Jets Suffer Narrow Defeat Amid Penalty Surge
The New York Jets faced a heart-wrenching 10-9 loss at home against the Denver Broncos. This defeat leaves the Jets with a 2-2 record for the 2024 season. The game was marred by an astonishing 13 penalties, the highest in Week 4 across the NFL, with eight of those penalties plaguing their offense.
Among the offensive penalties, false starts stood out, with five being called. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were each flagged for two false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith contributed one. For a team that had managed just one false start over the first three weeks of the season, Sunday’s performance marked a significant setback.
Head coach Robert Saleh did not hold back his frustration. "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," he remarked, reflecting the shock and dismay that was evident among fans and players alike.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed Saleh’s sentiments but offered a different perspective on the unexpected cascade of penalties. "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 explained.
Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly also weighed in on the situation, praising Rodgers' hard count as a significant asset. "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 remarked, emphasizing how integral Rodgers' cadence has been to the offense's success in the past.
The penalties obscured what could have been a game-deciding moment for the Jets. With just 51 seconds left on the clock, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a crucial 50-yard, go-ahead field goal. This miss capped off a frustrating day where self-inflicted wounds hamstrung the Jets’ efforts.
Former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams, who has played alongside Rodgers, underscored the importance of 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 stated, advocating for accountability in addressing the penalties.
Looking back, the Jets had only eight offensive penalties from Weeks 1 to 3, tying for the 10th-fewest in the league. This sudden spike in infractions is puzzling and clearly not indicative of the team's usual discipline. The Houston Texans were the only team to commit more penalties in Week 4, with nine offenses called against them.
The Jets now face the challenge of regrouping and focusing on refining their operation to avoid a repeat of this error-laden performance. The false start epidemic in Week 4 has illuminated areas that need urgent attention, especially as the season progresses and the margins for mistakes narrow ever further.