By Jeff Moeller, The New York Extra/thenyextra.com
The Jets did it to you again.
They teased you for a half of football, and then they let you down.
They were right there with Kansas City Sunday afternoon even though there was a feeling the Chiefs were toying with them at 21-9 at halftime. Some of you were ecstatic if you had the 19-or-better point line.
Like they did against Buffalo the week before, the Jets did a freefall.
Midway through the third quarter, you knew the outcome. The final 35-9 outcome was predictable.
There weren’t any adjustments. The Jets again slowly slipped away and again looked disinterested as time waned away. The only drama involved Sam Darnold possibly reinjuring his shoulder.
Loss number eight took them another step close to an 0-16 mark. It will be a slow drip over the next eight weeks.
Unless….
Let the kids play. Watch some of the veterans be dealt this week as the other part of the reset.
It’s time to focus on rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims and running back La’Mical Perine. Granted, they both dramatically won’t change the landscape over the second half of the season, but they deserve the chance.
First-round pick tackle Mekhi Becton has looked like a veteran throughout the season.
With Jamison Crowder and Brett Perriman out against the Chiefs, Mims should have been the primary target.
Instead, he was caught two passes for 42 yards in the first half, one a 27-yarder. In the second half, Mims disappeared.
Why?
Mims was the center of attention all summer when he was highly criticized for his lingering hamstring pull.
Now that he has finally surfaced and appears fully healthy, the Jets need to get him the football. This was their solution to losing Robbie Anderson. Let’s see what he can do.
Same goes for Perine. The Jets supposedly were able to shop Le’Veon Bell because of Perine.
For the second straight week, Frank Gore had more carries than Perine. Like Mims, why?
Perine finished the game with eight carries for 27 yards, one a nine-yard burst. There isn’t any reason why Perine should have less than a 15-carry or more game. The Jets need to see if he can be the answer in the backfield. They have had a tendency to go with waiver pickup Ty Johnson, who they apparently will give a full audition the rest of the season.
Rookie safety Ashtyn Davis, once thought of a prized gem in the team’s defensive schemes, has been tarnished as part of their sieve of a secondary and once esteemed defensive unit that has now allowed just under 30 points a game.
Despite the situation, Davis needs to play through his mistakes to prove the team made a right pick.
This week, the Jets’ dynamic could be shifted dramatically if vets are shopped as expected. Their projected 0-16 plight may not change, but the restructuring will begin.
Against a decimated New England team next Monday night at Met Life, the Jets again can jump on the Patriots early especially if Darnold’s shoulder isn’t as bad as the general consensus seems to believe.
There could even be hope against the 2-5 Patriots despite the Bill Belichick always-beats-the-Jets factor.
Just close your eyes for the second half so you won’t get teased.