Garrett Wilson kept his criticism in check after the New York Jets fell 26-19 to the New England Patriots, but his frustration was clear. Wilson finished with four catches for 44 yards on six targets and was visibly upset as he left the field, according to the report.
Wilson had billed the matchup as “a big-ass game” before kickoff, and the offense did little to involve him in opponent territory. Of the 31 plays the Jets ran in New England’s half, the ball reached Wilson once — a 12-yard reception in the fourth quarter. He was targeted just three times in plus-territory and only twice through the first three quarters, the report said.
“It’s just frustrating because we lost, and I want to help the team,” Wilson told reporters after a cooling-off period, according to the report. He added, while acknowledging the ebbs and flows of a season, “Not every game [is] going to go your way,” and said he tried to stay ready for the moment the offense called on him.
The Frank Reich-led offense has struggled this season, ranking in the bottom 10 after averaging 18.7 points per game and scoring four touchdowns over the last three games, the report noted. The Jets (2-4) managed one touchdown Sunday — a 48-yard strike from Geno Smith to rookie Omar Cooper Jr. that cut New England’s lead to 17-10. New York finished 3-for-10 on third down, 0-for-3 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on fourth down, and the defense yielded only six points off two short fields created by takeaways.
Coverage was a factor: Christian Gonzalez shadowed Wilson on 17 of his 30 routes, per NFL Next Gen Stats, often when Wilson lined up outside. The report also highlighted positive performances: Cooper had six catches for 103 yards in his first full NFL game, and fill-in running back Braelon Allen rushed 17 times for 78 yards (4.6 yards per carry) while replacing the injured Breece Hall. Quarterback Geno Smith noted other players were able to make plays, citing Cooper, Kenyon Sadiq and Mason Taylor, according to the report.
