Dissecting the Jets' Costly Penalty Frenzy Against the Broncos
The New York Jets suffered a bitter 10-9 defeat at home to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, a loss highlighted by an astounding 13 penalties, the highest in the NFL for the week. This stumble has left the Jets with a middling 2-2 record as they navigate the 2024 season.
Alarmingly, eight of those infractions came from the offensive unit, which ranks as the second most penalized of Week 4, just behind the Houston Texans. The offense's troubles were punctuated by five false start penalties, a glaring jump from only a single false start violation in the first three weeks combined.
A closer look reveals that left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall were each flagged twice for false starts, while left tackle Tyron Smith contributed with one more. The contrast is stark when considering the Jets had only eight offensive penalties across the first three weeks, tying them for the tenth-fewest in the league.
Head coach Robert Saleh was visibly concerned, admitting, “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." Saleh's comments underscore that these penalty woes are uncharacteristic of their earlier season form.
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers echoed Saleh's sentiments, emphasizing accountability. “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,” said Rodgers.
Former NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly elaborated on Rodgers' renowned precision with his hard count, explaining how the tactic has historically led to significant plays. "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,'" noted Kuechly. His insights underscore the strategic advantage typically offered by Rodgers' cadence.
Davante Adams, former Green Bay Packers receiver, further highlighted Rodgers' insistence on precision and 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 shared.
The penalties, unfortunately, overshadowed some crucial moments in the game. The game's critical juncture came with kicker Greg Zuerlein missing a 50-yard field goal, which would have given the Jets a late lead, with just 51 seconds left on the clock. Zuerlein's miss added to an already frustrating day for a Jets team trying to find consistency.
While one game may be termed an outlier, the Jets must now confront these issues head-on, with a clear focus on reducing penalties to avoid derailing their season. The talented roster is there, but the discipline must match the ambition.