Perriman (ankle), center Connor McGovern (hamstring) and cornerbacks Quincy Wilson (concussion) and Arthur Maulet (groin) during the game, but it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.
The Jets didn’t show up to play.
“We got to find a way to improve really fast,” Gase said. “We have to go find a way to win one football game.”
At this rate, winning one football game would be a minor miracle.
