3 Jets Decisions Have Come Back to Haunt Them by Halloween

It's easy to point to several different factors into why the New York Jets find themselves at 2-5.

Poor coaching, inept player execution, and whiffed offseason additions have all played a part to where the team is today. In the case of New York's offseason misses, there were three that have directly impacted their chances of success.

Today, we'll break down the biggest offseason mistakes the Jets made, and how each one has plagued the roster in 2026.

Overcompensating for weaknesses

New York's biggest weakness last season was in their run defense. Head coach Aaron Glenn watched his front seven get gashed as the fourth-worst unit in the league. To fix those issues, the Jets and general manager Darren Mougey moved quickly.

Veterans like David Onyemata and T'Vondre Sweat were added at the start of the offseason. New York also drafted David Bailey and Darrell Jackson Jr. to aid their defensive line. The thought behind these moves was that the team would bring in personnel to directly aid in stopping the run.

But what New York actually did was simply overcompensate in the team's weakness. Sweat and Onyemata were run-centric defensive tackles. They did not have a deep history in rushing the passer.

Because of that, the team's pass rush remains devoid of true interior talent. What's worse is the fact that the team's run defense hasn't been much better this year, especially with Sweat and Onyemata dealing with injuries that will keep them both out for the majority of the season.

Had New York focused their efforts on addressing the defensive line with players who could both stop the run and rush the passer, or add players who were better fits for New York's scheme, the unit would not be so poor against the run.

Instead, their overcompensation has only hurt the team in the long run.

Locker room leaders were all that was needed

New York felt that a big reason why the team struggled in 2025 was due to a lack of leadership. They felt adding players who knew what Glenn wanted out of his team was a need for the 2026 offseason.

Players like Demario Davis, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Geno Smith were brought in to stabilize both sides of the ball. The belief was they would be able to elevate the roster on their own, and keep the team focused in clutch situations.

So how has that worked out?

The team's leadership hasn't been the problem. New York's problems in the clutch still remain. That's because the organization's coaching staff has made decisions that have negatively impacted the organization. Whether it's not using their timeouts properly, challenging low-leverage plays, or disastrous play-calls, the Jets are clearly being held back by their coaching staff.

No amount of player leadership is going to change that reality.

Lack of adjustment of offensive weaponary

One thing the Jets have done unequivocally well this offseason was adding offensive talent. From Omar Cooper Jr. to Kenyon Sadiq to the arrival of left guard Dylan Parham, New York's offensive weaponry is among the best the organization has seen in decades.

There's a problem, though.

They have a coach who doesn't know how to get the most out of all their talent, or refuses to adjust to the talent on the roster. The organization's lack of creativity offensively sunk the organization's chances before they took their first snap.

Even as the team found success running the football, it hasn't changed the end result of a bottom-10 offense. The fact that they have been unwilling and unable to shift their offensive focus to what their roster is best suited for shows their lack of imagination.

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