There was no particular pattern to this most basic of penalties. The Jets committed the same infraction on the second play of the first drive, the first play of the second drive and the third play of the third drive. They were flagged for false starts less than a minute into the contest and with 18 seconds left in the game.

It happened on the left side of the ball and the right, as well as in the middle of the line. Herndon, a rookie, actually moved twice on his miscue. The first shift went uncalled by the official despite Bears pass rusher Aaron Lynch pointing out Herndon’s move. The official blew the play dead when Herndon moved a second time. Herndon, who also scored a touchdown in the loss, accepted the blame, as did his compatriots.

“It’s just, especially when you’re going snap after snap, it’s just timing up when that head bob goes,” Beachum said. “There’s a lot of anticipation that goes with it. Sometimes you get a little antsy and jump. No excuse. Something I can’t have.”

Bowles oversaw a particularly anxious unit in 2015, his first season as head coach, when the Jets committed 1.44 false starts per game, the fourth most in the NFL. In 2016, they calmed and were tied for 20th in the league. Last season, they committed 14 false starts in 16 contests.

The false start is not the team’s only problem. It is also not necessarily indicative of failure. The Chiefs, now 7-1, are tied with the Texans, who are 5-3, for most false starts this season. The Broncos, also 3-5, have committed two false starts — the fewest in the league — through eight weeks while the Jets have committed 12 and are ranked third worst in the NFL.

Darnold allowed that he could “communicate a little better in the huddle” and insisted that the use of silent counts and various cadences was necessary to keep counterparts at bay.