The New York Jets are staring at a brutal 1-3 record, and if you watched Week 4, it felt like a horrifying replay of the entire 2025 season, except for one measly interception. They got absolutely outplayed. Seriously, the offense barely touched the field, running just 32 plays while the Bears racked up 34 first downs. That’s not just a loss, that’s a total shutdown, and it makes it three losses in a row for this squad. Now, they’re gearing up to face the scorching hot Cleveland Browns in Week 5. Something has got to give, and fast.
Get Garrett Wilson The Damn Ball!
Look, this first key isn’t even about the Browns, it’s about what we just saw. In Week 4, Garrett Wilson got a pathetic four targets. That resulted in three catches for 27 yards. Every single one of those stats is a season low for Wilson. You hear that? A SEASON LOW. This offense, right now, lives and dies by Wilson. He is, without question, their best skill position player, maybe even their best player overall, especially with Breece Hall out with an injury. For Geno Smith to only target Wilson on 24.8% of his routes run is just unacceptable. We cannot let that happen again.
Now, it’s not going to be easy this week. Wilson is going to be lining up against Browns star cornerback Denzel Ward. Through four games, Ward has only allowed 10 catches for 74 yards on 20 targets, and he’s got an interception. Next Gen Stats says Ward is giving up a mere 3.1 yards of average separation. Wilson himself is only generating 2.1 yards of separation on average this season. Yeah, that looks like a major disadvantage on paper, and it totally is. But here’s the kicker: Wilson’s real strength this year has been as a contested catcher. NGS has him at a 22.9% catch rate over expected, which ranks third among qualified wide receivers. This is going to be a dogfight, no doubt, but if the Jets want any shot at winning, getting Wilson involved is non-negotiable.
Who’s Stopping Denzel Boston?
On the flip side, we gotta talk about the Browns’ Denzel Boston. His electric rise has been one of the biggest storylines for them this season. This dude is making big plays left and right. Remember that 60-yard catch-and-run against the Steelers on Thursday night? Pure fire! Everyone was hyping up their first-round pick, KC Concepcion, coming into 2026, but Boston has straight up become the Browns’ best receiver.
Our guys, Brandon Stephens and Azareye’h Thomas, are going to be tasked with shutting him down on the outside, which is where he runs most of his routes. The good news is both Stephens and Thomas have played well this season. Stephens has given up the most yards on the team, 123, but he hasn’t allowed a single touchdown on those 10 catches, and his passer rating allowed is a solid 76.9. Thomas has been even better from a yardage perspective, allowing just 88 yards, but his passer rating allowed is a much higher 121.7. Boston is a game-wrecker, and if the Jets want to avoid a 1-4 hole, these two need to be locked in from the first whistle.
This team is facing the scorching hot Cleveland Browns next, and if they don’t fix these glaring issues, especially getting their best player involved and stopping a rising star on defense, this 1-3 record is going to feel like the good old days real fast. We need to see some fight, and some smart adjustments, or this season is going to be over before it really even starts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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