Jets most to blame for nail-biting Week 1 loss to Steelers

The New York Jets lost 34-32 on Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They got a great offensive performance from new quarterback Justin Fields, but the defense let them down in the fourth quarter. The Jets lost Aaron Glenn's debut, with Brandon Stephens and Xavier Gipson taking a lot of blame.

There is no blame to go around on the offense after Week 1. Fields accounted for over 270 total yards, both Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall scored touchdowns, and the young tackles looked the part. There are places to improve on the offense, especially with Fields' decision to run vs pass in key situations. But the blame lands on the defense and special teams, which need to be improved.

The Jets host the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, and these players will be under the spotlight after poor Week 1 performances.

Brandon Stephens struggled in his Jets debut

The Jets lost DJ Reed to the Detroit Lions in free agency, opening up the CB2 position opposite Sauce Gardner. They brought in Brandon Stephens after a rough season with the Baltimore Ravens on a three-year free-agent deal. He struggled mightily against the Steelers, and that will need to be cleaned up before Josh Allen lights him up next week.

“Brandon Stephens was targeted 7 times in Week 1, allowing 5 catches for 60 yards and 2 TDs. He was also flagged for DPI and had a 136.9 NFL passer rating when targeted,” The Jet Press on X, formerly Twitter, posted.

The Jets were lit up for four passing touchdowns by their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Gardner allowed only one catch, which was a fluky tipped-ball drill, so Stephens needs to step up.

A costly fumble from Xavier Gipson

If fans needed any proof that this was the first game of the Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn era, it came late in the fourth quarter.
Kene Nwangwu had won the kick returner job in the preseason, but left the game with a hamstring injury. The Jets turned to Xavier Gipson, a Joe Douglas-era draft pick, to return kicks after the injury. He ended up fumbling a kick that immediately led to seven Steelers points.

The Jets were winning 26-17 when Rodgers hurled his third touchdown pass of the game. Gipson fumbled the ensuing kickoff, handing the Steelers the ball on the 22-yard line. They scored two plays later to take the 31-26 lead. While Fields led the offense on another touchdown drive to retake the lead, the fumble cost them tremendously.

Unnecessary penalties cost the Jets again

Under Robert Saleh, mind-numbing 15-yard penalties became the norm on both sides of the ball. While that is hard to quantify in a win-loss record, it did cost New York games under their former coach. For the most part, that was cleaned up on Sunday against the Steelers. Linebacker Quincy Williams took an unnecessary roughness penalty early in the 4th quarter, which helped Rodgers toss that third touchdown that helped change the game.

The Jets won't compete for the Super Bowl this year and likely won't make the playoffs, even in a weak AFC Wild Card race. But if Aaron Glenn wants to be the coach when that becomes the goal, he cannot have his defense taking dumb penalties. Pass interference, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer have plagued the Jets in the past. That must end before the Jets take the next step.

Glenn did give his team credit for not having any false starts or illegal formation penalties, which they led the league in last year. “We have to continue to nip all of those things in the bud. For the past two years, we led the league in penalties. So when you go out and you don't have one false start penalty…our guys have been doing a hell of a job at trying to fix that. We're going to continue to do that,” Glenn said, per SNY Jets.

Top 10 Lightning Players In NHL 26 Revealed

EA Sports' NHL 26 will soon be available to play, as the game will be released on Sep. 12. Due to this EA Sports has now revealed the top 10 Tampa Bay Lightning players in the game.

The Lightning's best player in NHL 26 is superstar winger Nikita Kucherov, as he has been given a 96 overall rating. When noting that he recorded a league-best 121 points this season, it is not surprising in the slightest that he has been given such a high rating.

Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy if the second-best Bolt in the game. EA Sports has given him a 93 overall rating in NHL 26, which is understandable given the season he just had.

Next up are defenseman Victor Hedman and forward Brayden Point, as they both have 92 overall ratings in NHL 26. Star winger Brandon Hagel has also been handed a 90 overall rating.

Jake Guentzel is the sixth-best Lightning player in the game, as he has been given an 89 overall rating. Following Guentzel is forward Anthony Cirelli, who has an 86 overall rating the game.

Meanwhile, Erik Cernak, Nick Paul, and Ryan McDonagh have all been given 85 overall ratings in the NHL 26. To round off the top 10 Lightning players in NHL 26, Darren Raddysh has an 84 overall rating.

Superstar Abilities Breakdown

Player	Key Abilities	Impact in NHL 26
Nikita Kucherov	Make It Snappy, Puck on a String	Elite sniper with silky hands—deadly on the rush and power play
Andrei Vasilevskiy	Contortionist, No Timer	Brick wall in net—dominates breakaways and high-pressure saves
Victor Hedman	Shutdown, Seeing Eye	Two-way beast—anchors defense and launches breakout passes
Brayden Point	Wheels, Close Quarters	Speed demon with lethal finishing—perfect for counterattacks
Brandon Hagel	Crease Crasher, Backhand Beauty	Gritty scorer—thrives in front of the net and rebounds
Jake Guentzel	Magnetic, Snipe	Smart shooter—finds soft spots and buries chances
Anthony Cirelli	Yoink!, Quick Draw	Defensive forward—great for penalty kill and faceoffs
Erik Cernak	Thunderclap, Stick ‘Em Up	Physical enforcer—dominates board battles and blocks shots
Nick Paul	Big Tipper, Truculence	Net-front presence—adds muscle and screens goalies well
Ryan McDonagh	Ice Pack, Tape to Tape	Veteran leader—reliable in clutch moments and transitions

Top Tier Defense: With Hedman, McDonagh, and Cernak, Tampa boasts one of the most balanced blue lines in NHL 26.
Elite Goaltending: Vasilevskiy remains one of the highest-rated goalies, rivaling Igor Shesterkin and Juuse Saros.
Offensive Firepower: Kucherov and Point are among the top 10 forwards league-wide, making Tampa lethal on the power play.