Quickly, name a positive about the Jets from their 40-3 loss at Seattle Sunday.
Still thinking?
You should be. There possibly were a handful of them.
Captain and free safety Marcus Maye’s backpedalling interception in front of Seattle’s DK Metcalf in the end zone during the first quarter may have been the main highlight of the afternoon.
First-round pick offensive tackle Mekhi Becton already has blended into the background with his steady play.
At the time, the Jets were within striking range at 7-3, and kicker Sergio Castillo could have swung the momentum with a 45-yard attempt.
Castillo swung the first of his three next attempts wide left, and the Jets followed suit.
The complexion of the game could have been different if the Jets executed all afternoon.
The key word on this afternoon was could have.
Instead, only pockets of execution allowed Seattle head coach Pete Carroll to pull his starters late in the third quarter.
Think about that for a moment.
A mercy, running clock rule should have gone into effect at 37-3. The only thing left to see was former Jet Geno Smith relieving starter Russell Wilson, who picked apart the Jets secondary for a flawless, four-touchdown performance.
Only the diehards stayed until the very end..the Eagles-Saints game on the other local channel was worth watching.
Besides, Maye’s performance — he had a good game overall — there was little to draw from.
Linebacker Neville Hewitt and Harvey Langi led the team in tackles and the duo quietly has gone unnoticed for their steady, weekly contributions.
Quarterback Sam Darnold lost whatever rhythm he had after the opening quarter, and he spent the rest of the game working on his sprints away from Seattle defenders, who managed to sack him three times.
He threw for 132 and the team accumulated 185. Nothing staggering there.
The Jets’ newly discovered running game behind reserves Ty Johnson and Josh Adams was grounded. Frank Gore managed to push ahead for 23 yards.
You could throw in Corey Ballantine’s 66-yard kickoff return in the second quarter with Seattle ahead 17-3 that unfortunately it didn’t result in anything.
Aside from the aforementioned, the Jets were asleep in Seattle. Yes, they don’t have all the pieces in place, but the effort should have been better.
This was against a team that had allowed a league worst average of 309 yards passing per game, and allowed 190 yards rushing from the Giants last week.
This was their nod and wink that 0-16 is confirmed, and Trevor Lawrence should be looking for a house in north Jersey.
Look for the good points over the final three weeks, as evaluation time begins. Rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims should be back in Los Angeles Sunday.
Just remember to look as hard as you can.
Photo by Brooks Von Arx/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire