After blowing an opportunity against the previously winless Dolphins in Week 7, it only got worse for the Jets after getting outscored, 24-10, in the second half and losing a 38-33 shootout to the Raiders on Sunday in the second of back-to-back home games.

It was a much quicker start for the Jets with points on all five of their first-half drives. They even outgained the Raiders, 439-333, and were about as efficient as you could ask for offensively, but the persistent red-zone issues (2-of-6), poor special teams play and the defense's inability to get consistent stops proved costly in a tightly contested game.

Instead of winning a pair of games on home soil at MetLife Stadium, the Jets lost both and head into a trickier part of the schedule riding their second three-game losing streak in just eight games with a disappointing 2-6 record.

Before we get too far ahead to a Week 9 road trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs, let's hand out some grades for each unit following another blown opportunity against the Raiders.

Quarterbacks: B+

Geno Smith was instrumental in New York's quicker start and efficient offensive performance. He was 20-of-32 for 290 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, averaging a solid 9.1 yards per attempt and pushing the ball downfield effectively as the Jets went on to score on each of the offense's first six possessions.

It was not a perfect performance for Smith against his former team, but he ended the game on a sour note with the game-ending interception on Gang Green's final drive as Jeremy Chinn came down with the toe-tapping pick in the end zone.

Jeremy Chinn seals the victory for the Raiders and shows off some toe drag swag for the INT off Geno Smith. pic.twitter.com/Eqd8TQpAH4

— The Goal Line Grind (@theGLgrind) November 1, 2026

Wide receivers: A-

The long-awaited breakout performance finally came from WR Adonai Mitchell, coming off zero catches on three targets in his return from a finger injury. He led the way for the Jets' passing attack with seven catches (on nine targets) for 142 yards and a 12-yard touchdown that gave the game its fourth lead change of the opening half.

Garrett Wilson was finally a bigger part of the offense with six catches (on 12 targets) for 83 yards, while Isaiah Williams scored the first TD of the game for Gang Green after a slow start to the season. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. was not a factor after back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, but it is clear this is a talented group of wideouts where any of the three starters can go off on any given Sunday.

Tight ends: C

One week after Mason Taylor exploded for two TDs and had a career outing for himself, the TE group made little impact this week. Rookie Kenyon Sadiq had one reception for 22 yards and Taylor came down with three of his five targets for 19 yards, but it was clear the focus this week was more on the WR unit and distributing the ball on the outside against a Raiders defense that ranks 29th in the league in points allowed (28.1 ppg).

It was still some complementary football from this group alongside the wideouts and they helped stretch the middle of the field, but they did not have an impactful performance this time around. It only made matters worse that Raiders TE Brock Bowers went for 92 yards and two TDs and completely took over the game for his unit.

Running backs: A+

It was hard to find much to be disappointed with from this group as Braelon Allen went off for 21 carries, 147 yards and one TD, averaging a career-high seven yards per carry in the process. He broke free for this 21-yard TD run to give the Jets a nine-point lead in the third quarter (h/t NFL).

Braelon Allen scores and now has 142 rushing yards on the day!

LVvsNYJ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aGaC9Th33s

— NFL (@NFL) November 1, 2026

He is the first Jets running back with three straight 100-yard games since Hall of Famer Curtis Martin and continues to do a phenomenal job filling in for the injured Breece Hall. Isaiah Davis only had five carries for 15 yards, but he did not have to do much, as Allen completely dominated the Raiders up front and gave the offense some explosive plays to balance out the pass game.

Offensive line: B+

Although they were not as dominant in the second half, the O-line continues to show glimpses of how effective it can be in the trenches. In addition to affording Smith plenty of time to throw, Allen had his way on the ground and took advantage of some open lanes to make the Raiders pay on numerous occasions.

They did allow two sacks and failed to capitalize late with some penalties and an inability to finish out drives when the end zone was in sight. That said, starting left guard Dylan Parham returned to the lineup and was instrumental in helping the unit up front open up holes for Allen to exploit, and it was clear what potential exists as this unit takes more snaps together.

Defensive line: C-

Despite an uncertain future surrounding Will McDonald IV, he recorded his third sack of the season late in the first quarter (h/t SNY Jets) and provided a bright spot for a D-line that was without four of its starters for Sunday's game.

Will McDonald gets the third-down sack 💪 pic.twitter.com/OatTNNgtsD

— SNY Jets (@snyjets) November 1, 2026

That was even followed by a fourth-down stop on the Raiders' next offensive possession, but it was clear this unit was banged up and struggling to contain anything Las Vegas threw at them. Granted, the Raiders only mustered 95 yards on the ground, but the Jets could not find a way to slow down QB Kirk Cousins and could not get off the field on third down, as the problems only seem to be getting worse up front as the injuries keep piling up.

Linebackers: C-

Jamien Sherwood continued his breakout season with a team-high 14 tackles (five solo) while also being active against the run. Demario Davis was not bad, either, with seven tackles (one solo), but this unit was still a mixed bag that failed to provide much relief from the inconsistency up front on the D-line.

Coverage issues were a clear problem, with Bowers going off for a pair of TDs and RB Ashton Jeanty going for 64 yards on just three receptions. The inability to contain the open field and limit Bowers and Jeanty proved costly, as did the critical conversions that were allowed in the second half.

Secondary: D

The Jets have utilized a heavy dose of man coverage this season, and this was one of the key matchups entering the weekend to see how the secondary could fare against Bowers. Coverage breakdowns and communication issues were prevalent throughout the game as Bowers had his way, and Cousins completed 19 of 26 passes for 247 yards and three TDs, in addition to a season-best 141.0 passer rating.

The secondary failed to create a game-changing takeaway and, while safety Dane Belton led the group with 12 tackles (nine solo), along with one tackle for loss and one pass defended, it was a struggle for the entire group. That was particularly true for Brandon Stephens, who continues to become an unnecessary Jets headache after being called for a defensive holding penalty on a third-and-goal in the third quarter, which led to a Raiders TD a few plays later.

Special teams: F

This has nothing to do with kicker Jason Sanders, who nailed all four of his field goals and each of his three extra points. Punter Austin McNamara was solid with an average of 44 yards per punt, and Williams averaged 33 yards on both kickoff returns, but the 95-yard kickoff-return TD from Dylan Laube (h/t NFL+) was the difference in the game.

✅ 95 yards to the house
✅ Raiders' first kickoff return since 2011
✅ NFL's first kick return TD of 2026
✅ Dylan Laube's fastest TD (20.97 MPH via @NextGenStats)

LVvsNYJ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xu0hAbc4RK

— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) November 1, 2026

Simply put, that type of play cannot happen, especially in a game decided by five points. You can point to the D-line's continued struggles and some more coaching miscues from this staff, but that play completely flipped the momentum and had a huge say in the outcome of the game, even if the rest of the special teams unit held up its end of the bargain.

Coaching: D

So much for head coach Aaron Glenn's confidence in his play-calling coming into this game. His defense gave up three consecutive TD drives to open the second half and he kept his corners on Las Vegas' TEs even though they had no answer for Bowers and Michael Mayer. Sure, the D-line was banged up and without rookie edge rusher David Bailey (groin) for the first time in his career, but he was still unable to contain the Raiders offense in the second half and allowed them to go a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone.

Offensively, it was a solid game plan from offensive coordinator Frank Reich and a good sign that the targets were at least coming Wilson's way, even if he caught half of them. Still, it was a bizarre decision to throw a Hail Mary with 14 seconds on the clock and the ball already on the 35-yard-line. Instead of helping his offense get closer to the end zone and finishing the game strong, Reich took a chance, and the game ended with the only turnover by either team.