NY Jets: 3 takeaways from Week 7 loss to the New England Patriots

Despite an extra week to prepare, the NY Jets got embarrassed by the New England Patriots 54-13 to fall to 1-5. To make matters worse, they saw rookie quarterback Zach Wilson leave the game in the second quarter with a knee injury.

The honeymoon is over for the NY Jets

If this was put up or shut up time for head coach Robert Saleh then he got shut up in a big way.

Despite vowing to put in the work to figure out how to get off to better starts, it looked like more of the same from Gang Green as they have now gone six games without scoring a first quarter point and have been outscored 106-20 in the first half.

"It’s top-down, starts with coaching all the way down,” Saleh said after the game. “Obviously we’ve gotta be better. They punched us in the freaking mouth and scored points so credit to them.”

While the Jets were not expected to win, to once again be outclassed by a team they have not beaten since the Obama administration is a pattern that needs to end sooner rather than later.

Although they are in the first year of a rebuild and were without their best defensive player in C.J. Mosley, performances like this need to become a thing of the past otherwise the never-ending wheel the Jets seem to be on will continue to spin.

A scary situation for Zach Wilson

As if things could not get any worse for the green and white, they will now wait with bated breath for news regarding the health of Zach Wilson who had to leave the game early in the second quarter with a knee injury.

"Kinda felt like it twisted, felt a pop in there,” Wilson said. “Just was obviously thinking of the worst scenario in my head, which sucks, but just making sure it's going to be alright.”

While backup QB Mike White came in and did an admirable job, to lose Wilson for an extended period would be a death blow to Gang Green as this season was almost entirely dedicated to helping him grow and develop.

The heat is on for Mike LaFleur

What started as whispers will now grow into shouts as once again the Jets’ offense came in looking ill-prepared and overmatched.

"The NFL doesn’t really give a flying excuse my language,” Saleh said. “In terms of scheduling, we’ve got to line up next week and for the next 11 or 12, whatever we’ve got left.”

Whether it is the short-yardage run plays that never seem to work or the lack of any sense of urgency in the game’s opening drive, it is fair to wonder if offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is in a little over his head.

While the first-year coordinator might pin most of the unit’s struggles on execution, the fact is the other team gets paid to execute as well so to be constantly out-executed is a problem that will inevitably fall back onto his shoulders.

Despite coming in with the promise of running a Kyle Shanahan-like system, the Jets are still in search of an offensive identity which is a problem when they are six games into a season that appears to be a lost cause anyway.