4 Studs & 4 Duds in Jets' Hard-Fought Road Loss to Lions (O-Line Issues Overshadow TEs' Big Day)

It was another mixed bag as Gang Green fell to 1-2 on the season.

Kenyon Sadiq had a massive performance to remember for the Jets, but some teammates' struggles detracted from the rookie TE's big day. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jets may be a more talented roster than they were last season, but they are clearly a year away from beating true championship-contending rosters.

The Jets battled the Lions all the way to the end on Sunday afternoon, but it wasn't enough as the Lions scratched out a 31-24 victory to move Gang Green to 1-2.

"We're right here," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Our guys know it's this gap right here that we've got to close. We're fighting our asses off to close that gap, and we will - from a coaching perspective and from a player perspective."

The Jets battled Detroit hard throughout the contest. Even when the Lions built a two-score lead, New York battled back. A late touchdown throw from Geno Smith to Garrett Wilson even tied the game at 24. But a late score from Jahmyr Gibbs (h/t NFL) and a fumble on the ensuing drive dropped New York to its second straight loss.

That's 3️⃣ TDs for Gibbs! Lions take the lead!@NYJvsDET on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/GKazqFPYdS

— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026

As always, some Jets stood out in a positive way, while others struggled, so let's go through my latest studs and duds for Week 3.

Studs: Jets tight ends

Thirteen catches, 164 yards and two touchdowns.

That was the stat line for the entire Jets tight end room. The trio of Kenyon Sadiq, Jeremy Ruckert and Jelani Woods was sensational throughout Sunday's contest. They were lethal from the very beginning and were a key reason why the Jets were able to move the ball.

"I think Geno Smith did an outstanding job today," Glenn said. "I really do. I think the one thing that really stood out was with AD Mitchell out, our TEs really stepped up, & Geno made sure to get the ball to them."

When Mason Taylor returns from his injury, the Jets could have one of the best tight end rooms in the entire NFL if they all play like they did today.

Duds: Jets defensive line

The only way to contain the Lions' offense is to pressure Goff consistently and force him into mistakes. New York found plenty of success on blitz downs. Every time they relied on their front four to rush the passer, though, the Jets were killed.

Throughout the entirety of the contest, Detroit's offensive line dominated the Jets. On the rare plays that the Jets ended up winning at the point of attack, the team failed to contain cutback lanes. That's how Gibbs scored on his 17-yard touchdown run to start the third quarter. Joseph Ossai failed to contain the cutback lane, and Gibbs simply turned upfield to make the play.

When it mattered most, the Jets defensive line failed again. With the score tied at 24, New York gave up a four-play, 64-yard drive. There weren't many pressures either. It wasn't good enough for the collective unit.

Stud: Garrett Wilson

The Jets haven't done a good job featuring Garrett Wilson on downfield shots so far this season. That all changed on Sunday.

Wilson finished with 10 catches, 103 yards, and an outrageous touchdown catch that led to the team tying the score late. What was the best part of Wilson's performance was the fact that he was able to win downfield. This was the kind of game Jets fans have been waiting to see out of Wilson—proof of being one of the 10-best wide receivers in the sport.

Garrett Wilson's performance on Sunday gave the Jets plenty of reasons to continue feeding him the ball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While he did suffer an injury at the end of the game, it looks like Wilson would have been cleared to go back in at the end.

Duds: Jets special teams

Last season, the Jets' special teams unit couldn't do any wrong. Instead, this year their punt and kick coverage has been a significant problem.

In Sunday's loss, the Jets gave up an average of 34 yards per kick return, including an average of 40.5 yards from Jacob Saylors. Jason Sanders did make a 42-yard field goal, but Austin McNamara even struggled with a shanked punt early in the contest. On the other side of the coin, New York has averaged just 24 yards on returns in its own right.

This group has needed to play a lot better than they have so far. It doesn't help that Detroit only punted twice in the contest.

Stud: Andre Cisco

New York's secondary got carved up when it mattered most, but the play of Andre Cisco continues to be far greater than anyone could have expected. The free-agent pickup and maligned safety struggled last season, but added six tackles and a sack.

He is a player who is starting to get used to playing all over the field for a reason, and the Jets clearly have a lot of confidence in him. The late-half collapse will hurt by the unit, but Cisco remains a bright spot for the secondary.

Duds: Jets offensive line

If the Jets' defensive line was bad, their offensive line wasn't much better. New York's strength coming into the year was supposed to be their starting offensive line. Instead, the group has been a major hindrance throughout the last two games.

And there are only three examples needed to show that.

In the two-minute drill before the half, and down by three, the Jets' offensive line was called for a killer holding penalty that killed their chance to put up points. In their only drive of the third quarter, the Jets got into the red zone and near the goal line ... before the line gave up back-to-back sacks.

Finally, in the last offensive play of the day, Smith had targeted a blitz from Detroit. It appeared that everyone was aware of where the pressure was coming from. Except no one picked up the blitzer. Smith fumbles, the Jets lose, and their offensive line is a clear reason why.

No one in the group played particularly well on Sunday. Olu Fashanu and Josh Myers struggled more than anyone else, though. They will need to have a major bounce-back performance going forward.

Stud: Kenyon Sadiq

Certified freak.

That's what some Jets fans called the 16th overall pick in the 2026 draft. On Sunday, Sadiq was every bit the freak the Jets hope he can become.

The Oregon product caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, including a score that came off a diving reception (h/t Jets). When Omar Cooper Jr. comes back, the Jets' passing offense could very well be far better than anyone expects.

first career receiving TD for @KenyonSadiq was 👌

📺: #NYJvsDET on FOX pic.twitter.com/RUWEPlgm7W

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 27, 2026

"He's a guy that's athletically on a different level than a lot of TEs in this league, & he's extremely intelligent," Glenn said. "We want to continue to get him to grow & continue to get him the ball. We saw what he can do."

And Sadiq could be the kind of offenseive weapon they haven't had in their franchise's history.

Dud: Injury bug

New York walked into Sunday as a hobbled team with four starters dealing with injuries. The Jets will walk out of Sunday even more hobbled than before Week 3.

Dylan Parham was carted off with a knee injury, Breece Hall left with a thigh injury, and, as mentioned before, Wilson suffered a head injury. Time will tell what will happen with each of these players going into Week 4; the Jets are quickly running out of bodies.

It won't matter how hard the team plays, either. They need to get healthy, and soon.

Get Jets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.