Three on O: Mitchell, Metchie, Ruckert

After each game, we'll be highlighting three defensive and three offensive players and looking in detail at their performance. We'll wrap up today with the offense:

Mitches ain't s&%$

Adonai Mitchell's Jets debut saw him heavily featured in just the way Jets fans were hoping to see. However, he ended up catching just one pass on six targets with three drops.

Had he caught those three, a lot of narratives coming out of this game would have been different. Mitchell would have led the Jets in receiving and fans would have been excited about the addition. Also, Justin Fields would have had close to 200 passing yards, not to mention the opportunity to add more yards and points via these drives being extended, so perhaps he wouldn't have been benched. The Jets might even have won the game!

Are drops even a big issue for Mitchell? You might assume they are because he has a reputation for being inconsistent. However, since 2021, he had just five drops in 183 targets before joining the Jets. That includes his final year at Georgia, his one year at Texas and his preseason and regular season targets with the Colts.

It all started off so encouragingly too. Mitchell shook free on third down for this conversion to set up the opening touchdown.

The rest of his targets failed but even on these, some of the route running ability on show as he was getting separation was impressive from a player of whom Reggie Wayne has said he is the most talented receiver he has ever seen and that he has hall of fame potential if he can put it together.

When Braylon Edwards arrived here having led the league in drops with the Browns, he soon dispelled that concern by being sure-handed from the start (other than a memorable deep ball that he lost in the lights on national television and it hit him in the facemask). Mitchell's situation is a little like that, although drops have actually not been an issue until now, so proving he has reliable hands just means overturning a short-term issue on this occasion.

If the poor hands he showed in this game can be considered an anomaly, perhaps because he was hyped up to impress on his first game with the new team, the Jets could seriously have something on their hands here.

Knowing this fanbase and local media, though, it could take him a while to shake the stonehands narrative.

Metchie by golly wow

He might not have the same kind of upside as Mitchell, but John Metchie III has had some production in the past and, as such, that puts him in line for an opportunity with the Jets.

He was only targeted three times but did as much as you could hope for with these looks. In fact, he had a first down on all three.

Over the past two games, the Jets only have six first downs via the pass in total, making this even more impressive.

Metchie, who led the Jets with 45 receiving yards scored on a 22-yard touchdown which saw Fields extend the play as a defender slipped so he was wide open.

He also got downfield against zone coverage for this 18-yard gain in the fourth quarter.

Metchie's other target was on 3rd-and-3 as he caught a receiver screen in the flat and dived past the marker to convert.

In limited action, Metchie executed well. This is going to make the coaching staff feel like he's someone they can rely on so they could keep calling his number over the rest of the year.

Jeremy Rugged

Jeremy Ruckert's role has increased this year, but not that much. His snap count has only gone up from 37 percent to 41. His production is up, though, as he has 14 catches for 119 yards and his first touchdown. He needs just five more catches and 33 more yards to set career marks.

On Thursday night, Ruckert caught four passes, albeit only for 23 yards. He did have a first down, though, as he chipped and then sat down in the middle of the field.

He's been more efficient as a pass catcher this season, having entered the year with a 70 percent catch rate. He had caught 14 passes on 15 targets on the year when they went to him on 4th down late in the game. Unfortunately, though he had it in his hands at the marker, he allowed the defensive back to knock it out, ending the Jets' hopes of a comeback.

In addition to his pass catching, Ruckert's blocking has been more consistent than last season, including on special teams where he really struggled last year.

For a third round pick, Ruckert has definitely been a disappointment and the fact he was Fields' teammate hasn't really manifested itself in a display of chemistry between the pair. He's a reliable enough reserve at this stage of his career, but he's little more than that and this will no doubt be reflected in his next contract.

Previously: Three on D: Stiggers, Johnson, Baron