Adonai Mitchell left the New York Jets to do so. He was traded just before the deadline from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Sauce Gardner. His arrival clearly represented a watershed moment for the team as they look to build themselves back up from a recent history of devastation. The game did not play out the way most people thought it would. Mitchell put on a rough show, with three drops overall in his performance, two of them bona fide critical misses.
Quarterback Justin Fields was under duress during this week’s game against the Patriots. He passed for only 116 yards — 23 of those in the first half. Fields was realistic about those challenges, adding bluntly, “Not good enough,” to that first cheer. He expressed frustration over the ongoing inconsistency in the receiving corps, saying, “I mean, yeah, it’s tough, but at the end of the day you can’t complain about it.”
Aaron Glenn has reported on the New York Jets for more than 30 years. After the team’s most recent defeat, he lamented this after inking a two year $40 million contract that features a $30 million dollar guarantee. Glenn stated he is “evaluating everything, to be honest with you,” as the team grapples with its performance. He acknowledged that Fields “did some good things,” and made clear that he was painfully aware of missed opportunities, most notably on open receivers.
Glenn highlighted further development of the passing game. He pointed to part of the problem being Fields’ inability to reach his teammates. “Obviously, we have to do a better job in the passing game and that has a lot to do with Justin getting the ball to the right guys,” he said. The challenge ahead seems daunting. Fields has totalled only 505 passing yards in his last five starts, including one of those games where he was yanked at halftime.
With all of his explosive talent, the Jets’ recent acquisition of Mitchell was viewed as a possible game-changer for their offense. Now three missed opportunities in the span of a single game have raised the bar. Moving forward, the burden is on both Glenn and Fields to find real solutions. As Glenn quite recently indicated, he wants something deeper than a proverbial spark. He’s apparently more interested in a sustainable turnaround than in some half-baked, short-term Band Aid.
Besides Mitchell’s struggles and Fields’ superb play, the Jets have been dealing with injuries among their receiving corps. The offense has put the team in a precarious position all season long. As it happens, they’ve whiffed on essential players in three of their last four contests.
Glenn’s anger ran deeper than just one bad loss. He reflected on how disappointing it was to miss out on an opportunity to demonstrate the team’s growth across all phases of play. “I’m frustrated by every loss, but this one was really frustrating, the fact that we had an opportunity to show the world exactly how we’ve grown as a team in all three phases,” he stated.
As the Jets move forward, they are committed to winning on and off the field. With five first-round draft picks in 2026 and 2027, they do have the resources to turn the ship significantly, if needed. Hopefully, the combination of Glenn’s experience and the new acquisitions such as Mitchell will bring a little optimism for a turnaround.
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