FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — On the day when the Jets placed receiver Garrett Wilson, their most explosive offensive player, on injured reserve, newly acquired receiver Adonai Mitchell made his debut.
And it was a dubious one.
Mitchell, whom the Jets got from the Colts in their deal to trade cornerback Sauce Gardner, caught one pass for 6 yards in his first game as a Jet.
That catch came on six targets as Mitchell blatantly dropped two balls.
One of them was pivotal on a third-and-4 with the Jets trailing 14-7. Justin Fields launched a perfect long pass, and the ball went right through Mitchell’s hands near the New England 10-yard line.
“If I could get it back, I’d more go up and attack the ball instead of letting it come down,” Mitchell said. “I misjudged the ball, and at the end of the day, I’ve got to be better on that.
“It was a great pass, so it should have been an explosive [play] for the Jets. I point the finger at myself and say I need to perform better.”
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Mitchell “is gonna be a good player for us.”
“He missed some balls today. I think we all saw that,” Glenn said. “I think he will tell you himself that he’s got to make some of those plays that he was thrown to.”
As for Wilson, his IR designation means he’ll miss at least the next four games with a knee injury. It is a major blow to the Jets, who entered the game against the now 9-2 Patriots ranked last in the league in passing offense.
Wilson injured the knee in the Jets’ loss to the Broncos in London and sat out two games before returning this past Sunday and reinjuring it.
He’ll be eligible to return in Week 15 against the Jaguars, but it’s hardly inconceivable that he won’t play another game this season.
Wilson, who in the offseason was signed to a four-year, $130 million contract extension with $90 million guaranteed, leads the team in receptions (36), receiving yards (395) and receiving TDs (4) despite missing two-plus games.
WR John Metchie III, a recent acquisition, caught his first TD as a Jet, a 22-yarder in the third quarter to cut the New England lead to 21-14.
After losing his starting job last week, Jets LB Quincy Williams started and played well, leading the team with eight tackles. He had a sack that was nullified by a Jarvis Brownlee Jr. defensive holding call.
“I stayed focused on being ready when my number’s called, and earlier this week, I got my number called when [the coaches] told me that I earned my spot back from the last game,” Williams told The Post. “So I was ready today.”
One thing the Jets remarkably haven’t done this year is create turnovers. They tied the NFL record by going their first 10 games without a single interception. They have forced only one turnover this season.
“That’s what we’ve got to focus on, man,” Williams said. “We have to have a mindset that takeaways is gonna be the way we win.”
Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson had the only sack of the game for the Jets, who had six of them against the Browns. He refused to speak to reporters after the game.
