The New York Jets found themselves grappling with disappointment after a heart-wrenching 10-9 loss at home to the Denver Broncos. This Week 4 defeat dropped them to a 2-2 record for the 2024 season, in what has been a roller-coaster start to the year.
The Jets were their own worst enemy, committing an NFL-high 13 penalties, eight of which were on the offensive side of the ball. This put them as the second-most penalized offense in Week 4, trailing only the Houston Texans. A notable chunk of these infractions were false starts, with the team logging five in total. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were each flagged for two false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith was called for one.
Head coach Robert Saleh voiced concerns about the team’s sudden lapse. "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, clearly perturbed by the uncharacteristic penalties.
For context, the Jets had been relatively disciplined in the initial weeks of the season. They had only one false start violation in the first three weeks and a total of eight offensive penalties, placing them among the least penalized teams in the league. This stark contrast underlines the baffling nature of their Week 4 performance.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t mince words when discussing the team's mishaps. "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 elaborated, emphasizing the infrequency of such errors in their practice sessions.
Penalties aside, the Jets had a fleeting chance to clinch the game right at the end. Kicker Greg Zuerlein had a 50-yard, go-ahead field goal attempt with 51 seconds remaining but missed, adding to the exasperation of the night.
The impact of Aaron Rodgers' hard count, typically a potent part of his arsenal, appeared to malfunction in this contest. Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly highlighted Rodgers' skill in leveraging the hard count to force defensive errors. "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 explained, shedding light on how such nuances can make or break game situations.
Adding further insight, former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams commented on Rodgers' meticulous attention 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 remarked, underlining the importance of discipline and accountability in such high-stakes moments.
The Jets face an uphill battle as they look to rectify these issues and get back on track. With the season still young, there's time to iron out these wrinkles. However, both team coherence and focus seem paramount as they move forward, aiming to rebuild the efficiency and discipline that were hallmarks of their earlier performances.