The New York Jets experienced a disheartening home defeat, falling to the Denver Broncos with a final score of 10-9. The loss was compounded by a slew of penalties, which have emerged as a troubling trend for the Jets.
A Cascade of Penalties
In their Week 4 matchup, the Jets were flagged for an NFL-high 13 penalties, eight of which were committed by the offense. This stands as a significant deviation from their more disciplined performances in the season's first three weeks. Impressively, the Jets had only accumulated eight offensive penalties in Weeks 1 to 3, aligning them with the 10th-fewest in the league.
A major portion of these setbacks can be attributed to false starts, with five such infractions undermining their offensive momentum. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall each contributed two false start penalties, while left tackle Tyron Smith added another.
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."
To Blame or to Adapt?
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed optimism that the penalties might be an anomaly rather than a systemic issue. "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' comments on cadence were echoed by former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly, who highlighted its historical importance. "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 insight underlines the potential benefits of maintaining a focus on rhythmic cadence.
Davante Adams, former Green Bay Packers receiver, emphasized the importance of precision and accountability in snapping 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."
Special Teams Misstep
The Jets missed an opportunity for a go-ahead score in the closing moments of the game, with kicker Greg Zuerlein failing to convert a 50-yard field goal with only 51 seconds left. This moment underscored the often-unforgiving nature of the NFL, where each second and each play can sway the outcome dramatically.
Season Snapshot
Following this defeat, the Jets' record stands at 2-2 for the 2024 season. It's a pivotal moment for the team, as they balance ahead between refining their snapping cadence and tightening up their game-day discipline. The squad's ability to adapt and overcome these challenges will undoubtedly shape their trajectory as the season progresses. For now, addressing these inconsistencies is paramount as they aim to reverse this trend and not become their own worst enemies on the field.