To give up a third-and-19 is inexcusable. To give one up with just over three minutes left and your team trailing by a score is next-level inexcusable.
That’s exactly what the Jets did, a huge defensive breakdown at the worst possible time that all but sealed their home-opening 20-12 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
“Put it on me. Yeah, I was responsible,” free safety Jamal Adams said of Frank Gore’s clinching 19-yard catch with 3 ½ minutes left. “I was responsible. Put it on me.”
Coach Todd Bowles wouldn’t single out Adams, saying only, “Somebody missed a pickup.” When asked if it was inexcusable given the down and distance, score and time, he replied, “It’s always inexcusable.”
It was a gaffe that slammed the door shut on any comeback bid, and left the Jets dumbfounded.
“Don’t even bring that up,” cornerback Morris Claiborne said, with a long pause, followed by a rueful laugh. And when words failed him, then came another awkward pause. “We just let the back out. Bad play.”
Which capped a bad loss.
After falling behind 20-0 by halftime, Gang Green had rallied within eight. With 3:36 left, the Jets had gotten Miami into a third-and-19 and were already looking at getting the ball back with the two-minute warning approaching. That is, until they blew the coverage.
When Ryan Tannehill dropped back in the shotgun, Gore stayed in to block. As the pocket collapsed, Adams — perhaps thinking the Miami quarterback was going to be sacked — came up in support. But Gore released late, darted right by Adams into the suddenly vacated middle of the field.
“Again, everybody’s not doing their assignment on the defensive side of the ball. We all have to do our assignment. But they had a great call for the play that we ran, they executed and we didn’t,” Adams said. “I’m not going to say it’s a breakdown. I’m not going to say that … we didn’t execute the call. It’s tough.
“We could’ve gave our offense the ball back. Missed opportunities, we’ve got to capitalize on those opportunities. It’s big. Again, you’ve got to stop them on certain situations.”
Tannehill stepped up and found Gore wide open. And the crafty veteran — who passed Curtis Martin for fourth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list — caught a dump-off and weaved for a first-and-10 on the Jets 26. With 2:49 left, it essentially ended the game.
“We had to make a play. We didn’t make the play they did. I take my hat off to them,” defensive lineman Steve McLendon said. “Everybody knows who Frank Gore is. When I talked to him out there, I said, ‘Good job, O.G.’ He’s been around this game a long time. He knew what to do with the ball. … I take my hat off to them. But we get to see them again and we’ve got to make sure things are different.”
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