Jets hit turbulence after takeoff

THE JETS had gone 30 straight games without scoring a touchdown on their opening drive until Oct. 27 in Jacksonville, when Sam

Darnold connected with tight end Ryan Griffin. Since then, the Jets have scored 40 points on their opening drives, the most in the NFL over that span.

The problem now has become what happens after that gameopening score.

In the past nine games, the Jets have scored touchdowns on five opening drives and field goals on another two. Of those seven games, though, the Jets won four and lost three.

It happened again against the Steelers on Sunday. The Jets drove down the field with an 11-play touchdown drive to start the game. They did not find the end zone again, though still ended up winning.

For coach Adam Gase, who oversees the offense, when he studies his team this offseason he needs to diagnose what is happening after those first drives that creates those long offensive lulls. The simple explanation is the Jets operate off a script on the first drive, but Gase has said he moves off the script sometimes after three plays.

Are teams adjusting to what the Jets are doing? Are the Jets not sticking with what works? Gase credited the opposing defenses and said scoring lulls are part of NFL life.

“There are some times where you get into a good rhythm and you score three possessions in a row and then you might have the next eight series and not score at all,” Gase said. “So, it’s all about getting the right calls versus the right defense, executing right and it’s about doing the little things right, series after series and trying to find a way into the end zone. It’s the NFL. It’s tough. You’re not always going to score.”

Gase and his offensive staff need to figure out a way to keep that opening-drive momentum going in 2020.