A handful of offensive penalties sprinkled throughout the game, but particularly three in the third quarter of what had been a close contest, spelled doom for the Jets at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.
"We had way too many penalties that actually put us behind the sticks, when we have a good play that put us in a good position, and then we have a penalty," HC Aaron Glenn said after the Jets' 29-6 loss to New Orleans. "And that happened a number of times on third-down plays, on early downs. You can't do that in this league and win games."
The flags, overall the Jets (3-12) had 7 for 54 yards, put added pressure on rookie quarterback Brady Cook. Cook, an undrafted free agent who was making his second NFL start, was sacked 7 times, threw an interception and fumbled once (while being sacked) as he completed 22-of-35 passes for 188 yards.
"Brady did some good things, but also there's some things that he has to be better at," Glenn said. "We cannot turn the ball over, we all know that, and he knows that. As a quarterback, his hands are on the ball all the time, and he has to protect it."
Late in the first quarter with the score tied, 3-3, Cook ran 4 yards on third-and-1 at the Jets' 39-yard line. But the play was nullified on a 15-yard chop block committed by LG John Simpson. After a short completion from Cook to TE Jeremy Ruckert, Austin McNamara punted.
After Jamien Sherwood stopped Taysom Hill on a fourth-and-1 play, the Jets got the ball at the New Orleans 45 with 9:47 to play in the second quarter and the score tied, 6-6. A false start called on Isaiah Williams made it second-and-12. Two plays later McNamara punted again.
The Jets were in the game, trailing by 9-6 to start the second half and Glenn said he thought " the game was right there for us."
After Breece Hall picked up a first down on the first series of the half, an illegal shift called on Williams made it first-and-15. After two short gains, Cook was sacked, losing 10 yards on third-and-6. The Jets got the ball back, but a holding call on Simpson on a first-down play set the Jets back to their own 40-yard line, facing first-and-19. That drive stalled. On the punt, Arian Smith tackled Dante Pettis at the Saints' 7-yard line.
The Saints put together a 12-play, 93-yard drive to take a 16-6 lead en route to their third-straight win and fourth in the past six games after they started the season 1-8.
To close out the third quarter, Hall's first-down run was wiped out after a holding call against Ruckert. Cook completed a 17-yard pass to RB Isaiah Davis, but 3 plays later Cook was sacked and his fumble was recovered by Nathan Shepherd.
"When your team is a run heavy team, they're going to stack the box, and that's when we have to be better in the passing game, and that's one area that we have to improve on," Glenn said. "And listen, I know our young quarterback knows that. Everybody in the league knows that. They're going to attack our quarterback with the blitz. I think this team did. I think they were successful on some of those, but also they made some plays on at regular full-man rush. They had coverage in the back end with seven guys. So again, we have to continue to find ways we can run the ball and then put our quarterback in a situation where he can deliver the ball to open guys."
With the Saints' defense limiting the Jets run game to 64 total yards in the game, New Orleans stacked the box and harassed Cook all game. In his three appearances so far this season (2 starts and in relief of Tyrod Taylor after he was injured against Miami), Cook has taken over an offense that has found itself behind the 8-ball, playing from behind each time. Cook's and the Jets' longest play of the game was a 26-yard pass to Adonai Mitchell (a fourth-down play in the final quarter). Davis led the pass attack with 4 receptions on 4 targets for 52 yards.
"I think it starts with that first- and second-down efficiency, setting yourself up for success on third down," Cook said. "Instead of putting all the pressure on yourself with some third-down calls and third-and-longs, that's when the defense can be in control and kind of control it.
"All we can do now is go back to work."
