The New York Jets experienced a heart-wrenching defeat on home turf, narrowly losing to the Denver Broncos by a 10-9 margin. The outcome was marred by a series of mistakes, particularly penalties that hindered their performance and ultimately contributed to their downfall.
Penalty Woes and Offensive Struggles
The Jets' game against the Broncos was marked by an NFL-high 13 penalties, a significant factor in their Week 4 loss. The offense bore the brunt of these infractions, committing eight of the 13 penalties. Reflecting on the game, head coach Robert Saleh emphasized the need for his team to reassess their cadence and pre-snap operations. "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," said Saleh.
A deep dive into the nature of these penalties reveals that five were due to false starts, a glaring issue that had not been prevalent in the initial weeks of the season. Specifically, left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall each accounted for two false starts, with left tackle Tyron Smith contributing one. This sudden surge in infractions was unexpected, as the Jets had only one false start violation in the first three weeks and just eight offensive penalties from Weeks 1 to 3, tying for the 10th-fewest in the league.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers acknowledged the unusual nature of this game while defending the team’s typical discipline with snap counts. "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' assessment highlights the unexpected and anomalous nature of these infractions.
Leadership and Accountability
The leadership aspect was further reinforced by comments from former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly, who praised Rodgers for his attention to detail, especially regarding 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.'"
Former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams echoed this sentiment, underscoring the need for meticulous attention to snap counts. "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’ focus on accountability and detail-oriented play is a critical component of managing pre-snap operations.
Missed Opportunity
Adding to the dismay, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a potential game-winning 50-yard field goal with just 51 seconds left on the clock, crushing the Jets' hopes for a last-minute comeback. This missed opportunity encapsulated the team's struggles throughout the game, as they fell short despite a hard-fought battle.
With the loss, the Jets now hold a 2-2 record for the 2024 season. Addressing the penalties and refining their pre-snap discipline will be pivotal as they aim to bounce back in the coming weeks. The team’s earlier performance with relatively few penalties suggests that this setback might be an outlier, but it undeniably calls for introspection and adjustment to prevent future recurrences.