The Jets won their first road game of the season, a 31-21 victory over the Broncos on Sunday. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game:
1. The Jets were reeling after the season-ending injury to Aaron Rodgers four snaps into the season. I have never seen a team built around one person like the Jets built everything around Rodgers this offseason. It was well documented on “Hard Knocks” and it was evident every day that the Jets’ world revolved around Rodgers.
So when the Jets lost him on the first series of the season, it was a punch to the gut. The Jets understandably needed some time to get back on their feet. But now they are back up and fighting.
Over the last two weeks, the Jets have stabilized the season and you can now see a path for this team to have success. Who knows what that will look like at the end of the season, but we are no longer discussing whether the Jets should trade for a quarterback, whether they should fire their leadership or all of the other doomsday scenarios that were being tossed around after the loss to the Patriots.
The Jets appear to have gotten past the gut punch of losing Aaron Rodgers.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Zach Wilson celebrates the Jets’ win over the Broncos on Oct. 8, 2023.Getty Images
The formula for the Jets to succeed is clear: play good defense, run Breece Hall and give Zach Wilson some easy throws and hope he does not turn it over. That will be good enough against most of the teams on the Jets’ schedule.
The season felt ready to go off the rails after the 15-10 loss to New England but last week’s loss to the Chiefs and this week’s win over the Broncos offer encouraging signs. There are still plenty of things the Jets need to figure out. No one is saying they are suddenly a top-tier team. But the Jets have made it clear in the last two weeks that they are also not a bottom-tier team (looking at you, Giants).
There are always two to three really good teams in the NFL and two to three really bad teams and then everyone else is in the middle. The Jets are in the middle and that’s a positive development after the way the season started.
2. I’m not sure we appreciated just how big of a loss it was last season when the Jets lost Hall in Week 7. Hall is a game-changer. He reminds me of Le’Veon Bell (Steelers version, not Jets). He does not look crazy fast, but he is. When Hall hits a hole, he explodes. The 72-yard run was the highlight Sunday but he had so many other good runs. Hall makes defensive linemen and linebackers look like they are standing still when he comes through the line of scrimmage.
Jets running back Breece Hall runs against the Broncos on Sunday.Getty Images
The Jets need to ride Hall like they did Sunday. Some teams are going to take him away and that is when the Jets are going to need more from Wilson. But the game plan each week should center around Hall and ways to get him the football.
You can make an argument that Hall is the most valuable player on the Jets. The Jets have to hope he stays healthy this season and they can ride him to more victories. He is irreplaceable.
3. The Jets got a win Sunday, but there are plenty of issues that need fixing. The biggest is their red-zone offense. The Jets had five trips to the red zone and came away with four field goals after their botched time management at the end of the first half. The Jets are currently 31st in the NFL in red-zone efficiency. Only the Steelers are worse.
The Jets have weapons to use in the red zone. Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Tyler Conklin and C.J. Uzomah are all players who should get targets in that situation. The Jets were 31st last year in the red zone and Mike LaFleur was fired at the end of the season.
New offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett likes to call it the “gold zone.” So far, there has not been a gold rush.
Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (r.) celebrates the team’s win over the Broncos on Sunday with tackle Mekhi Becton (77).Getty Images
4. Speaking of Hackett, he deserves an apology from the city of Denver. I did not watch the Broncos much last season and I know he had issues as a head coach, but the Broncos stink. There is no way the issues the Broncos had last year under Hackett were all on him. The great Sean Payton did not look so great on Sunday with that group of players.
The Broncos are going to need a massive rebuild and they are saddled with Russell Wilson. It seems like personnel decisions are the bigger issue in Denver than coaching.
For all of the attention on Hackett getting revenge for Payton’s comments this summer, I think his bigger revenge was showing Denver that the Broncos are not a good football team.
I watched the local news in Denver on Sunday night and they were discussing whether this year’s Broncos team is better off than last year through five games.
That is a nice win for Hackett.
