The Jets scored their season high in points but fell short, 38-33, to the Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Here are 3 takeaways from Week 8, before the Jets (2-6) prepare for another AFC West opponent -- the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2).
'What Our Offense Should Look Like
The Jets' put up 439 total net yards of offense and QB Geno Smith was 20-of-32 passing for 290 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT in the loss. RB Braelon Allen and WR Adonai Mitchell had career-highs, each with nearly 150 yards rushing and receiving respectively, and WR Garrett Wilson was targeted 12 times, making 6 receptions for 83 yards.
"Geno was dialed and [offensive coordinator Frank] Reich gave us the game plan all week, we knew what to expect and we went out and executed for the most part," Wilson said. "There's still some plays that I still want to have back on that first drive, and yeah, that's what our offense should look like."
The Jets scored on their first six possessions, becoming the first NFL team to do so this season, and they finished the game with a season-high 12 explosive plays (any play of 12-plus rushing yards or 16-plus yards receiving), producing an explosive on 19.7% of their plays, their most in a single game since Week 13 in 2020, according to TruMedia.
But the area where the Jets hope to improve is in the red zone where they were 2 -of -6. K Jason Sanders made four field goals but the Green & White believe they could have turned more of those opportunities for points into touchdowns.
"There's definitely areas where we can clean it up and make sure that when we get down there, especially the first drive of the game, you know, I think it would have made a statement, you know if we were to punch it in," RG Joe Tippmann said. "We definitely left some meat on the bone."
Wilson said the margins are slim when it comes to the red zone.
"They're not going to believe you're selling a route vertically or throwing a go ball, so all of a sudden those windows tighten up that much more and we have to be on it that much more and we haven't been," Wilson said. "It's all about being a sniper."
Needing More Consistency
The Raiders only ran 19 offensive plays in the first half and the Jets had a 23-14 lead at halftime. A special teams TD gave Las Vegas its second score of the game but the Jets' defense forced a punt and a turnover on downs in the first half that the offense turned into points.
However, in the second half the Raiders scored TDs on three consecutive possessions and only punted once.
"When you look at it internally, we have to do better, I mean the offense went out there and played an incredible game. They moved the ball really well," S Dane Belton said. "For us, we got to do better, we have to pick up our slack. We have to make plays and be consistent."
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins relied heavily on TE Brock Bowers who was targeted 10 times and made 7 receptions for 92 yards and 2 TDs. The Raiders ran 81.6% of their plays with multiple TEs on the field in either 12, 13 or 22 personnel.
"They put him in different positions, like he's listed as a tight end, but he moves all around the formation and he has that skill set to do so," Belton said. "That's something that as a defense we have to do better on taking away their better players and really executing the call play in and play out."
The Jets recorded 1 sack and 6 QB hits on Cousins and LB Demario Davis was "not pleased" with the defense's performance and said the Jets aren't being disruptive enough.
"When we're disrupting the quarterback whether it's hitting him, being in those passing windows, or forcing incomplete passes, we're better," Davis said. "We're not taking the ball away at a high enough clip -- I think when we're creating takeaways, when we're punching the ball out, we're affecting the quarterback, all of that goes together. When we're dominating the line of scrimmage, I think for a large part we were able to be sound against the run, but we didn't do enough to disrupt their offense today."
Stepping Up
The Jets' defense was without DT T'Vondre Sweat, who was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, and rookie edge David Bailey on Sunday. Among those stepping up into the rotation were rookie DL Darrell Jackson Jr. and edge Nate Lynn.
Jackson had 4 tackles, becoming the first Jet rookie interior lineman since Muhammad Wilkerson in 2011 to amass 20-plus tackles, 2 QB hits and 2 PD in a season and the first to do it through the first eight weeks, according to TruMedia. Lynn had a QB hit on Kirk Cousins becoming the first Jet to total 2 QB hits and a sack within his first 30 NFL snaps since that was first tracked in 2013, per Stats Perform.
"The guys stepping up had to play hard and I think that's what we do," Belton said. "But when you have guys like that, that's so talented, can make game changing plays out, it definitely hurts, but we can't sit back and look at that, we have to be able to pick it up."
On offense, Allen has been the workhorse with Breece Hall still working back from injury.
"Braelon did a hell of a job … I think that speaks for itself," HC Aaron Glenn said. "And Breece is close, he's close. But again we want to make sure that we're handling the situation the right way."
When the Jets put Hall and Allen in the backfield, it will add another dynamic layer to their offense.
"We have all the confidence in the world in Braelon. I've been really happy for him the past couple of weeks and we got him hot and especially once we get Breece back it's going to be even better," RT Armand Membou said. "The run game has been cooking."
