The New York Jets suffered a disheartening 10-9 loss against the Denver Broncos at home, marking a challenging moment in their 2024 season. Penalties plagued the Jets, who now find themselves with a 2-2 record. This game will be remembered for the team's staggering 13 penalties, the highest in the NFL during Week 4, and a key contributor to their narrow defeat.
Penalty Problems
Evidently, the Jets' offense bore the brunt of the issues, committing eight of the 13 penalties. Notably, five of these resulted from false starts. "We got to figure it out," said head coach Robert Saleh. "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."
This performance starkly contrasted with the Jets' previous games this season. From Weeks 1 to 3, they only had one false start violation and eight offensive penalties in total, tying them for the 10th-fewest in the league. However, Week 4 saw a dramatic shift in discipline and execution.
Offensive Struggles
The offensive line's mishaps played a pivotal role in the game. Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall each were flagged for two false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith had one. This inconsistency significantly disrupted the Jets’ rhythm, a fact quarterback Aaron Rodgers pointed out. He expressed his surprise and frustration over the unprecedented number of false starts, emphasizing the significance of the hard count in their strategy.
"That's one way to do it. The other way is to hold them accountable," Rodgers explained. "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."
Missed Opportunities
Despite the offensive woes, the game saw a pivotal moment in its final minute. Kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 50-yard, go-ahead field goal with just 51 seconds remaining. This miss capped off a frustrating afternoon for the Jets, who were kept from seizing a victory despite having chances.
Voices from the Field
Adding to the conversation, former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly highlighted the effectiveness of Rodgers' 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.'" This compliment underscores the usually reliable nature of Rodgers' cadence, making the Jets' multiple false starts even more perplexing.
Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams echoed this sentiment, emphasizing 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.'
Adams stressed accountability as fundamental to addressing these issues. "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."
The Jets will need to address these self-inflicted wounds if they hope to improve their standing this season. Their next matchup will be crucial in determining whether this week’s performance was an anomaly or a sign of deeper issues within the team. For now, Jets fans are left pondering what could have been in a game that slipped through their fingers due to avoidable mistakes.