Sorry, but the Jets’ formula can’t last like this

The Jets pulled off an improbable 13-10 victory over the Giants in overtime on Sunday. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game: 

1. If you’re feeling some déjà vu, Jets fans, that’s understandable.

The Jets are winning games with the same formula they used in the middle of last season: Play great defense, get Breece Hall to make explosive plays and hope Zach Wilson does not turn the ball over and can make a few plays in the game.

It worked last year until Hall got hurt and Wilson had two terrible games against the Patriots. Then things fell apart.

The question this year is: How long the Jets can win playing like this?

I don’t think this is sustainable. The defense is going to have a letdown at some point. Wilson is going to have a game where he throws interceptions. It just feels inevitable. 

The Jets have to figure out a way to get their offense going. They are the worst team in the NFL in third-down conversions and scoring touchdowns in the red zone. That is some bad situational football.

Situational football on offense falls on two people: the offensive coordinator and the quarterback. The Jets can talk all they want about it being a problem throughout the offense. But this is on Nathaniel Hackett and Wilson to get it fixed. 

There were some head-scratching play calls Sunday by Hackett on third-and-short and at least one off throw by Wilson on a short pass to Hall on third down. 

The Jets are in the playoff race mathematically. But to really make a push over these final 10 weeks, their offense is going to have to join the party.

The Jets have the fewest first downs in the NFL (102) and are tied with the Giants for the fewest offensive touchdowns (8).

The good news for the Jets is they are somehow 4-3. They have not played well on offense, and the defense and special teams have been able to carry them to wins. The bad news is this probably won’t last forever, and the Jets need to start finding some answers on offense. 

2. For several years, the Jets have gone with younger, unproven players at kicker and punter. Some of it was a financial consideration and not wanting to invest heavily at the positions. Some of it was trying to develop draft picks.

The Jets have gone the veteran route this year with Greg Zuerlein kicking and Thomas Morstead punting, and, man, has it paid off.

Zuerlein and Morstead are the two most consistent players on the Jets right now. Zuerlein hit the game-tying and game-winning field goals in tough conditions Sunday. He appears automatic.

Morstead did his job better than anyone else on the field Sunday. He landed three punts inside the Giants’ 5-yard line. He has been great all year, setting up safeties in the Chiefs and Broncos games by pinning them deep in their own territory.

The Jets had Morstead in 2021 when Braden Mann was hurt, but they cut him when Mann got healthy. That was a mistake. But they have rectified it by bringing him back this year.

For years, the Jets have struggled in the kicking game. Now it is a strength. 

3. The Jets committed nine penalties Sunday, the third game in a row they had that many penalties.

A few of them on Sunday were costly. Jermaine Johnson and Quincy Williams helped the Giants score their lone touchdown of the game with personal fouls. Micheal Clemons jumped offsides on a punt that extended a Giants drive in the fourth quarter.

The kneejerk reaction to these penalties usually is to blame the coach and to say “they’re undisciplined.” I don’t think that is the case here. The Jets are 22nd in the NFL in penalties with 44. I also think penalties get overrated. The Bills and 49ers lead the NFL in penalties. Those are pretty good teams with pretty good coaches.

With the Jets, I think they are going to have a certain amount of defensive penalties I would call “penalties of aggression” that result in personal fouls.

Robert Saleh wants his defense to play fast and play violently. That is going to lead to some penalties when guys don’t stop quick enough at the whistle. I think it is the price of doing business for the Jets.

There are going to be times when it will prove costly, but over the long term, playing this way benefits them. 

4. I still can’t believe the Jets were able to spike the ball at the end of the fourth quarter to get the game-tying field goal off with one second left. It was a remarkable play by the Jets offense.

They were fortunate Lazard was in the middle of the field, so the ball could be spotted quickly. Xavier Newman, playing his first game at center, was actually a few yards behind the line of scrimmage because of the Giants pass rush when Wilson threw the ball. He was able to get on the ball quickly, check with the line judge the ball was spotted correctly and then snap it once the official touched it in play. 

This was a major step for the Jets because they screwed up a situation like this at the end of the first half in Denver. 

The big assist on the final drive in regulation goes to the Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux, who played a great game otherwise. But the offsides penalty gave the Jets a free play and stopped the clock, allowing them to hit Lazard for the 29-yard gain.

The Jets went into the drive thinking they would not have time to kick the field goal and would have to attempt a Hail Mary.

Revealing stat

The Giants averaged 2.77 yards per play. That is the lowest average for a Jets opponent since Dec. 2, 2012, when the Jets held the Cardinals to 2.54 yards per play. 

Surprising snap count

Malik Taylor had 23 snaps (36 percent) after getting elevated from the practice squad. He ended up playing more than Xavier Gipson (16 snaps) or Jason Brownlee (two snaps) with Randall Cobb inactive. 

Game ball

Jets fans who sat in the rain to watch this sloppy mess get my game ball. It was miserable at MetLife Stadium with the weather and the quality of play. Jets fans made themselves be heard in a “road” game.