WATCH: Sam Darnold shoulders blame for Jets' offensive struggles vs. Bills
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. --While the New York Jets dropped their season opener by a score of 17-16, the defense did its part, forcing four turnovers. Adam Gase's offense struggled to find its rhythm, and it ultimately came down to a failed fourth-down attempt with 1:10 left to play.
Here are Sam Darnold, Le'Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder's thoughts on the devastating loss:
Sam Darnold on why the offense didn't get going: "I think we just really couldn't get into a rhythm, and I put that on myself. But there are a lot of little details we need to clean up and we'll see it when we watch the tape."
Analysis: It's always a good sign to hear your 22-year-old leader take ownership of the team's lackluster offensive performance. The lethargic Jets offense labored its way down the field on Sunday, often resulting in stalled drives and missed opportunities. Head coach Adam Gase will need to open up the playbook on Monday night in order to keep pace with Cleveland -- and Darnold will need to prioritize pushing the ball down the field.
Sam Darnold on how quickly the team needs to bounce back: "Everyone in here is a grown man and we just need to bounce back from this loss and we will. We'll come back tomorrow, we'll come to work and get ready for Cleveland."
Analysis: With a solid blend of veterans and younger players, the Jets locker room appears well equipped to withstand an early season setback.
Le'Veon Bell on being up 16, losing, and how it affects the start of the season: "When you take a loss like this, it kind of defines you, we want to see how guys respond."
Analysis: One of the team's veteran leaders, Bell will be counted on to help some of his younger teammates use Sunday's loss as a learning experience.
Le'Veon Bell on the frustration of going into halftime with few points, despite the defense giving the offense chances: "Very frustrating. When we go watch film it is probably going to be even more frustrating just because of the fact that I felt it even on the field, we were just leaving points out there."
Analysis: While the offense's struggles have been well documented, Bell was one of the unit's lone bright spots. The veteran running back fought for every yard against Buffalo and reached the end zone for his first time in 603 days. Bell's preparation will be a welcome addition to the Jets locker room.
Jamison Crowder on if there was a chemistry issue: "I wouldn't really say it was a chemistry issue. Like I said, I just feel like each position kind of had times where we didn't really execute the play call and dwelling on myself, I already know I had some mental errors."
Analysis: If anything, Crowder was one of a few offensive players who seemed to be in sync. The veteran acted as a security blanket for his quarterback, racking up 14 catches on a whopping 17 targets. While Crowder left some yards on the field on Sunday, the explosive slot receiver could conceivably catch 100 passes in this offense.
