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The New York Jets had another wretched start in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, and it cost them in a 27-20 loss. While the Jets finally came alive in the second half, it wasn’t enough to overcome a putrid beginning to the game.
New York was down 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and trailed 17-0 before finally getting on the board with a field goal in the second quarter. It was 20-3 at halftime, and then the Jets scored 17 second-half points to make it a game. Things were truly ugly early:
Falcons also hold advantage in total yards (196-16), first downs (14-0), TOP (15:29 – 3:30), and various other statistics
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 10, 2021
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The Jets dropped to 1-4 on the season with the loss. After the game, Jets head coach Robert Saleh and rookie quarterback Zach Wilson addressed the slow starts, which have been problematic all year. Saleh is going to do his best to figure out how to fix the issue:
Saleh said he’s going to work his butt off to try to find out why the #Jets keep starting slow
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 10, 2021
Saleh said it was a “multitude of things” that plagued Wilson. Saleh again says it’s about starting faster, and it’s on him to figure out why the #Jets aren’t
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 10, 2021
Wilson knows he needs to be better:
Wilson said he doesn’t know why the #Jets are starting slow. Says team knows what they’re capable of. Do it in the second half.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 10, 2021
“I can’t come out and miss throws,” Wilson said. #Jets
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 10, 2021
The Jets have shown an ability to play well in second halves, but part of that could be because of defenses relaxing after building a lead. Either way, New York simply has to find a way to start putting points on the board early in games. Always playing from behind is not a good recipe for success.
Wilson wound up completing 19 out of 32 passes for 192 yards and an interception after his woeful start. That’s not a terrible stat line, but it’s also not good and the youngster has to be better.