Jets-Broncos: 3 takeaways from discouraging setback

1. This was a discouraging performance.

You can’t lose this game if you consider yourself a legitimate contender. The Broncos have a rookie quarterback who threw for minus-7 yards in the first half and the Jets have Aaron Rodgers. This has got to be a win, especially in your building. Never mind the weather conditions. This was a nasty performance that was too reminiscent of last season. The most troubling thing was the line not protecting Rodgers. He’s 40 and his health means everything for this team’s chances. Rodgers was sacked five times and hit 14 overall. He was moving slowly at different points of the game. Bo Nix, by the way, wasn’t sacked and was only hit twice. Rodgers dropped back 20-plus times more than Nix, but still. The offensive line, playing for the first time without right tackle Morgan Moses, took a huge step back. 

2. A total lack of discipline.

The Jets were called for 15 penalties and had 13 accepted. They had five false starts, two defensive offsides and one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play. Eight pre- and post-snap penalties is a lack of discipline and reflects poorly on the coaches. Regarding the false starts, Robert Saleh suggested that the Jets may not be “good enough” or “ready to handle all the cadence.” That’s Rodgers’ specialty. He draws defenses offsides with it. It would be foolish to ask Rodgers to do it less, and it’s probably not something he’s willing to do. He called it “an outlier game” and said another way of fixing it may be to “hold them accountable.” Left guard John Simpson and running back Breece Hall each had two false starts and left tackle Tyron Smith one.

3. Offense not in sync.

Everyone keeps waiting for Rodgers and Garrett Wilson to be that undefendable duo. It hasn’t happened yet. Wilson had just five catches for 41 yards and he lost a fumble on the first series. Late in the game, he and Rodgers weren’t on the same page on a second-down play. Wilson turned up the field and Rodgers threw it where he thought Wilson would be. Rodgers was visibly frustrated. Wilson said they were “seeing different things right there. Seeing different coverage and him wanting to get it out of his hands early.” On the next play, the same thing happened with Xavier Gipson. Here are two suggestions for the offense: get Mike Williams more involved and use Braelon Allen on the goal line. Williams had four catches for 67 yards on only five targets. Of course, Hall is the Jets’ main back. But the Jets had a first-and-goal at the 1 and Hall was stuffed on first- and second-down. Allen is stronger. Let him run over people there.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.