Sunday was an important game for the New York Jets, even if they have been among the worst teams in the NFL all season.
Despite their now 3-11 mark following a dismal 48-20 showing at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets passed the test they needed to when it came to the quarterback position, as crazy as that may seem.
The Jets were led by undrafted free agent Brady Cook in his first career start, coming on the road against an opportunistic Jaguars defense. While the rookie threw three interceptions (two of those late in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand), he looked presentable as a starting quarterback for most of the afternoon.
More importantly, the offensive game plan was clearly built in a way to maximize the quarterback’s limited skill set.
It wasn’t perfect, but it’s an important step for the franchise as they turn their sights on a new signal-caller in the 2026 offseason – whether it be through free agency or the NFL Draft.
Jets’ offense looks surprisingly semi-competent in loss
The Jets’ incompetent defense was shredded in Jacksonville, coughing up 48 points without picking up any takeaways or sacks. Steve Wilks’ unit made the final score look lopsided, but it masked an offensive performance that was more decent than fans were expecting.
New York recorded only 284 yards of offense, but went 8-of-15 on third down and registered four scoring drives, including a pair of 65-yard touchdown marches.
The biggest issue for New York on Sunday, offensively, was turnovers. Cook threw three back-breaking interceptions in the defeat.
Head coach Aaron Glenn was honest about his rookie’s performance.
“I thought Brady did some good things. But again, he was in a bad situation [trailing early], we had to probably get the ball up in the air more than we wanted him to. I will say, some of those [bad] throws, he will say that’s on him.”
However, Glenn admitted there are areas where they could have offered better support for the rookie.
“And then, also, we have to make sure we protect him. I’m not just talking about protection, as far as dropping back, but protection as far as making sure we do the things we have to do to make sure he can operate the offense in a timely manner.”
Still, for Cook to lead the Jets to 20 points on the road in his first career start, against a top-10 defense, the offense surpassed expectations—especially considering how difficult the defense made things for them.
It was crucial for the Jets to demonstrate that they can develop a competent offensive game plan for a young quarterback. The offense’s performance on Sunday offers some hope that the team will be able to build a competent system for a young signal-caller next year.
Future QB breakdown
Cook’s performance on Sunday was far from perfect, but he showed that the Jets might have something in the undrafted free agent. How he handled himself after the loss shows he belongs in the NFL moving forward.
“I think there was great moments and also there’s a lot to learn from. Put a lot of stuff on tape,” Cook said. “I’ll be able to watch it and correct it this week.”
It would be smart for the Jets to allow Cook to play out the rest of the season and allow the Missouri product to improve. No one will mistake him as a starter in 2026, but he could compete for the team’s backup role.
How the team shapes a game plan around Cook will tell us a lot about how they might handle a prospect like Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore in 2026. The more competent New York looks on the offensive side of the ball, the better things will look for whatever quarterback they draft (or bring in) this offseason.
The Jets don’t have the talent to turn their stretch of bad play around this year. But the offense has shown enough to believe that their might be a decent foundation moving forward under Engstrand.
The results could look a lot better with a rookie newcomer coming in next season, especially if the team continues handling Cook adequately going forward.