Can your offense put up points in bunches? Is your defense schematically sound enough to withstand the stress that offenses can put on it?
Those are questions each NFL team has had to ask itself following the first round of the 2026 playoffs. For the New York Jets, they are the very questions that must be at the forefront of their build moving forward.
Each playoff game on wild card weekend (not including Monday night’s affair) came down to the wire. Well, almost all of them. Other than the New England Patriots’ old-fashioned whipping of the Los Angeles Chargers, each game resulted in a one-possession final.
Throughout it all, there’s one major lesson that teams like the Jets must realize if they ever wish to get out of the basement of their current standing.
It’s one that’s nearly impossible to miss while watching this past weekend’s football action.
The most valuable Wild Card Weekend lesson
Scheme matters more than talent.
Until the Jets learn that lesson, wild-card lessons from the couch will be the only thing the team can learn at this point. Organizations that may have more talent than their opponent can find themselves losing because their scheme is not up to par.
Arguably the best example of that came in Sunday’s playoff win for the San Francisco 49ers over the Philadelphia Eagles. San Fran walked into Philly without several key starters on both sides of the ball.
Somehow, they walked away victorious in a 23-19 final.
But, how? Philadelphia houses two 1,000-yard receivers, a 1,000-yard rusher, and one of the best defenses in football. How could they fall to a talent-challenged roster like the 49ers?
The answers revolve around scheme-related topics.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni doesn’t call plays. Therefore, he’s delegated his role to offensive play-callers. Some, like Kellen Moore and Shane Steichen, worked out well for the Super Bowl champ.
Others, like current play-caller Kevin Patullo, were so ineffective in their role that they hindered the potential of the entire group.
It’s a lesson the Jets need to learn that is two-pronged…
First, they need offensive and defensive coaches who can confidently call plays. Aaron Glenn needs football people who can actually build a scheme that enhances the team’s available talent, while placing them in successful positions.
The other part, though, is more complex.
Glenn hasn’t won nearly as many games as Sirianni. For New York to bring in a “culture” coach, as Woody Johnson has, he needs to prepare his team in a way that yields consistent on-field results.
Glenn clearly failed in this regard in his rookie campaign.
Philadelphia’s loss to San Francisco is a valuable lesson for the Jets. It highlights the need for schematics and the importance of quality play-callers on both sides of the ball.
More importantly, though, it serves as a reminder that the organization’s current mindset hasn’t been nearly sufficient enough for the modern NFL.