The New York Jets left Chicago with a 1-3 record and a loss that exposed problems beyond the final score. Chicago controlled the game early, rushed for 232 yards and held New York to 12 points in a 23-12 Week 4 win at Soldier Field.
Locked On Jets host John Butchko centered his postgame reaction on the defensive front, arguing that the Jets were beaten badly at the line of scrimmage. Chicago’s running game put the defense under sustained pressure, and Bagent completed 25 of 34 passes for 268 yards with one interception.
The Jets did create two takeaways. New York Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Bagent in the second quarter, while linebacker Jamien Sherwood forced a fumble that cornerback Brandon Stephens recovered in the third. Butchko’s concern was that those moments did not produce a shift in the game, particularly with Chicago continuing to move the ball on the ground.
Smith finished 8 of 15 for 119 yards and a touchdown. His 58-yard fourth-quarter scoring pass to New York Jets wide receiver Isaiah Williams cut the deficit from 23-6 to 23-12 with about 10 minutes remaining, but it came too late. Butchko said Smith too often rushed to short throws, froze against pressure and failed to sustain drives.
That leaves New York with two immediate issues entering Week 5: finding a more reliable answer against the run and getting steadier play from quarterback Geno Smith. The Jets host the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m. EDT.
The Browns game gives the Jets a quick chance to show that Chicago was an outlier. If the defensive front again loses control of the run game, the concern Butchko raised after Sunday’s loss will carry well beyond one bad afternoon.
