Zach Wilson and the Jets Stall Against the Patriots Once Again

The Patriots kicked a field goal to end the half and scored a touchdown to begin the next, a scoring sandwich their opponents have come to dread through the years. The Jets missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt on the next drive.

It was the cascade of bad events that Jets fans have come to expect as inevitable, bringing the team back to reality. Wilson’s second interception, near the end of the third quarter, came on a pass he said he was trying to throw away, but safety Devin McCourty snagged it just in bounds. After Wilson’s third giveaway, another interception by McCourty on another sailed throw, he sat on the bench and shouted a four-letter expletive, a verbalization of the frustration no doubt shared throughout the stadium.

“I just had some bone-headed plays,” said Wilson, who completed 20 of his 41 passes, fewer than 50 percent, for 355 yards.

The Jets’ offense sorely missed Breece Hall, the standout rookie running back whose knee injury in last week’s win against the Denver Broncos will keep him out for the season. Without him, the Jets managed just 51 rushing yards against New England, putting more pressure on Wilson, who admitted to forcing some throws, including his last interception.

The Jets’ record entering this game, 5-2, was their best start to a season since 2010, when a stingy defense powered a team reliant on a strong running game. It is a similar makeup to this season’s Jets, who are confronting the same lesson their predecessors learned then: N.F.L. teams can go only as far as their quarterbacks are able to take them.

“He’s got to play better,” Jets Coach Robert Saleh said of Wilson. “We’ve got to find ways to help him.”

Wilson did throw a second touchdown pass, in the game’s final minutes. By that point, the empty gray seats outnumbered those with fans in them. The Patriots (4-4) recovered an onside kick and held the ball until time expired.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/sports/football/jets-patriots-score-roughing.html