Geno Smith made it clear on Sunday that he’s not backing off his belief in Omar Cooper Jr.
The Jets rookie came back from a high ankle sprain and wasted no time making an impact in New England, even if New York still walked out with a 26-19 loss to the Patriots. Cooper posted six catches for 103 yards and scored on a 48-yard touchdown, giving the Jets a real jolt in his first game back after missing four straight. He also had another touchdown wiped out by a controversial Tim Patrick pass-interference call on the opening drive.
Smith, the veteran quarterback, didn’t sound like a guy tossing out empty compliments when he talked about the first-round receiver.
“He fought just to get back out there, and what he did was showcase who he is: He’s a playmaker,” Smith told reporters. “He’s a guy who finds ways to make catches. The tough catches - he makes them look easy.”
That kind of praise stands out because Smith has been around long enough to know the difference between real conviction and the polished answers players often lean on. What came through here was belief, plain and simple.
And the Jets need Cooper to keep doing it. Adonai Mitchell is still out after finger surgery, while Patrick is functioning more as depth than a featured option. Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Frank Reich is under serious heat, especially after Garrett Wilson publicly questioned the team’s game planning.
The bigger issue is whether the Jets will actually adjust, or keep sticking to an approach that’s already dragging them down. Reich and Aaron Glenn have been fixated on spreading the ball around early, then cutting back opportunities for others - the same pattern that has shown up with Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq before it’s too late.
Wilson finished with four catches for 44 yards on six targets, all of it his second-worst mark of the season. Sadiq managed just one catch for 12 yards on three targets, and Isaiah Williams’ only touch was a 20-yard run.
That’s part of why the Jets are sitting at No. 27 in points per game entering Week 6. They’re No. 22 in total yards, too, but even that comes with a caveat: the Commanders trail by 107 yards heading into Monday’s matchup with the 49ers.
For now, Cooper’s return offered one of the few bright spots in a familiar-looking mess. And between Reich and Glenn, it’s already shaping up like another season where the coaching staff loses the fan base before Halloween.
In Other News...
Jets Offense Has One Obvious Problem After Patriots Loss
The Jets offense spent another Sunday looking constrained in the 26-19 loss to New England, and the missing element was easy to spot. Without Adonai Mitchell stretching the field, the passing game has lacked the kind of vertical threat that can force defenses to back off, leaving offensive coordinator Frank Reich to work with a narrower menu of options than he probably wanted in Week 6.
Mitchells absence has now become a real part of the conversation around why the unit has been less effective lately, because his speed and downfield presence were supposed to open things up for everyone else. Until he gets back into the lineup, the Jets are left trying to manufacture explosive plays without the receiver who most naturally changes the geometry of the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Braelon Allen Just Put Jets Coaches Under A Harsh Spotlight
After the loss to the Patriots, Braelon Allen did not sound interested in softening the message around the Jets offense. The second-year running back said the group needs to stop playing against itself, a blunt assessment after a game in which he was one of the few bright spots. Allen finished with 104 total yards on 19 touches, including work both as a runner and a receiver, while rookie Omar Cooper Jr. posted his first 100-yard game.
For a team that has stumbled to a 2-4 start, comments like that only sharpen the attention on Aaron Glenn and Frank Reich. The Jets have spent much of the early season trying to find offensive rhythm and consistency, and Allens frustration underscored how uneven it still looks when the pressure ramps up. If the offense is already being called out from inside the locker room, the coaching staff is staring at a problem that goes well beyond one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Could Not Afford Garrett Wilson's Quietest Role Yet
Garrett Wilson was on the field, but for much of Sunday night he was not much of a factor in the Jets offense. In a 26-19 loss to the Patriots, the wide receiver finished with four catches for 44 yards on six targets, a quiet showing for one of the teams most important playmakers.
What stood out even more was how little Wilson was involved early, when the game was still there to be won. Afterward, he addressed his limited role, a familiar frustration for a Jets offense that could not afford to leave one of its top weapons on the margins for long. [Read more 🡒]