The Jets got their first victory of 2024, but they did not make it look easy and it certainly came at heavy cost. The Jets defeated the Tennessee Titans by a final of 24-17 but this was a game that felt far more difficult than it should have been.
The Jets managed only 265 of yard of total offense, 101 of the yards coming on the ground in a game reminiscent of the Zach Wilson era Jets. It was a sloppy, ugly, hard-fought victory against frankly, an inferior opponent. The offense did just enough to rely on a defense that was given a few gifts to get the win.
The Aaron Rodgers streak of 23 games without throwing for 300 yards was extended to 24 and he was a statue in the pocket, opting for check down after check down. Of his 18 completions, half were to Breece Hall or Braelon Allen. Garrett Wilson, who has proven time and again to be one of the best players on the field was given six total targets. Big off season acquisitions Malachi Corley and Mike Williams walked away with a total of one target each.
Yes, it was a victory. No, winning this way is NOT sustainable.
The coaching staff, long given a pass by me because of poor talent at the quarterback position, continue to run a predictable, hum-drum offense. If an overweight writer and podcaster can call the offensive plays from his office chair, then any defensive coordinator can.
This may be one of the most undisciplined teams in the NFL. The Jets had seven accepted penalties for 70 yards. The Jets had to burn two precious timeouts in the second half in a one score game because they couldn’t get the play in quick enough. Rodgers was visibly frustrated after Saleh called timeout as the play clock reached zero in the third quarter.
The Jets defense improved marginally from week one’s drubbing at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. The Titans had 130 yards rushing and seemed to be able to run the ball at will, but it was Will Levis who gave the Jets a gift. While the Titans were driving in the second quarter, Levis simply gave the Jets the ball on one of the biggest bonehead plays in football.
The Titans were up 7-0 at the time and it looked close to being 14-0 before Levis’ gaff. The game might have gone differently had Levis not bailed them out. The Jets got by on being more talented and luckier rather than being a better team.
The game also came at a big price to their defense. Jermaine Johnson went down with what is certainly to be a torn Achilles (as of now, it is not confirmed he tore the Achilles, but it seems to be headed that way). Johnson, while young, is one of the emotional leaders of the defense.
Johnson was reported to be in good spirits. He told reporters he got his crying out on the field and 24 or 48 hours from now he’ll get over it and get back to work.
The Jets will likely be without Johnson for the rest of the season, but that may not be their only loss of the game. In a week where they were already down cornerback D.J. Reed, they also lost linebacker C.J. Mosley with a toe injury in which he got carted off to the locker room. The Jets are on another short week as the faceoff against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football this week in the Jets home opener.
The Jets have a lot to fix in a short week against a Patriots time that Is not nearly as bad as we thought they would be early in the season.
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