BYES & LOWS

Not a lot has gone right for Jets entering off week

The Jets have reached their bye still in search of an identity.

Through five games, it is hard to know exactly who the 2021 Jets are. They are young. We know that. They have played rookies more than any other team in the NFL. That has shown at times, with disjointed play early and some rough patches of play on the way to 1-4.

The rookie drawing the most attention is quarterback Zach Wilson, of course. Wilson has had some really bad moments (four interceptions against the Patriots) and reasons for hope (two 50-yard highlight throws against the Titans).

Wilson has looked very much like a rookie early on. He has struggled to get the ball out on time, and that has led to 18 sacks. He also has thrown the most interceptions (nine) in the NFL. But you can see his talent and the reasons why the Jets made him the No. 2-overall pick. Wilson has a rare ability to make things happen when plays break down. The next step is to make plays within the structure of the offense.

Though all of the attention seems to fall on Wilson and the offense, the Jets’ defense has played well this season. The unit stumbled Sunday in London against the Falcons, but it is hard to blame the defense with how much it has been on the field. The unit led by defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has kept the Jets in games even as the offense sputtered.

First-year coach Robert Saleh has brought energy and a vision to the team early in the season. Now, he must solve the problem the team is having early in games and pile up some more wins. No one is expecting the Jets to be a playoff contender, but fans want to see respectability the rest of the way.

There will be plenty of time to look ahead. Let’s take a look back at the first five games:

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

All we heard when Saleh and Mike LaFleur were hired as coach and offensive coordinator was how they would bring the 49ers offense with them, and that meant running the ball. Well … the Jets are 30th in the NFL in rushing offense. Their longest run is for 17 yards, and they have only hit 100 yards rushing as a team once.