The New York Jets breezed through the Detroit Lions in Week 1, but their 20-12 loss in the second game of the year was more reminiscent of a Jets team that has one winning season in the last seven years.
The Jets bungling the end of the first half was one of the worst mistakes of Week 2
Clock management is important, folks.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill cooked the Jets secondary early, and the Sam Darnold-led New York offense struggled to find a rhythm until it was too late. The Jets had a great chance to get some points on the board before halftime. Instead, they went to the locker room down 20-0.
The second half went the Jets’ way, but the team couldn’t close the gap. They may have been able to if they didn’t find every way possible to screw up the final minute of the second quarter.
The drive began with the Jets’ biggest play of the game
Darnold connected with receiver Terrelle Pryor on a dart across the middle of the field that turned into a 44-yard gain for the Jets.
New York immediately used a time out with 30 seconds left, giving the Jets ample opportunity to get points from Miami’s 31-yard line.
Quincy Enunwa was all alone for an easy touchdown
After an incomplete pass to Robby Anderson and a 17-yard pass to tight end Chris Herndon, the Jets used their final time out of the half. It left New York with 16 seconds on the Dolphins’ 14-yard line.
The following play should’ve been a touchdown.
Enunwa has already become a favorite target for Darnold. He caught six passes in Week 1 and seven against the Dolphins. But Darnold missed him when Enunwa was standing the end zone all by himself for an easy touchdown. That proved costly.
Don’t throw to the middle of the field when you can’t stop the clock
It’s really pretty simple: When you don’t have a timeout and you don’t have enough time to spike the ball, don’t get tackled in bounds. Don’t even risk the possibility of getting tackled in bounds.
So even though Herndon came really close to scoring on a pass that he caught two yards from the goal line, it really wasn’t smart.
That’s about as frustratingly and agonizingly close as it gets, but it just wasn’t wise to put the ball in the middle of the field like that. Darnold, who is just 21, will presumably file away that lesson for later.
The Jets still finished a touchdown short and couldn’t get the Dolphins offense off the field for the last six minutes of the game, but the first half blunder could’ve proven to be the difference. At the very least, New York should’ve gone to halftime with three points and a little momentum.
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