JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Another week, another no-show from the Jets.
The Jets lost their third straight game and looked awful doing it, falling 31-12 to the Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on a sultry Sunday afternoon.
Put simply, the Jets got outclassed by a team that is a Super Bowl contender. The Jets were terrible on offense and brutal on defense in a game that made you wonder what exactly the coaching staff did for the 10 days they had to prepare for the game.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles looked like a cross between Tom Brady and Joe Montana as he picked apart the Jets defense. He finished 29-of-38 for a career-high 388 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the day with 11 straight completions.
The Jaguars gained 503 yards. It was the first time the Jets gave up 500 yards since Nov. 13, 2008, when the Patriots did it against them.
Offensively, the Jets (1-3) barely had a pulse. Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold struggled against a tough Jaguars defense. He completed 17-of-34 for 167 yards and one touchdown. He was not helped by offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, who seemed to have no answers.
Jacksonville (3-1) showed what the Jets were in store for on its first drive of the game. They held the ball for 8 minutes, 38 seconds and marched 80 yards on 15 plays. The Jets held the Jaguars to a field goal, but the long drive in brutal heat took its toll on the defense.
The Jets’ longest drive of the first three quarters was 28 yards. Darnold struggled to find any rhythm and the Jets did not establish the run game.
A second field goal from Josh Lambo put the Jaguars up 6-0 early in the second quarter. Then, Bortles hit running back T.J. Yeldon with a short pass that he turned into a 31-yard touchdown and a 13-0 lead.
The Jets had a chance to score some points in the final two minutes when they took the ball over with 1:47 left in the half and they had all their timeouts. But the drive stalled at the Jacksonville 49 when the Jets failed to complete a pass on fourth-and-1. The Jaguars took over and added another field goal to head into the locker room up 16-0, a score that felt more like 100-0.
The Jaguars outgained the Jets 270-86 in the first half.
After Isaiah Crowell was tackled for a safety on the Jets’ first play of the half, the Jets defense showed some life in the second half, forcing three turnovers and getting a few stops. But Trumaine Johnson got beat for a 67-yard touchdown by Donte Moncrief.
Jason Myers kicked two second-half field goals and Darnold threw a touchdown to tight end Jordan Leggett early in the fourth quarter to make the score more respectable. The 2-yard touchdown by Leggett was the first of his career. The score was set up by an Avery Williamson forced fumble that Johnson recovered and returned to the Jaguars’ 5.
It was the second takeaway of the day for the Jets. Darryl Roberts intercepted a Bortles pass tipped by Williamson. That led to a Jets field goal.
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