LONDON — You can’t blame the cadence this week for the penalties.
The Jets had no false starts this week after five last week but the penalty problem switched to the secondary.
Cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (3) and D.J. Reed (2) combined for five penalties, including one series with three that led to the Vikings’ lone offensive touchdown.
The calls looked questionable and Jets coach Robert Saleh was not happy with the officials.
“There was one on D.J. I thought was a legit penalty but it was probably more illegal contact or holding, not a DPI,” Saleh said. “But the rest of them, I don’t understand them. I need clarification from the NFL officiating team.”
Gardner was penalized for illegal contact, holding and pass interference.
Reed was called for pass interference twice.
“The PI that they called me on the back shoulder to Justin [Jefferson]. I was just chest-to-chest, trying to look back for the ball. He pushed off on me,” Gardner said. “The one on [Jordan] Addison, I guess he wasn’t going to be able to catch the ball, anyway. That’s just what happened.
“The first one, the illegal contact, I thought he went outside and tried to get back inside. I just slipped to the outside and played on top of the route. I guess that’s illegal contact, as well.”
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers said he suffered a low ankle sprain in the third quarter.
Rodgers got hit by Vikings linebacker Jihad Ward and he got twisted awkwardly with some players at his feet.
Rodgers was slow to get up and get off the field.
He was heading to the blue medical tent when a roughing the kicker penalty gave the Jets a new set of downs and Rodgers ran onto the field.
He did not miss a play, but he was clearly favoring his left leg.
“I’m definitely banged up,” said Rodgers, who was on the injury report with a knee this week. “I got my foot caught in the pile there. It just seems to be a low ankle sprain.”
Saleh decided to go for it on fourth-and-2 at the Vikings 26-yard line with the Jets trailing 10-0 in the second quarter.
Braelon Allen got stuffed on the play and the Jets came away with no points in a game that ended up being close.
“I feel like we’ve got to be able to get those,” Saleh said. “We weren’t moving the ball very well. We were down there trying to be aggressive and see if we can go get seven.”
CB Michael Carter II injured his hamstring during pregame warm-ups.
He tried to play but only lasted a few plays.
Carter called it a “tweak” but was moving slowly in the postgame locker room.
WR Malachi Corley, the team’s third-round pick, was a healthy scratch Sunday.