How Do Undisciplined Jets Fix Penalty Problem?

The New York Jets' offense struggled to score points and finished as one of the NFL's most-penalized units.

The New York Jets finished the 2023 regular season ranked right in between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, but in a category that no team wants to lead.

While the 7-10 Jets were nowhere near the top-seeded Ravens (13-4) and the No. 3 seed Chiefs (11-6) in the AFC standings, they were right there with them in terms of offensive penalty yardage. The Jets were backed up a total of 468 yards due to offensive infractions. The eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs (486) led the league and the Ravens (424) were third. A hat tip to analyst Warren Sharp, who highlighted the matter on the social media site X.

When it comes to most overall penalties, no NFL team committed more infractions than the Jets (150). Left tackle Mekhi Becton, who is set to become a free agent in March, accounted for a team-high 16 penalties. Becton's 84 yards of miscues were fourth most amongst all NFL players on offense.

The Jets' penalty problem was only one of multiple issues plaguing the 31st-ranked offense in 2023. New York, which suffered sacks on 10.65 percent of pass attempts (29th) managed only 18 offensive touchdowns over the course of the 17-game schedule. The Jets averaged a league-low 15.3 first downs per game and scored 13 points or fewer nine times.

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"There are things we’re going to look at. We’ll always attack. You know, 23 this season, obviously, you learn with every season. There’s a lot of learning experiences that were had this year," said head coach Robert Saleh back in January.

Subpar quarterback play in the wake of Aaron Rodgers's season-ending injury certainly didn't help matters. Meanwhile, the Jets were decimated by injuries on the offensive line - forced to deploy 12 different starting combinations up front and needing the services of multiple Practice Squad players throughout the season.

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After Becton, rookie center Joe Tippmann (8) and receiver Allen Lazard (5) committed the most penalties amongst Jets' offensive players.

Lazard, who was a healthy scratch on three occasions last season, made underwhelming contributions to a passing offense that lacked potency. In the first year of a four-year contract reportedly worth $44 million, the former Green Bay Packer caught 23 of 49 targets for 311 yards and one touchdown. 

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