Throughout the regular season, NewYorkJets.com reporters Eric Allen, Ethan Greenberg, Randy Lange, Caroline Hendershot and John Pullano will give their responses to a series of questions regarding this year's Jets.
Today's question: What do you hope to see from the Jets following their self scout?
EA: The Jets have lost five games – Denver (by 1 point), Minnesota in London (6), Buffalo (3), at New England (3) and vs. Indianapolis (1), by 14 points or an average of 2.8 points. Finishing begins with better starts from the offense. The Jets totaled 13 points in first half over the past three games and they've been consistently playing from behind. Defensively, I'd like to see the unit have more pass-rush opportunities. While the tackling was improved against the Colts and Jonathan Taylor was held to 57 yards on 24 carries (2.4 per), Indy still had 35 rush attempts. The Jets are tied for No. 5 in sacks with 34 and they've registered strip-sacks in three consecutive games. For the takeaways (8, tied for No. 26) to increase, the tackling must be consistent, the Jets must keep running backs like the Seahawks' Kenneth Walker in check and they have to play with a lead. I was encouraged about the 2 penalties marked off against the Colts and that's the kind of discipline required in December. From an injury perspective, I think Allen Lazard's absence has had a significant impact with Davante Adams forced into a new role. Lazard will be eligible to return off IR following the Jets-Seahawks game on Dec. 1.
EG: Fight and complementary football. It's easy for teams to throw in the towel after a 3-8 start, but there's no question the Jets have a talented roster. While the team is surprised by its performance, the Jets still have an opportunity to string together wins down the stretch of the 2024 season in the final six games. The only team the Green & White will play that has a record above .500 is the Bills (9-2). The Seahawks and Rams are both 5-5 while the Dolphins and Jaguars are below .500. The Jets haven't put together a full game of complementary football. We've, instead, seen spurts like the second half against the Texans or the Week 3 game against the Patriots. If the Jets can get out to an early lead and let their defense pin its ears back from a pass-rushing perspective, they will likely be in a spot to compete in the final six games.
RL: In general, I'd like to see the Jets take steps over the final six games toward being the team they thought they were back in training camp and away from the team they've become through 11 games. We all have our favorite areas of desired improvement. My target area is the running game. This part of the Jets' offense has too many good parts — the at times breath-taking Breece Hall, the precocious pounder Braelon Allen and a line that when healthy should be firing out and opening running lanes the width of landing strips — to be ranked 30th in the NFL with 87.2 rush yards/game and 24th with 4.08 yards/carry. A more vibrant ground game will aid strongly in the Aaron Rodgers play-action game and getting WRs open further downfield for some bigger explosive plays. That in turn should help the Green & White expand their time of possession and time ahead in games and end their drought of no opening-drive TDs in the last 12 games, all of which should give the entire team a good month and a half to take into the brand new offseason as we head toward 2025.
CH: I hope to see the defense get more takeaways in their remaining six games. Perhaps the defense will build off its performance against the Colts when Javon Kinlaw had a strip-sack and recovered the fumble before Breece Hall scored a touchdown to give the Green & White the lead. The Jets have to do a better job intercepting opposing quarterbacks as the last time the team did so was Week 5 in London against the Minnesota Vikings. The Jets totaled 17 interceptions in the 2023 season as 10 players had a pick whereas the Green & White has 2 interceptions this season, both from CB Brandin Echols. If the Jets defense can create more takeaways coming off the bye, it will give the offense more opportunities to score points and play complementary football.
JP: A greater commitment to the run game, especially early in games. The Jets offense is at its best when they put the ball into the hands of RB Breece Hall, as demonstrated last week vs. Indianapolis. The Green & White scored a season-high 27 points and Hall had a season-high 23 touches. Hall ranks No. 7 in the NFL with 1,033 scrimmage yards and averages 5.2 yards per touch. However, he is 11th in the NFL in touches despite a higher average in yards per touch than eight of the players ahead of him. In the first quarter of games this season, the Jets are averaging six rush attempts, the second fewest, despite averaging 4.5 yards per carry, which would rank No. 10 in the NFL over an entire game. Over the final three frames, the quarter average drops to 5.2 attempts. Through the first 11 weeks, the Jets rank last in rush attempts (21.3 per game) and have averaged 19.3 per game during the last three weeks. The Jets are 20th in first quarter points per game this season (3.6) and have fallen behind, which has forced them to pass the ball more.
