A Day of Missteps: Jets' Painful Loss to Broncos Marred by Penalties
The New York Jets suffered a heart-wrenching loss at home, narrowly falling to the Denver Broncos with a final score of 10-9. The game, which was filled with missed opportunities and costly errors, highlighted some glaring issues that the Jets will need to address moving forward.
One of the most significant takeaways from the Week 4 matchup was the Jets’ staggering 13 penalties, the highest in the NFL that week. This undisciplined performance contributed heavily to their defeat and was a stark contrast to their earlier games, where penalties had been relatively under control.
The offensive unit was particularly troublesome, accounting for eight of the 13 infractions. The Jets' offense found themselves as the second-most penalized team of the week, with only the Houston Texans committing more penalties. Among these infractions were five false starts, a number that signals a lack of focus and discipline at the line of scrimmage.
Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were both flagged for two false starts each, while left tackle Tyron Smith added one more to the tally. This sudden surge in penalties was perplexing, given that the Jets had only one false start in the first three weeks of the season. In fact, prior to this game, the offensive line had only accrued eight penalties in total, which was tied for the 10th-fewest in the league.
Jets' head coach Robert Saleh acknowledged the setback, stating, "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."
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed a similar sentiment, emphasizing the importance of 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."
The frustrations were compounded when kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a crucial 50-yard, go-ahead field goal with just 51 seconds remaining in the game. This missed opportunity capped off a day riddled with missed chances and unforced errors.
Adding another layer to the narrative, former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly weighed in on Rodgers' hard count technique. "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.’"
Former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams also pointed out the importance of attention to detail under Rodgers. "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."
The Jets now find themselves with a 2-2 record as they look to regroup and address the issues that have plagued them. Improving their discipline on the field will be critical if they hope to transform their potential into consistent success. The road ahead is challenging, but if the Jets can learn from their mistakes and tighten up their game, they can still make this a season to remember.