Things did not go so well for newly acquired Jets wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in his debut with the team.
On a cold Thursday night in Massachusetts, the former second-round pick out of Texas was targeted six times in his first action with the team.
He recorded just a single reception for 10 yards and had a couple of back-breaking drops.
As Mitchell picks up the pieces from his difficult debut, the Jets believe there is still something in the former second-rounder they can use to their advantage.
Mitchell speaks out on struggles
For all the struggles Mitchell had on Thursday, one key positive was the fact that the former Colt was consistently open. On several plays, he used his big frame and speed to get behind the defense.
The issue, though, was that he couldn’t catch the football.
Early in the second quarter, quarterback Justin Fields targeted Mitchell on a go route that the receiver had gotten behind the defense on. But a mistake in tracking led Mitchell to drop the pass.
Instead of a deep completion, the Jets were forced to punt.
“It was definitely a situation, if I could get it back, I would go up and attack the ball instead of letting it come down,” Mitchell said after the loss. “I misjudged the ball, and at the end of the day, I have to be better on that. It was a great pass, should have been an explosive for the Jets.”
Mitchell later dropped another pass over the middle of the field in the second half, highlighting inconsistencies the wideout is working through.
But not all of Mitchell’s incomplete targets were on him.
While Mitchell’s drops were certainly an issue, Fields also struggled to throw catchable footballs to his new receiver throughout New York’s loss. Late in the first half, Mitchell found himself open on a wheel route, but a late and inaccurate throw from Fields made it almost impossible for Mitchell to come away with the completion.
Even so, the new wideout was pleased to see the kind of conversations happening on the sideline.
“Just more so encouraging words, kind of from everybody, to everybody,” Mitchell said. “I felt like we had a chance the whole game. So just everybody staying up, staying encouraged, and staying together.”
READ MORE: In Jets’ loss to Pats, we learned what we already knewThe Jets ended up losing Thursday’s contest to the archrival New England Patriots 27-14. Mitchell’s drops were a big factor in New York’s inconsistent offense for most of the game.
As difficult a start as he had, though, Gang Green still believes they have something in the second-year wideout.
Jets still confident in Mitchell
If there’s one reason for optimism regarding Mitchell from Thursday’s loss, it’s this: The young receiver can get open no matter who he is going up against.
At 6-foot-2 with a 4.34 forty time, Mitchell possesses the kind of build, speed, and athleticism to bounce back and be a key contributor for the Jets moving forward. New York hasn’t had a wideout who can consistently get open outside of Garrett Wilson.
It’s why Jets head coach Aaron Glenn was far more patient with the receiver after his struggles on Thursday night.
“Him being here for two weeks and having truly a week of really going out there and practicing, we got to get him back out there and do more,” Glenn said. “But I think he will tell you himself he’s got to make some of the plays that were thrown to him, and we got to do a better job of trying to get him open also.”
New York is now 2-8 on the season after its loss on Thursday. No one will be mistaking the Jets for a playoff team. With that reality, and the fact that Wilson remains on injured reserve, the next few games are a perfect chance for the Jets to fully scout their young receivers.
It will also be a chance for Mitchell to prove that he still belongs in the NFL despite being on his second team in as many years.
