Running back is a problem now, and for the future

It’s not just that Le’Veon Bell is hurt, it’s that he hasn’t done anything for the Jets since they signed him. Frank Gore is a fine backup, but he’s far from a No. 1 running back anymore. The Jets' most explosive back this summer was rookie La’Mical Perine, and he could be their No. 1 back of the future, but he’s been tragically underused – 19 snaps in two games.

Gase needs to give Perine an opportunity, even when Bell returns. But what this looks like overall is an ineffective committee that Gase still hasn’t figured out how to use.

The Jets never found a pass rusher

They got away with this a year ago because defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ schemed his way to a Top 10 defense and they had safety Jamal Adams adding pressure with blitzes. But this year their pass rush has been terrible. Six sacks in four games? They barely touched Denver’s Brett Rypien on Thursday night (legally, anyway), though he was making his first NFL start. Jordan Jenkins, theoretically motivated by being snubbed in free agency, has one sack in four games.

There were pass rushers available, both in free agency and in the draft. The Jets chose to pass. That was a mistake they can’t make in 2021.

They didn’t get cornerback help, either

There were definitely cornerbacks available in free agency, and the fact the Jets chose not to spend the money is somewhat mind-boggling. They had to know they had no pass rush, which was going to really hurt their secondary. Yet they shopped in the bargain bin anyway, loading up with Brian Poole, Pierre Desir and Quincy Wilson.

The result is what was on display on Thursday night. Those are solid players who do some good things, but plenty of bad things, too. It’s erratic and when there’s no pass rush it’s worse.

The quarterback isn’t the star he was supposed to be

It’s a little chicken-or-the-egg trying to figure out whether Darnold is struggling because of the problems around him, or if his struggles are making those problems worse. Whatever it is, the result is the same: Darnold is one of the lowest-rated quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s capable of good blow-your-mind moments, but there are too many blow-your-mind bad ones. That’s not supposed to happen to a quarterback in his third season – not when he was the No. 3 pick in the draft.

And really, by now, he should be able to rise a little above his circumstances. He did that at times last season. But he’s not doing that now. There’s no other way to say this: Right now, he’s not good.

Chris Herndon is looking like a bust

Herndon’s drop at midfield with 2:14 remaining and the Jets trailing by two points on Thursday night said it all about the third-year pro. It was a big spot. He was wide open. It was a near perfect pass, chest high, right in his hands and … he stumbled and dropped the ball. In what was supposed to be a big year for him, he has 11 catches for 74 yards so far.

The Jets aren’t throwing to him often – only 19 targets. That drop may have shown why.

Several other key players haven’t developed, either

Darnold and Herndon are great examples of this, but there are more who show how bad the Jets’ drafting has been. Quinnen Williams promised to “dominate” the NFL, but the best that can be said about him is he’s better than he was last season when he’s not committing personal fouls. Marcus Maye had a good start to this season, but like the defense he’s been shaky since. And right now, only two of the nine players from Douglas’ first draft class are really contributing – Becton, who is now hurt, and sixth-round punter Braden Mann.

Maybe that will change as these players get more experience, but the early returns are that the Jets don’t have much from any of their recent drafts. That’s why this roster is so thin. That’s why injuries are so devastating. And that poor drafting record might be the biggest thing Douglas has to fix.

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