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The New York Jets lost 10-9 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday to move to 2-2 on the season. They set up Greg Zeurlein for a game-winning 50-yard field goal that he missed in the final minute. Despite the loss and the .500 record, Jets fans should not panic just because of this loss to the Broncos.
There are smaller reasons to be concerned about the Jets. Their kicker, for example, has not hit a field goal beyond 40 yards this season. Breece Hall only rushed for four yards in the game and Aaron Rodgers said he is “dealing with something” in his legs. Overall, this season is far from over for three reasons; Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback, the defense is legit, and they have a budding star running back.
The Jets' defense is still very good
This game was a disaster for both offenses. At the end of the first half, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had negative seven passing yards at the half and only managed one touchdown. While they did lose, the defense dominated for the entire game. Quincy Williams forced a first-half fumble that could have changed the tide. The offense failed to convert, ending in the first field goal of the game.
If the Jets hold teams to ten points, they will win plenty of games this season. Jeff Ulbrich has schemed up two straight incredible schemes to beat the Patriots and give them a chance to beat the Broncos. They have their biggest challenge since Week 1 coming up with the Minnesota Vikings. Sauce Gardner will be challenged against Justin Jefferson and the rushers must get to Sam Darnold.
No one expected the Jets to get MVP-level Aaron Rodgers. At 40 years old and coming off a massive injury, it was always going to be a less mobile version of him. The incredible defense paired with the Hall-of-Famer at quarterback gives the team a chance to finally break their playoff drought.
Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback
A four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer is the quarterback of the New York Jets. While Rodgers is not the player he once was, he can still make throws no quarterback in Jets history can make. The man known for saying “R-E-L-A-X” took some of the blame after the loss, saying “The weather sucked but so did some of my throws.” Don't expect these performances to be the norm for Rodgers moving forward.
In their two wins, the Jets saw exactly why they traded for Rodgers before the 2023 season. He led the offense on dominant drives against both the Titans and Patriots. The Vikings' Brian Flores-led defense will provide another tough test but expect Rodgers to succeed against his former rival.
Braelon Allen is blossoming into a star running back
The Jets took Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen in the fourth round, making him the youngest player in the NFL. They have deployed him as a third-down and receiving back in the offense. He scored two touchdowns in their Week 2 win over the Titans but have used him sparingly since. Hall's brutal performance puts the spotlight directly on the rookie.
When Williams forced the fumble, the Jets got the ball all the way down to the one-yard line on a pass interference penalty. Hall got two opportunities to punch it in and failed. A failed play-action bootleg led to the first field goal. Boos rained down as the Jets fans knew they should have used the larger Allen in the goal-line situation.
With a high-flying Vikings offense on the other side, the Jets cannot afford to lose four points in the red zone next week. Allen should get the red zone carries and be used in all short-yardage situations. Fantasy managers should not panic, as Hall is still good for a big play and multiple catches in each game.
