The Jets (3-11) fell to the Jaguars (10-4), 48-20, at EverBank Stadium on Sunday. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Efficient Early, Offense Struggles to 'Sustain It'
QB Brady Cook delivered a strong first-quarter performance highlighted by an 8-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Cook threw his first career NFL TD pass, to Adonai Mitchell, and finished the first stanza 6-of-6 passing for 51 yards, 1 TD and a 141.7 passer rating. The Jets picked up 4 first downs and converted both third-down attempts.
"I thought Brady did some really good things, especially the way he started the game," HC Aaron Glenn said Monday. "And then he made some rookie mistakes, like you would expect any rookie would make. And I see that he's going to get better."
The promising start slowed during the second quarter. The Jets added a 41-yard FG, but with an opportunity to make it a one-score game before halftime, Cook was intercepted by Jaguars DB Montaric Brown.
"I thought we strung together some good drives in that first half," Cook said. "Definitely had a couple great sequences, good rhythm. We just need to sustain it."
Cook was later intercepted on the Jets' final two possessions of the game.
"You've got to keep pushing, these things happen," Glenn said of his message to Cook. "I thought he did some good things trying to get us back as close as he could in that game. But, it's just still tough for a rookie in that situation, especially [against] that defense who was playing fairly well. It's tough for him."
Young Players Flash Potential
The Jets' leading receivers on Sunday were Adonai Mitchell, Isaiah Williams an John Metchie III-- three players who were all in-season acquisitions.
Mitchell led the team for the second time this season, recording 6 receptions for 58 yards. The second-year player, who began his career in Indianapolis, was on the receiving end of rookie QB Brady Cook's first NFL touchdown pass in the first quarter.
"AD is an incredible target, incredible player, incredible teammate," Cook said. "Happy to have him in the room."
Williams continued to flash his potential to be part of the Jets' offensive attack. The second-year player has primarily served as a returner in his young career, a position where he has excelled for the Green & White this season. But after playing a single offensive snap from Week 2 through Week 5, Williams has played 210 offensive snaps since Week 6. He was targeted 7 times in Sunday's loss and hauled in a career-high 6 receptions for 53 yards.
Metchie, a second-year player who joined the Jets after time in Houston and Philadelphia, had 4 receptions for 25 yards Sunday. He has scored 2 TDs for the Green & White this season.
"Those guys have done a great job embracing me this week," Cook said of Williams and Metchie. "We've got a ton of extra reps and going to continue to build on it."
HC Aaron Glenn 'Evaluating Everything'
After what Aaron Glenn described as a "very disappointing" result on Sunday, the head coach said he will be evaluating everything during the final three weeks of the season.
"We have three games left," he said following Sunday's loss. "Three games left for our guys to go out there and play. I will tell you this: Right now, it's not about the Xs and Os across the board. It's about the character of the men on this team. And that's what I'm evaluating."
Glenn said he will be observing which players are going to "lay it on the line and continue to play" throughout this final stretch.
"We have to figure something out," he said. "I do know this: There were a number of guys that really gave it to us this game, and I know that because I could see how tired they were."
Glenn said he will also continue to evaluate himself and his coaching staff. On Monday morning, DC Steve Wilks was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator.
"I want to make sure the things that we've been building up to this point stay exactly where they are and even improve," he said of his goals for the final stretch.
