NY Jets: 7 quick takeaways from Week 1 loss to the Panthers

The NY Jets salvaged a close loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 falling by a final score of 19-14. It was far from an ideal debut for Zach Wilson, Robert Saleh, and the new-look Jets.

Gang Green stumbled out of the starting gate as they trailed 16-0 at the half. But they clawed their way back in the second half on the back of a strong performance from Wilson.

But it was ultimately too little, too late.

The Jets fell to 0-1, but they can take solace in the fact that they didn't fold in the second half. If there's any positive to take away from this game, it's that.

The NY Jets didn't fold at halftime

Look, before we get into some of the negatives, it should be noted that this game would have likely gone down a lot differently if it had happened last year.

I know, a loss is a loss. But rather than roll over and allow the Panthers to steamroll them in the second half, the Jets fought hard and came close to tying the game in the end.

That's a testament to how well the defense played in the second half as well as the work of Wilson and the coaching staff to make necessary halftime adjustments.

The Jets lost this game, but it wasn't due to a lack of effort. That's at least an encouraging takeaway from this one.

The NY Jets pass protection is a major issue

The Jets pass protection is ultimately what cost them this game. And if they aren't careful, it's what will cost them their season, or possibly worse, their rookie quarterback.

Wilson was sacked six times and hit 11 times. It would have been more too if the Jets didn't work around their poor pass protection as much as possible.

George Fant was victimized in the first half, but the entire unit struggled. The Jets need to seriously rethink their blocking schemes and/or get on the same page in a hurry.

This was a bad, bad start for the offensive line.

Zach Wilson: A tale of two halves

Wilson and the Jets' offense struggled mightily in the first half. The rookie QB finished the half 6-of-16 for 84 yards and an interception.

The pressure clearly got to him and the lack of a running game was a major detriment. But it was a completely different story in the second half.

Wilson was 14-of-21 for 172 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers in the final two quarters. He hooked up with Corey Davis for a pair of scores and helped keep the Jets in the game.

All in all, Wilson had a good debut, especially given how the game started.

Where was Quinnen Williams?

The Jets pass rush picked things up in the second half, but the interior of the defensive line struggled to get going early on. That was especially concerning given that they were going up against an extremely weak Panthers' interior offensive line.

John Franklin-Myers made some plays. Folorunso Fatukasi had his moments. But Quinnen Williams was nowhere to be found.

Williams finished with a trio of assisted tackles and had one notable QB hit. But given that he was up against the likes of Pat Elflein and Dennis Daley, it was a concerningly slow start.

It is important to remember that Williams was sidelined this summer with a foot injury. But the Jets would have liked a better start given who his opposition was.

The Zach Wilson/Corey Davis connection

Wilson has a favorite target. And it's the player who we saw him connect with a number of times in the preseason.

Corey Davis was the Jets' best offensive playmaker in Week 1 as he finished with five catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

With all the talk about Elijah Moore this summer, it's clear that Davis is Wilson's preferred target and the No. 1 option in the Jets' offense.

The NY Jets running game struggled to get going

One of the biggest takeaways from the summer was that the Jets, despite some poor pass protection, were able to run the ball effectively. That wasn't the case on Sunday.

Tevin Coleman carried the ball nine times for 24 yards on a poor 2.7 average. Ty Johnson had four carries for 15 yards while rookie Michael Carter rushed the ball four times for six yards.

The Jets failed to get any push up front and it forced the team to become one-dimensional. Not an ideal situation given their poor pass blocking.

The offensive line is evidently a major work in progress.

The NY Jets may have found their kicker and punter

When Braden Mann went down with a brutal-looking knee injury in the first quarter, everyone immediately feared the worst. No one could have expected what kicker Matt Ammendola would do in his place.

Ammendola didn't attempt a singe kick in his first NFL game. But he did a hell of a job punting.

The former undrafted free agent averaged just shy of 50 yards per punt with the highlight being a booming 67-yard punt that pinned the Panthers inside their own 15-yard line.

If Mann is forced to miss any time, the Jets might just be able to have Ammendola handle both kicking and punting duties.