The New York Jets' performance in their recent London game against the Denver Broncos left even seasoned professionals like Kurt Warner utterly bewildered. It's not every day you see a former Super Bowl champion quarterback publicly scratching his head over a team's strategic decisions, but that's precisely what happened during the Jets' ugly 13-11 loss.
During the game, while calling the action for NFL Network alongside Rich Eisen, Warner took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his confusion. He wrote, "Somebody please explain that last Jets drive??? Not really sure what I just watched!" And after the game concluded, he added, "Go figure I would get the game with No Forward Passes!!!!"
What exactly had Warner so flustered? The Jets' play-calling in the final minutes before halftime, while trailing 10-6, was the culprit. Facing a fourth-and-1, the Jets opted for a punt formation, but running back Breece Hall took the snap and surprisingly ran forward for the first down. The clock then ran out.
"Oh, they’re going to run it," Eisen commented. "There’s Breece Hall, just a couple yards. [Jets head coach] Aaron Glenn is screaming at everybody to get on the ball. Kurt Warner’s hair is on fire in this booth!" Warner, visibly taken aback, replied, "I’m not normally speechless, but I’m trying to figure this out."
And this is the part most people miss... The Jets' quarterback, Justin Fields, was then sacked on second down, and they let the clock run out. Eisen pressed Warner, saying, "You can’t be speechless, Kurt, right? … Your inner monologue, I want to hear it." Warner's response? "To me, after the sack, you let the Broncos call their last timeout in that situation, and then you decide what you’re going to do on third down."
The crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was roaring, and as Eisen pointed out, "The Brits are wondering what is happening in London, and so are the American announcers." Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson appeared frustrated while talking with Glenn as the team headed to the locker room at halftime.
Fields struggled to get the offense going, enduring nine sacks against Denver's defense. He completed only 9 of 17 passes for a mere 45 yards.
The Jets, now with a record of 0-6, will enter Week 7 as the NFL’s only winless team, hosting the Panthers (3-3) at MetLife Stadium.
But here's where it gets controversial... Do you think the Jets' play-calling was as baffling as Warner and Eisen made it out to be? What would you have done differently in those crucial moments? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
