Monday nightmare :
The game on Monday night appeared to be over in the first two minutes of play. There was much for Aikman and others to criticize. The Jets started the game badly and found themselves in a difficult situation. Derius Davis, a rookie for the Los Angeles Chargers, returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown. This occurred immediately following the Jets’ pregame introduction of Thomas Morstead, their punter, as a way to acknowledge Morstead’s successful season and perhaps make a lighthearted remark about how frequently the Jets’ offensive drives had to be stopped.
Sadly, fans who were hoping to see a competitive game weren’t entertained. The Jets’ defense was excellent, but the Chargers won 27–6, and everything else was pretty bad. The Jets’ defense put up a strong fight, so the Chargers had to work hard to win, but once they took an early 7-0
lead, it was obvious.
Since it was assumed that Aaron Rodgers would be the team’s quarterback, the Jets have been featured in numerous prime-time games. Even so, most people only watch them to see how bad their offense can
get rather than out of interest.
The first few minutes of the game decided the outcome. There was Garrett Wilson’s fumble, Zach Wilson’s fumble, and the punt return for a touchdown. The Jets’ quarterback, Zach Wilson, has had a difficult season and didn’t offer the team much of a chance on Monday night. The Jets had seven punts, three fumbles, and two field goals in their first twelve possessions.
This season, in a few other games, the Jets’ defense held opponents close, and the offense would make a play or two to pull off an unexpected victory. However, that was not the case on Monday. Around the
nation, a lot of fans were either sleeping or turning off the game.
The Jets’ defense was strong, allowing the Chargers’ offense to only total 191 yards of offense. Almost every time Justin Herbert, the quarterback for the Chargers, dropped back, they applied pressure.
Two touchdowns were scored by the Chargers after fumbles by Zach Wilson. As far as the Chargers’ offensive highlights go, Keenan Allen had a spectacular catch to set up a field goal. Though they were behind 20–6, the Jets were stillin the game with less than four minutes remaining. But it didn’t seem like they had much chance of scoring two touchdowns. Then, after Khalil Mack stripped Wilson during a sack, Alohi Gilman recovered the fumble and took it back to the 2-yard line, where Austin Ekeler scored a touchdown run to seal the victory.
Even though the Jets are 4-4, it’s unlikely that they can finish in the playoff hunt with their current football strategy. We have to be discouraged by their defense. The Jets might seem like the greatest
football team in some alternate reality where Aaron Rodgers was their quarterback. Unfortunately, Rodgers’ Achilles tendon injury keeps him out of the lineup, making the Jets hard to watch. The Jets concluded the evening with a pointless drive that took them deep into Chargers territory in the final seconds. They mishandled a touchdown pass in the end zone, and Tyler Conklin was tackled on
the 1-yard line after catching a pass on fourth-and-goal.
The Jets had a difficult Monday night. Inaccurate passes, costly turnovers, late penalties, and an excessive number of sacks as a result of an inadequate offensive line were all present. Although it’s difficult to be a Jets fan right now, at least they’re not the Giants.