The Jets opened October by falling further below the .500 mark with a 23-13 loss to the Bears on Sunday afternoon. It was a struggle for Gang Green on both sides of the ball at Soldier Field, as the Bears outpaced them 492-157 in total yards while the Jets went an uninspiring 0-for-7 on third downs, all while tallying more penalty yards (76) than offense on the ground (59).

Even though New York was missing key offensive playmakers, that doesn't matter—a 1-3 record after four games leaves more questions than answers. The Jets' snap count from their third straight loss helps address those concerns, highlighting who might deserve more playing time and whose should be slashed for the betterment of the team.

That said, here are the biggest winners and losers of the Week 4 snap count, as well as one Jet whose role changed and might look different moving forward.

Winner: Braelon Allen, RB

Braelon Allen found himself as the Jets' de facto No. 1 running back with Breece Hall missing Week 4 due to a quad injury. The 22-year-old RB entered the weekend with only 61 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries (3.2 yards per carry), but the fact that he had previously started twice gave New York fans hope Allen could handle what head coach Aaron Glenn needed him to do.

He didn't find the end zone, but Allen did look solid with 59 rushing yards on 14 carries, all while playing 30 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Even though that number is lower than last week's (34), that has a lot to do with how the Jets' offense struggled to stay on the field.

When you break things down, Allen played 93.8% of offensive snaps (30-of-32) compared to 51.5% (34-of-66) in Week 3.

That workload won't remain when Hall returns, but continuing to capitalize on the bumped-up snap count will help Allen remain a key part of the Jets' offensive plans, no matter who's healthy.

Loser: Andre Cisco, S

The Jets' defense was given a boost with offseason acquisition Minkah Fitzpatrick's return to the secondary on Sunday. While getting a proven performer like Fitzpatrick back was welcome by fans and coaches, his return naturally meant someone else would lose opportunities. That player ended up being Andre Cisco.

Cisco was the biggest beneficiary from the moment that Fitzpatrick went down in Week 1. The Syracuse product finished the season opener with 44 snaps before that jumped to 59 in Week 2, followed by a season-high mark of 65 against the Lions last week. But with Fitzpatrick back, Cisco ended Sunday's game with only three defensive snaps.

For reference, he had never played fewer than 48 in an appearance with the Jets since the start of the 2025 season. Fitzpatrick and Dane Belton are terrific starting safeties when healthy, but the NFL season is long, and New York shouldn't want to tire them out, so finding a way to get more snaps to Cisco could be in the team's best interest.

Winner: Jack Heflin, DL

Jack Heflin's 2026 has been a rollercoaster ride. He went from signing a reserve contract in February to being waived and added to the practice squad in the summer, only to be promoted to the 53-man roster in Week 2. He made his debut with a quiet performance in last week's loss to the Lions, making it interesting to see how he'd be used moving forward.

Well, it only took one game to find out.

After fellow defensive lineman Braiden McGregor was ruled out with a chest injury in the second half, Heflin's playing time increased, as he finished Sunday's loss with 16 defensive snaps—including seven pass-rush opportunities—which was an increase from the eight he saw in his Jets debut in Week 3. He didn't record any meaningful stats, but it's clear that New York sees Heflin as a viable fill-in option.

If McGregor misses time (whether that's a game or more), expect Heflin's snap count to continue growing.

Loser: Isaiah Davis, RB

Without Hall leading the backfield against the Bears, the Jets turned to Allen and Isaiah Davis as their lead running backs on the day. Although Allen had a solid day, given how New York's offense looked throughout the loss, Davis's performance could be described as anything but notable.

Despite the lack of Hall, the Jets didn't look Davis's way, as all 14 carries out of the backfield went to Allen. It'd be one thing if he'd at least been on the field a decent amount, but that wasn't the case either. Davis went from playing zero offensive snaps in the first three weeks to two on Sunday, which isn't exactly an encouraging increase. It means that even when Hall isn't playing, the Jets don't see giving him the ball as much of a priority.

Role change: D'Angelo Ponds, CB

Jets fans have been clamoring to see D'Angelo Ponds unleashed. The rookie cornerback's NFL career has started slowly, mainly due to the offseason injury situation that limited his availability. Ponds finally made his debut to the tune of two defensive snaps against the Lions last week, leaving those around Gotham hoping to see more.

Week 4 appeared to be another quiet outing for Ponds until fellow slot defender Jarvis Brownlee Jr. exited and didn't return due to a concussion (h/t Jets). Glenn then tabbed Ponds as the next man up, using the ex-Indiana Hoosier for 18 defensive snaps, with 14 coming in the slot. Although the rookie didn't come up with a pick or defended pass (he wasn't targeted), he did record a run stop and finished with PFF grades of 75.2 for run defense and 74.0 for tackling.

There's still a lot to learn about Brownlee's situation as he prepares to navigate the NFL's concussion protocol. In the meantime, the Jets will likely lean on Ponds as their No. 1 slot CB, with the upcoming Week 5 showdown vs. the Browns marking his first potential NFL start.

If that happens and Ponds looks more like a veteran than a first-year pro in the middle of the field, the Jets might have no choice but to increase his role for the rest of the season.

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