Jets' Stumble at Home: A Wake-Up Call for Offense
The New York Jets experienced a challenging setback at home, falling to the Denver Broncos in a narrow 10-9 defeat. This loss dropped the Jets to an even 2-2 record for the 2024 season and highlighted significant issues within the Jets' offense.
One critical factor in their downfall was the alarming number of penalties committed by the Jets. The team racked up an NFL-high 13 penalties during their Week 4 matchup, with a staggering eight of those penalties coming from the offense. Among these, five were false starts—an unusually high number, considering the Jets had only accumulated one false start in the first three weeks of the season.
Head coach Robert Saleh addressed the penalty issue, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the mistakes. "We got to figure it out. Whether or not we're good enough to handle or ready enough to handle all the cadence. Cadence had not been an issue all camp. Felt like our operation had been operating pretty good. Obviously, today took a major step back," Saleh stated.
The offensive line was notably responsible for many of these infractions. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were each flagged for two false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith was penalized once for the same offense. This sudden surge in penalties is even more striking given that the Jets had the 10th-fewest offensive penalties in the league from Weeks 1 to 3.
Despite the setback, quarterback Aaron Rodgers remained optimistic, albeit visibly concerned. "That's one way to do it. The other way is to hold them accountable. We haven't had an issue. We've only had one false start. [Right tackle] Morgan had one false start I believe until this. You know it's been a weapon. We use it every day in practice. We rarely have a false start. To have five today it seemed like, four or five. Yeah, it seems like an outlier. I don't know if we need to make mass changes based on kind of an outlier game," Rodgers explained.
Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly weighed in on Rodgers' comments about the importance of the hard count. "He nailed it: 'my hard count is a weapon.' The amount of big plays, go ask Jordy Nelson. 'Hey Jordy, do you think the hard count that Aaron Rodgers has is effective?' He would say, 'Yeah, I got paid a lot of money on go balls that Aaron threw me after a defensive lineman jumped offsides,'" Kuechly remarked, underscoring how crucial precision and discipline are to the Jets' offensive strategy.
Similarly, Davante Adams, a former receiver for the Green Bay Packers, highlighted Rodgers' commitment to detail. "Aaron is all about the attention to detail. So, snap count, that's attention to detail. You got to be locked in on something like that. We always talked about in Green Bay 'that the play is hard enough to win on its own, so let's not lose it pre-snap.' ... At least let's get our pre-snap operation smooth.' Everybody hears the same snap count in the huddle, so there's really no excuse for one of these things. Holding people accountable, I agree (with Rodgers). Sometimes that's what you have to do versus run from it. Have certain consequences if guys can't get right," Adams commented.
To compound their problems, the Jets missed a crucial opportunity to seize victory. Kicker Greg Zuerlein failed to convert a 50-yard, go-ahead field goal with just 51 seconds left in the game, cementing the Broncos' narrow win.
This game serves as a wake-up call for the Jets, particularly the offense, which needs to regain its composure and discipline moving forward. As the season progresses, the team will have to address these issues head-on to avoid similar pitfalls and maintain their competitiveness in a tightly contested league.