Jets receiver AD Mitchell torn apart by fans for nightmare debut in New England Patriots loss

After being acquired by the Jets as part of the return for cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver AD Mitchell made his New York debut on Thursday Night Football.

It was one to forget.

Mitchell, the former second-round pick out of Texas, had a horrific night - catching only one pass on six targets.

What's worse is that three of those targets were drops. 

The first time, he had five yards of separation and put two hands on the ball before failing to control it as he hit the ground. On the second drop, he ran a slant route near the red zone and saw the ball go directly through his outstretched arms. With the third instance, Mitchell burned Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez only to have the ball slip through his hands.

Fans were quick and merciless with their criticism of the former Indianapolis Colts star.

'I don't think any Colts fan delights in AD Mitchell's early struggles with the Jets. However, absolutely no Colts fan is remotely surprised by Mitchell's early struggles with the Jets,' wrote one Indy fan on X.

'I'm so glad AD Mitchell is dropping passes somewhere else,' said another Colts fan.

Another fan wrote of the third drop, 'AD Mitchell smoking one of the best corners in the NFL and then watching the ball go through his hands is so perfect.'

A different comment about the first drop said, '[Jets QB] Justin fields could've made a better throw but AD Mitchell has to catch this I'm sorry.'

Mitchell himself was critical of his performance: 'If I could really pinpoint anything, I would point the finger at myself and say I need to perform better. I just need to do better.'

The Jets fell to 2-8 on the season while the Patriots improved to 9-2 on the campaign.

Mitchell's next chance at redemption comes next Sunday when the Jets travel to play the Baltimore Ravens.