Early in the New York Jets' Sunday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, it looked as though the tides may be turning for Gang Green. But things changed quickly in the second half, and the Jets offense had no answer for the Russell Wilson-led Steelers.
The Jets led 7-3 in the first quarter and 15-6 midway through the second, but a few mistakes and a lack of defensive stops resulted in a 37-15 loss. The Steelers reeled off 31 straight points, 24 of which came in the final two quarters.
Among the noteworthy mistakes was a drop by wide receiver Garrett Wilson that led to an interception with just over one minute left in the first half. The Steelers added a field goal before halftime, but that was when the momentum shifted, and Wilson admitted as much after the game.
While speaking with reporters after the game, the third-year pro and 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year shouldered the blame for his team's loss.
"I don't take it light ... I feel like I was the reason we lost the game. S*** can't happen. It's a terrible play," Wilson said.
"It's like a culmination of me getting bad habits and not attacking the ball in the game. I've just gotta fix it. I've got good hands, I gotta use my hands to catch the ball."
While Wilson's drop that was intercepted unquestionably hurt, it's tough to pin the complete second-half meltdown on one play. It's impressive to see the 24-year-old take ownership in the fashion he did, but the issues on Sunday night went beyond just that mistake.
The Jets failed to score a single point in the second half, and the Steelers offense made it look far too easy over the final two quarters.
Wilson finished the night tied for the most targets among Jets players with nine. He also tallied the second-most receiving yards with five catches for 61 yards. While Wilson is bound to see a bit less defensive attention following the team's trade for wide receiver Davante Adams, he'll still be a top target every week.
Most importantly, if Wilson and Adams can give the Jets the type of one-two punch many envision, it'll go a long way toward fixing the team's current offensive struggles.
Related: Davante Adams Gives Blunt Response About Jets' Loss to Steelers in Debut