The New York Jets knew that they would have their hands full in their 2024 season opener as they went on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
It was a competitive game early on as the teams' defenses both shined. Three-and-outs were recorded on the first two possessions of the game. A fumble by Jets running back Breece Hall on the first play of drive three in the game set the 49ers up for a field goal as the offense went nowhere.
New York responded with a touchdown drive of their own, as Aaron Rodgers looked solid all things considered. However, an unexpected issue arose from that second San Francisco possession.
What was supposed to be a strength for the Jets, their defense, turned into a weakness. The 49ers would score on eight consecutive possessions, a pace that New York was unable to keep up with despite having Rodgers leading the offense in a 32-19 loss.
Holding an opponent to six field goal attempts is solid work by the defense, but there are some issues that arose.
San Francisco continually gashed New York on the ground despite star running back Christian McCaffrey not suiting up. He was dealing with a calf injury, which thrust Jordan Mason into a featured role and he thrived.
He carried the ball 28 times for 147 yards and one touchdown, adding one reception for five yards.
A normally aggressive Jets defense was on its heels all night. Kyle Shanahan was able to keep them off balance, attacking weaknesses with regularity as they had no answer to outside runs.
In what was a tough performance to swallow, the only person who comes away as a winner is Haason Reddick. Without him, New York’s pass rush was nonexistent as Brock Purdy consistently had time to navigate the pocket and find his receivers.
Purdy’s stat line isn’t otherworldly as he completed 19-of-29 passes for 231 yards without a touchdown or interception. He received a QBR of 83.9 and a rating of 89.9.
He was sacked twice, but neither was generated by the team’s edge rushers. Safety Tony Adams and cornerback Sauce Gardner recorded the sacks, as Purdy lost only six yards combined on the plays.
The 49ers’ quarterback was under virtually zero duress all evening. Only four quarterback hits were recorded against him, as Quinnen Williams and Michael Clemons recorded the other two with the secondary players.
Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald IV were stymied all night by the San Francisco offensive line. With their pass-rushing depth depleted to make room for Reddick, the Jets have to bite the bullet and get something done.
San Francisco is a Super Bowl-caliber team, as they were levels above New York on Monday night. For the Jets to reach that level, they need Reddick in the mix to bolster the edge rushing group and boost the entire defense.
