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The Jets had 13 penalties today, which is unacceptable. You would expect a little more focused effort coming off Thursday Night Football, with extra time to prepare and work on fundamentals.
Robert Saleh disagreed with the premise that this shouldn’t happen with 10 days to prepare for a game.
“It doesn’t matter when they come,” Saleh said . . .
To use Jack Buck’s famous line – “I can’t believe what I just saw.”
At the end of the first quarter, first-and-goal from the one, and second-and-goal from the one, and they didn’t hand the ball to bruising back Braelon Allen, who was picked to improve the Jets short-yardage rushing offense. They got zero yards on both plays and then after an incomplete pass and a penalty, they had to settle for a field goal.
They lost the game by one point, so not getting a TD here came back to bite them.
Saleh was asked about this after the game, and said, “It’s definitely something we can look at.”
He said something similar after the loss in San Francisco.
Situational football is huge in the NFL, and not using Allen on these two plays perhaps isn’t an example of great situational football . . .
The Jets’ pass protection against Denver was substandard.
There is a lot of blame to go around.
Olu Fashanu had a rough first start at right tackle, and before I continue, I want to make to it clear, it was not his fault.
He’s a rookie, who was a two-year starter at left tackle in college, who is being used as a right tackle in his fourth NFL game.
Broncos edge-rusher Jon Cooper gave him fits.
While Fashanu is a hell of a left tackle prospect, is he the best player to fill in for Morgan Moses, at a position that is foreign to him? Especially with a banged-up right elbow.
Would they be better off with a player, who might not have as much natural ability, but is more comfortable at right tackle, like Max Mitchell?
And none of this is a shot at Fashanu. His struggles at right tackle today are not his fault. He’s a tremendous left tackle prospect . . .
I have written this before, so sorry for being a broken record, but all those people that talked all off-season about how great the Jets’ defense was last year, are clearly people who don’t care about run defense.
The Jets’ run defense was bad last year, it was bad in the Jets first two games this year, and it was bad today against Denver.
It was a little better against New England, a team with the worst offensive line situation in football.
Before the game, I asked a long-time Denver reporter what happened to RB Javonte Williams, who was so good as a rookie, and the guy said he’s not playing well, and lost something after a knee injury suffered two years ago.
Today, Williams ran 16 times for 77 yards.
With the Jets leading 9-7 early in the the Broncos went on an eight-play 47-yard drive to set up what turned out to be the game-winning field goal. They did not throw one pass on this drive, gaining all 41 yards on the ground, including Williams’ carries for nine, nine and 16 yards.
The Jets’ run defense is broken.
There are scheme and personnel issues.
When Javon Kinlaw isn’t on the field they are too small and get pushed around up the middle.
And when you are facing a rookie QB, who is learning in the job, so you should be able to load the box, how does the other team still run 31 times for 126 yards?
Because the Jets run defense is broken.
And it was last year.
Too many undersized linemen and too many people shooting upfield, being too aggressive, and running past ballcarriers.
September 29, 2024
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