Jets' offense needs Adonai Mitchell back in worst way after Week 6 Patriots defeat

The New York Jets put up a valiant effort against the hated New England Patriots, but their 26-19 defeat brought tons of scrutiny on offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who was clearly missing wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.

Without Mitchell, who has been out since Week 2 with a mysterious finger injury, the Jets simply don't have the verticality needed to challenge teams down the field. As such, Reich called a very conservative game plan in the New England loss, which was punctuated by multiple failed fourth-down conversions and a few more coverage sacks.

Without Mitchell, the Jets' offense can't reach its full potential. The result of what it looks like without him has been exactly one successful outing against a terrible Detroit Lions secondary and not much else in the way of positivity. The sooner Mitchell reattaches his finger, the better.

New York Jets offense missed Adonai Mitchell greatly during Week 6 loss to Patriots

With Garrett Wilson being shadowed by Christian Gonzalez (and not used as a vertical deep threat very often), the Jets' vertical options were limited. Kenyon Sadiq has made plays down the seam, but he has cooled off since his breakout in Week 3. Omar Cooper Jr. looked tremendous in his extended action, but he's a rookie in what is essentially his first career game.

Without Mitchell, who developed tremendous chemistry with Geno Smith in the offseason, the Jets have been forced to lean on either Isaiah Williams or Tim Patrick as the No. 2 wide receiver. That has led to some consternation offensively, as neither of those players is scaring the thinnest of secondaries.

New England had the perfect counter to this offense. They blitzed Smith plenty, did well to ensure no big plays happened after the catch, and kept Wilson in check. Without the Mitchell X-factor to paper over the cracks, Reich is retreating to his old play calls, and the result is a vicious cycle that is weighing a talented offense down.

The New York Jets' offense is struggling without Adonai Mitchell

The odd part about this offense is that there are flashes of competency when Reich is forced into chucking it deep. Smith remains a solid deep passer, Cooper made some nice catches, and Wilson is Wilson. What is clear in his play-calling, however, is that Reich doesn't have confidence in this group ripping off explosive plays with any regularity.

As was shown in the win against the Tennessee Titans, the Jets' offense can be very productive when everyone is healthy. Reich has been put in a tough situation, given the injuries and weather he has been forced to call plays in, but he has not made things any easier on themselves.

Mitchell returning like a conquering hero could be the secret ingredient that gets this team back on the right track, especially with a hard part of their schedule now in the past. This offense has players, but Mitchell going out has shown that Reich is closer to the dinosaur many fans believed

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