It's time for Jets to pull the plug on Jarvis Brownlee after another weak outing

The New York Jets lost their Week 8 game against the Las Vegas Raiders for a multitude of reasons. They dumbfoundedly went away from Braelon Allen in the second half, couldn't get their stuff together on special teams, and, arguably the biggest reason of all, the defense couldn't get off the field.

You can't exactly pin that all on one player, as the Jets were missing several key defenders, such as No. 2 overall pick David Bailey and their best run-stuffing defensive tackle, T'Vondre Sweat. But it was hard not to notice nickel cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. being routinely picked on by Kirk Cousins.

Per Pro Football Focus, Brownlee was targeted in coverage against Las Vegas four times. Cousins had a passer rating of 155.2 when throwing in the direction of Brownlee, and allowed three receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. He was also tagged with two penalties, keeping the Raiders' drives alive. His PFF grade of 32.1 was the lowest of any Jet in Week 8.

Despite earning the starting job over the summer, it's time for the Jets to send Brownlee to the bench and give rookie defensive back D'Angelo Ponds some time to prove whether or not he's ready for an expanded role.

New York Jets need to start playing D'Angelo Ponds in place of Jarvis Brownlee Jr.

Ponds, who was the Jets' second-round draft pick this past April, has played a frustratingly low amount this season. Yes, a calf injury robbed him of virtually the entire offseason, including training camp and the preseason, but the No. 50 overall pick should be ready to play nearly halfway through his first season in the league.

Against the Raiders, Ponds only played one defensive snap, while Brownlee played 25. Considering the former Tennessee Titans draft picks' struggles and other recent issues, it makes almost no sense.

Brownlee was a healthy scratch in Week 7 due to disciplinary reasons. The third-year cornerback missed multiple mandatory meetings leading into the team's matchup with the Miami Dolphins and was benched because of it.

You would think that would lead to a bigger punishment than just one missed game, but clearly, after this past week, that wasn't the case.

Ponds may not be 100% ready to play. He may not even be a better player than Brownlee is right now, but the fact of the matter is that when you invest such a high draft pick in a player, they should be a key piece going forward. The only way to know for sure is if he's on the field.

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