6 instant takeaways as Jets fall in Week 8 shootout vs. struggling Raiders

The New York Jets put up a valiant effort against a Las Vegas Raiders team that hit the skids with four straight losses, but Aaron Glenn came up short once again in a 38-33 defeat that underscored how wide the coaching gap is between Gang Green and many other top coaches in the league.

With the team now at 2-6, yet with much more talent than they had last year, fans are once again falling back into the familiar pattern of waiting to see what the NFL Draft will bring them. It's a shame that it has come to this.

It's for fans to judge if the positives on offense overshadow a defensive performance that was bordering on unacceptable, even without many of the team's best players on that side of the ball.

1. Braelon Allen is RB1

Allen has continued to shine with Breece Hall, so much so that there should be a very legitimate conversation happening about who takes the lion's share of the carries when everyone is healthy. Allen finished the game with 21 carries for 147 yards and another touchdown.

Hall, who has seen his name surface in trade rumors recently, may find his old spot as a starter inaccessible after Allen has provided a bit more electricity as the main back. Could that possibly lead to a Hall trade? Only time will tell.

2. Frank Reich cooked...in some aspects

Reich's offense scored on seven of its 10 possessions in this game, and that came on the back of a great day from Geno Smith in the pocket. Reich continued to show he knows how to attack defenses between the 20s, but his issues in the red zone still persist.

Jason Sanders kicked four field goals on drives that reached the red zone, but the Jets settled for field goals while the Raiders punched the ball into the end zone. It's hard to knock an offense that scored 33 points, but the Jets should have put up around 40.

3. Adonai Mitchell was on fire

This Jets offense clearly missed Mitchell, who caught seven passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in his second game back from injury. His vertical speed unlocks so many possibilities in this Jets offense, as Garrett Wilson found himself open for a few more big plays underneath.

While Omar Cooper Jr. was all but shut out of the game plan, the targets that went to him last week were allocated to Mitchell, and he made the most of it. Mitchell is still a big part of what the Jets wanted to do moving forward.

4. Aaron Glenn's defense is falling apart

Even grading on a curve when playing against Brock Bowers and missing two defensive cornerstones in David Bailey and T'Vondre Sweat, Glenn didn't have his best game as a play-caller. The defense appears to be regressing to the mean talent-wise, but Glenn isn't doing anyone any favors.

The Raiders scored on three straight possessions to kick off the second half, and none of Glenn's blitzes were getting home. As is often the case with bad teams, the offense woke up the exact second the defense started to regress.

5. Chris Banjo keeps getting worse

Banjo went from a coach so beloved that he was held up as one of the few positives that Glenn put on display last season to someone who may end up losing his job for poor performance. The Dylan Laube kick return for a touchdown was the latest example of a unit that looks out of sorts.

Austin McNamara isn't punting as well, Isaiah Williams' returns have declined, and the kick coverage has been an abomination. Banjo may be coaching on borrowed time after his precipitous decline.

6. Jarvis Brownlee, your time is up

Brownlee, who was reinserted into the lineup after being scratched for missing meetings, didn't exactly put his best foot forward in this game. Between two killer defensive penalties that kept drives moving and a few more coverage busts, Brownlee went from bad to openly destructive at times.

Even though D'Angelo Ponds hasn't played very well, Brownlee is giving the Jets barely any justification not to cut the rookie and let him learn on the fly.

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