In a disheartening home defeat, the New York Jets narrowly lost to the Denver Broncos, 10-9, a result that has exposed critical issues within their ranks, particularly on the offensive side. Dropping to an even 2-2 record for the season, the Jets have some introspection to do.
Penalty Problems Plague Jets
The most glaring statistic from the game was the Jets' alarming number of penalties. They committed 13 infractions, the highest in the NFL for Week 4, with eight of these courtesy of the offense. This sharp rise in penalties marks a concerning departure from their earlier discipline, where they had only tallied eight offensive penalties over the first three weeks, tying them for the 10th fewest in the league.
False starts were particularly troublesome, with five being called against the Jets. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall each were flagged twice, while left tackle Tyron Smith contributed one more. The sudden spike in penalties puzzled many, considering the team had committed just one false start in the previous three games combined.
Coaching and Accountability Under Scrutiny
Head coach Robert Saleh was candid about the issue post-game. "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," he remarked, highlighting his concerns about the team's mental readiness and execution.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed Saleh's sentiments but emphasized accountability. "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 observed. His comments underscore the deviation from their usual disciplined practice sessions.
The Role of the Hard Count
Penalties aside, much of the discussion revolved around Rodgers' hard count, a tactic he has mastered over the years. Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly highlighted its effectiveness. "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’s insights illustrate the hard count’s potential impact if executed correctly.
Former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams also supported the necessity for precision. "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 elaborated, shedding light on the importance of rigorous discipline in preventing such mistakes.
Missed Opportunity
Beyond the penalties, the game might have had a different outcome had kicker Greg Zuerlein converted a 50-yard field goal with 51 seconds left on the clock. The missed opportunity for a go-ahead score encapsulates the kind of day it was for the Jets—a day marred by missed chances and costly errors.
As the Jets move forward from this tight loss, it’s clear they must address these glaring issues if they hope to compete at a higher level. The challenge now lies in translating their practice discipline into game-day execution and ensuring that such a high number of penalties becomes an anomaly rather than a trend.