The New York Jets targeted wide receiver Garrett Wilson 12 times Sunday against the Raiders, a sharp increase from the three targets he saw the week before. Wilson caught six passes for 83 yards, including a 31-yard reception from quarterback Geno Smith on the first play from scrimmage. The Jets lost anyway.
“We just came out with an aggressive mindset, and that worked for us,” Wilson said. “Geno was dialed in, and Coach [Frank] Reich [the offensive coordinator] gave us the game plan all week. We knew what to expect, and we executed for the most part. That’s what our offense should look like.”
The Jets were without rookie David Bailey, their top draft pick and leading pass rusher, who did not practice all week because of a strained groin injury suffered in last week’s loss to the Dolphins. Bailey leads the team with 5 1/2 sacks, nine quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and 35 tackles this season.
Running back Breece Hall missed a fifth straight game with the quadriceps injury he suffered in Week 3 against the Lions, but head coach Aaron Glenn said Hall is close to returning.
“Breece is close,” Glenn said. “But we want to make sure we’re handling that situation the right way. He’s an important part of what we’re doing and what we’re building, so we want to make sure he’s fully healthy before putting him out there. What we don’t want is a setback. Same with Bailey. We don’t want a setback. He’s another guy who was very close to playing.”
In three games this season, Hall carried the ball 53 times for 163 yards, a 3.2-yard average, and one touchdown. His replacement, Braelon Allen, rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown Sunday and now has 565 yards and three touchdowns on 112 carries this season. Allen hurt his leg late in the game and was walking gingerly in the locker room afterward, a situation the team will monitor this week.
Rookie fourth-round pick Darrell Jackson Jr. started in place of T’Vondre Sweat on the defensive line, which is thin after the earlier loss of David Onyemata to core muscle surgery and injured reserve in Week 3. The Jets elevated defensive tackles Payton Page and Quinton Bell from the practice squad for depth.
Kicker Jason Sanders went 4-for-4 on field goals and is now 17-for-19 on the season, though one of his first-half kickoffs went out of bounds. Left guard Dylan Parham returned from a knee injury. Left tackle Olu Fashanu drew two penalties, including a holding call that wiped out a 28-yard completion to Wilson, and a late false start. Will McDonald IV recorded the Jets’ only sack. Wide receiver Isaiah Williams caught an 18-yard touchdown pass and returned a kickoff 41 yards.
Beyond Bailey and Hall, the Jets’ inactives Sunday included wide receiver Tim Patrick, edge rusher Joseph Ossai, cornerback Nahshon Wright and offensive linemen Max Mitchell and Kohl Levao.
