EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers experienced a tough night on Monday.

He hit the bench in frustration after Breece Hall couldn’t catch a crucial pass on a third down in the red zone, just during the game’s opening series, which Hall attempted to grab with one hand.

Rodgers often gazed upward, seemingly in disbelief, as his team faced 11 penalties throughout the game. After it concluded, he slowly exited the shower, giving a small fist-pump to offensive linemen Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses while offering them words of disappointment.

Entering Monday’s match against the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets had a chance to lead the AFC East. However, they suffered yet another loss, marked by careless play and missed opportunities, leaving the Jets (2-4) on the brink of a crumbling season.

“We have to start performing better,” Rodgers remarked after the close game, which ended 23-20. “This was a golden chance. Some games, you win by luck; others, you just give away. This was one we let slip away. We were awful in the red zone, missed two field goals, and didn’t capitalize on a late drive. We had so many opportunities.”

New York clearly struggled inside the 20-yard line, managing to convert just one of four red zone visits into a touchdown. The final drive was particularly disheartening.

In the third quarter, the Jets got close to scoring a touchdown inside the 5-yard line when running back Braelon Allen appeared to break through the Bills’ defense for a 4-yard touchdown run, which would have given the Jets a seven-point advantage. Unfortunately, a holding penalty called on left tackle Tyron Smith – which Rodgers referred to as a “phantom” hold – wiped out the potential score.

On the next play, Garrett Wilson almost caught a touchdown pass but was stripped by two Bills defenders. Following that, kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a field goal from 32 yards out.

“We must pay attention to the little details,” Rodgers emphasized. “It’s consistently the small things that hold us back.”

This game marked the beginning of Jeff Ulbrich’s tenure as interim head coach, coming in after Robert Saleh’s dismissal. However, it was clear that the Jets’ issues run much deeper than simply swapping out the head coach. The team has repeatedly undermined itself, and the lack of improvement is troubling.

Four out of the 11 penalties called against the Jets were for defensive pass interference, gifting Buffalo significant yardage. Over the last four games, they have given up 382 penalty yards. When New York got the ball down by three points and only 3:43 remaining, their game-winning drive attempt was stalled by two penalties, including one that was offsetting.

Despite all the self-inflicted setbacks, there were glimpses of progress, especially on offense, as the team ran its first game under Todd Downing as play caller and acting offensive coordinator.

Downing’s strategy aimed to get Hall and Wilson involved early, both of whom had been off to slow starts this season.

For Hall, Downing’s play calls included lateral stretch plays and tosses that helped Hall gain speed and successfully navigate the Bills’ defense as the edge blocks opened up running lanes.

Hall accumulated 101 of his 113 rushing yards—nearly 90%—on 12 carries made outside the tackles; inside the tackles, he managed just 12 yards on six attempts.

Rodgers actively targeted Wilson, as Downing designed quick-pass plays that let Rodgers utilize his fast release to connect with Wilson in open space.

“Our priority was to get the ball into the hands of our best players,” Hall shared with YSL News Sports. “We came in and executed the run well. We played a solid game, but it wasn’t enough. We need to improve our offensive execution. There are positives to build on, yet many things need to be improved. In the red zone, both Garrett and I felt we should have claimed that game. It’s frustrating.”

Now, the Jets trail the Bills by two games (4-2) and face a challenging matchup against the physically demanding Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) on the horizon. In two weeks, they’ll meet the Houston Texans (5-1).

No matter the strides made offensively, the Jets will struggle to succeed if they keep getting in their own way.

“This is more challenging than I anticipated,” Wilson admitted. “We have to dig deeper. Honestly, I don’t have answers. If I knew everything, we would have won today.”