The Jets lost their third straight game on Monday, losing 23-20 to the division rival Bills. The Jets are currently 2-4 and looking for answers.
Here are my impressions and thoughts on the game:
1. There were many reasons for the Jets to trade Aaron Rodgers in 2023, but a big one was that he would be able to beat the Jets in a close game. He was trying to deliver the ball when his team had the ball with two minutes left. The Jets will have reason to believe, unlike when Zach Wilson was their quarterback.
good …
This marks the third consecutive week that the Jets had a chance to win in the fourth quarter and Rodgers was unable to do so. It's probably unfair to put everything on him.
Obviously, if Greg Zuerlein makes all his field goals, the Jets will win against the Broncos and this game. If they don't get called for some kind of penalty, who knows what will happen.
But this is part of the deal when you're a quarterback, especially when you have Rodgers' resume. Everyone expects you to win these games.
In Robert Saleh's first year as Jets coach, the team frequently fell apart. He said the team needs to get to a point in the fourth quarter where they can win close games. They are that team now. They are in a close race. We just haven't won. They have lost their last three games by a combined 10 points.
Rodgers still doesn't seem to be on the same page as some of his receivers. He said Mike Williams ran the wrong route on the Jets' final offensive play, resulting in an interception. For the second straight week, the Jets' hopes ended when a pass thrown by Williams was intercepted by Rodgers. I don't know how we're going to have that kind of chemistry over the course of a season. It was developed in the spring and summer, but Williams missed all of it. Newly acquired Davante Adams could help in this regard, as he already has obvious chemistry with Rodgers. A last-minute target for Williams could shift to Adams.
The Jets are close. That's good news for them. The bad news is they lost three winnable games.
2. The biggest improvement under new play-caller Todd Downing was the amount of explosive plays the Jets made. On Monday night, they had nine plays that went over 20 yards. That was something that was sorely lacking under Nathaniel Hackett. This should help loosen up the defense against the Jets. It was clear that the Broncos and Vikings weren't afraid of the Jets winning with big plays. That changes starting Monday night.
Overall, there was a big improvement on the offensive end. A hole opened up on that line and Breece Hall seemed to be himself again. Garrett Wilson looked in good spirits. I think a change in play caller will have a bigger impact than a change in head coach.
3. It was the second Monday night game this season that news came before the game that the team's top running back would be out.
Monday was James Cook. In Week 1, it was Christian McCaffrey. This is also the second time an unknown backup has run amok with the Jets, which should be a concern for Ulbrich.
On Monday, rookie Ray Davis gained 139 yards from scrimmage against the Jets. In Week 1, the 49ers' Jordan Mason had 147 rushing yards.
You can't blame the Jets defense for this loss, but this unit has to start playing better against the run. How can two guys that most fans have never heard of run rampant on this Jets defense? I think this team will really miss John Franklin Myers. It was a terrible trade by Joe Douglas.
Head coach Ulbrich needs to tell his defensive coordinator to resolve this issue quickly.
4. I know this isn't a new idea, but the Jets missed the mark by not drafting Josh Allen in 2018. He is amazing to watch. That throw from the end zone to Davis was outrageous.
Now, some would argue that Allen would not have been Allen if the Jets had drafted him and failed him the same way they failed Sam Darnold. Maybe they're right, but maybe he has the skills to overcome the Jets' organizational dysfunction that has sunk other young quarterbacks. We'll never know because Mike McCagnan drafted Darnold, who was praised at the time. Six years later, Allen would dominate the division, and it looks like one of the biggest failures in Jets history.
Statistics revealed: Aaron Rodgers has now failed to throw for 300 yards in 29 consecutive games. He came close to that on Monday, throwing for 294 yards. It's a crazy streak dating back to December of 2021.
Amazing snap count: CJ Mosley played just nine snaps (13%). Maybe Mosley isn't 100 percent yet to play more, or maybe the Jets think they're better defensively with Jamian Sherwood at Mike. It will continue to attract attention in the future.
Game ball: Breece Hall looked like himself again. He rushed for 113 yards and had 56 yards receiving. Sure, he should have scored on a long run, but no Jett had a perfect game.
