Jets' Loss to Broncos Highlights Penalty Woes
In what turned out to be a nail-biting finish at MetLife Stadium, the New York Jets endured a tough 10-9 loss against the Denver Broncos. This defeat, however, exposed deeper issues within the team, particularly surrounding their discipline on the field. The Jets committed an NFL-high 13 penalties in Week 4, significantly hampering their chances of securing a victory.
The sheer number of penalties was alarming, especially considering eight of them were committed by the offense. The Jets' offense thus ranked as the second-most penalized in the league for the week, finishing just behind the Houston Texans, who logged nine penalties. Head coach Robert Saleh acknowledged the need to reassess the team's discipline and cadence management, pointing out that it had not been an issue throughout training camp.
"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," Saleh remarked in the post-game interview.
The team’s offensive woes were epitomized by the five false starts that occurred during the game. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were each flagged for two false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith added one more to the tally. Such errors were particularly surprising considering the Jets had only one false start violation in the first three weeks of the season.
"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," noted quarterback Aaron Rodgers, emphasizing the uncharacteristic nature of the penalties.
The issues with false starts were particularly disappointing given that the Jets had only eight offensive penalties from Weeks 1 to 3, tying them for the 10th-fewest in the league. This sudden spike in penalties has raised questions about the attention to detail within the team’s preparation and in-game focus. Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly weighed in on the situation, shedding light on Rodgers’ approach.
"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 commented, praising the strategic advantage Rodgers' hard count usually provides.
However, this strategic advantage can also backfire if the offensive line fails to synchronize with Rodgers' cadence. Former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams highlighted the importance of precision and accountability in these situations.
"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 explained.
The Jets' lack of discipline in Week 4 eventually culminated in a missed opportunity to win the game. With 51 seconds left, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 50-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Jets the lead. This miss only compounded the frustrations of a day marred by penalties and mistakes.
As the Jets now stand at a 2-2 record for the 2024 season, it is imperative for the team to address these issues swiftly. The challenge ahead is not only to rectify the penalty problems but also to ensure that such lapses do not reoccur. The road to improvement lies in meticulous attention to detail, both in practice and in games, an approach that Rodgers has consistently advocated for throughout his illustrious career.
In a season where every game counts, the Jets will need to find a way to translate their practice performance onto the field consistently, minimizing self-inflicted errors to maximize their potential. The coming weeks will be pivotal in determining whether they can rise above this setback and reestablish their discipline.