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Late in the third quarter, in the Jets loss to Chicago, the game was still in reach, with New York down 20-6.
The Jets had the ball on their own 38 on a 3rd-and-4. Geno Smith threw into double coverage to WR Garrett Wilson on the left sideline, and it was broken up by safety Malik Muhammed.
WR Jeremy Ruckert was open, past the sticks, cutting across the middle.
Yes, you want Wilson very involved. He’s their #1 receiver and a rare talent. However, the most important thing is moving the stick, so if the other team is bracketing Wilson, take advantage of that, and throw to somebody who is lightly covered, like Ruckert on this play.
Whether you are the OC or the QB, don’t obsess about getting Wilson the ball to the point where you are throwing to him when he’s double-covered. That is a flawed approach.
The Jets’ best pass play at Soldier Field was a 58-yard TD strike to Isaiah Williams, who got light coverage.
Bingo. That’s the ticket.
Perhaps the greatest QB of all time, Tom Brady, put it best during his playing career: “Football to me is about throwing the ball to the guy who’s open.” . . .
Against Chicago, the Jets’ two leading tacklers were Minkah Fitzpatrick (16) and Dane Belton (14).
This is a terrible stat for a defense.
While you tip your hat to those guys for their efforts, and both had solid games, and neither was the reason for the Jets’ loss, but the fact that your two starting safeties combined for 30 tackles is an indictment of your front seven in this game. And when your safeties lead the team in tackles, it should come as no surprise that the other team ran for 232 yards. Why? Because there were so many runs making it to the third level.
The Jets’ defensive line was bad against the run in Chicago, but it might be fair to cut linebackers Demario Davis and Jamien Sherwood a little slack in regards to the team’s run defense.
Why?
Because, on several big run plays, they were engulfed by pulling guards because the Bears didn’t feel they needed to double-team somebody up front.
An example of this was early in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard run up the middle by RB Kyle Monangai.
The defensive line got dominated, and a pair of interior linemen pulled to the second level and engulfed Sherwood and Davis.
At 6-4, 366 pounds, many of us thought that Sweat would take up more double teams and be more of a force against the run.
It would be interesting to hear what Aaron Glenn thinks of his run defense.
After the Jets gave up 232 yards rushing in Chicago on Sunday, he has not be asked about this in the post-game, or in his Monday or Wednesday pressers . . .
Look, I understand teams use defensive line rotations to give players upfront a breather, but under no circumstances should a rotation lead to DE/OLB Will McDonald playing on the goal line defense.
That makes no sense. He’s built like a basketball small forward at about 6-4, 240.
In the first quarter, on a 4th-and-1 at the one, Bears RB Kyle Monangai had a 1-yard TD run to the right side at McDonald.
At the goal line, you should probably use what teams like to call a “jumbo package.”
To use a player like McDonald on your D-Line on the goal line is not ideal personnel utilization.
It makes little sense . . .
Aaron Glenn was asked about David Bailey’s minimal impact through four games. The Jets selected Bailey with the second overall pick in the 2026 draft.
“He is going to be a damn good player in the league – we know that,” Glenn said.
They certainly hope that, but they don’t “know.” Nobody knows. Time will tell.
But it’s worth noting that the Jets faced a third-string left tackle in Chicago, and their edges had no sacks or QB hits . . .
A reporter asked Glenn about Dane Belton’s versatility and how the player is “willing and able” to do whatever the team asked him to do.
Belton is getting paid $4 million to play for the Jets this year.
So what’s with the “willing” stuff?
It’s his job.
But to his credit, he’s probably been the Jets’ best defensive player so far this season – tough, smart, instinctive, and he’s made a lot of plays.
October 7, 2026
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