3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 15 Loss vs. Lions

Like the rival New England Patriots, the New York Jets managed to squander a great opportunity at making up ground in the AFC wild-card race. While the Patriots orchestrated disaster on a final-play fumble, the Jets snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with less than two minutes remaining.

The Detroit Lions faced a 4th-and-inches from their own 49-yard line and needing a touchdown just inside of the two-minute warning. A Jets defense that had been stout most of the day collapsed as Jared Goff found a wide-open Brock Wright for the first down. However, the second-year tight end took things further and cut through the New York secondary for a 51-yard touchdown.

The Jets mounted a last-gasp drive, but Greg Zuerlein's 58-yard field-goal attempt was wide left. New York fell to 7-7 and will be outside of the playoffs if the season started today.

Here are our three biggest takeaways from the Jets' 20-17 loss to the Lions in Week 15.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh deserves a lot of credit for helping to turn the Jets around in 2022. New York has already surpassed its win total of the last two seasons combined, and it's still fighting for the playoffs in mid-December.

However, the Jets have also lost three straight, and Saleh is partially responsible for the latest defeat.

New York had all three of its timeouts on the final drive, needing only a field goal to force overtime. Yet Saleh didn't call one until quarterback Zach Wilson was sacked with 19 seconds remaining. He still only called two timeouts during a drive that had less than two minutes.

"In hindsight for me, I could've called a timeout to settle the guys down," Saleh told reporters after the game.

While there's no guarantee the Jets would have won with a little extra time on the clock, consider this: Zuerlein's field-goal attempt came on 1st-and-10 from the Lions' 40-yard line. If the Jets had been able to execute an extra play or two, they conceivably could have gotten much closer.

It's not as if Saleh can use that third timeout on Monday or carry it into Week 16. He blundered, plain and simple, and it contributed to New York's disappointing loss.

In all, it's been a pretty successful season for the Jets. Sunday's timeout gaffe aside, Saleh looks to be the right coach for New York, the Jets' third-ranked defense is legit, and the team has rising young stars in first-round rookies Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner.

Wilson and Gardner are contenders for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.

However, blowing Sunday's game has likely driven a proverbial dagger into New York's playoff hopes. New York had a chance to make up ground with both the Patriots and Miami Dolphins losing over the weekend, but they remain behind both in the standings.

At 7-7, the Jets would be the AFC's ninth seed if the season ended today, and they have a rough schedule over the final three weeks.

Next week, the Jets will see the 6-8 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are also clawing toward a postseason berth. They then visit a scrappy Seattle Seahawks team before heading to Miami for the season finale.

Do the Jets have a shot? Mathematically, yes, but they need help, and there is simply no margin for error. Unfortunately, after Sunday's loss, this doesn't feel like a team that can turn 7-7 into 10-7 and a wild-card berth.

Here's one reason why the playoffs feel unlikely for New York. Quarterback Mike White is dealing with fractured ribs and is considered week-to-week, according to ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio.

The Jets had turned the keys over to White before the injury, which forced them to go back to 2021 second overall pick, Wilson.

And Wilson continues to show that he just isn't good enough. Yes, his stat line on Sunday—317 yards, two touchdowns, one interception—looks respectable, but the BYU product really didn't play that well against a bad Lions defense.

Wilson never looked quite comfortable in the pocket, he took four sacks, he floated a few balls that were miraculously caught and he barely completed more than 50 percent of his passes (18-of-35). His third-quarter interception was brutal and led directly to a Lions field goal.

The Jets offense is boom-or-bust with Wilson under center. It can get the occasional big play, but it lacks rhythm and consistency. It's hard to believe that the Jets wouldn't have won this game with White playing instead of Wilson.

This leads New York to a problem that extends beyond 2022. Wilson has stated that he still views himself as the Jets' future, but New York cannot possibly be sold. The Jets may have to consider other options, including White, in the offseason.

Wilson has three games left to change this perception. Beating Trevor Lawrence and the white-hot Jaguars on Thursday night would be an ideal start.