5 days Ago
No one in their right mind could have predicted an Aaron Rodgers-led football team would begin a season 3-8. No one. And yet, here we are.
The New York Jets have dropped seven of their last eight games including Sunday's 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the closing seconds of the contest. Analysts will point to the lack of effective coaching around the roster. Some will even critique some of the younger stars on the team like Sauce Gardner for their regression.
At the end of the day, though, all roads lead to Rodgers. © Brad Penner-Imagn Images Rodgers came to the Jets on the promise he would save the organization from the decades of futility plaguing the organization. He had a system that he was a master of and knew how to take a collection of talented people and turn it into a championship-caliber roster.
Even his torn Achilles in 2023 wasn't going to hold him or the Jets back in 2024. It's evident that Rodgers' system isn't all it's cracked up to be. In Sunday's loss, Rodgers completed 22-29 passes for just 184 yards.
While he did throw for two touchdowns, his measly 6.3 yards per catch isn't going to get things done in the modern NFL. After the game, Rodgers had an explanation for why the Jets failed to be able to successfully push the ball downfield.
"They played Cover-Two most of the game," Rodgers explained. "So, there’s two safeties in the middle and the MIKE running down the middle. So, you’ve got to be patient.
" The issue with Rodgers' explanation Sunday, though, is that it does not explain the lack of deep throws over his final few years with the Green Bay Packers, or this season with the Jets specifically. In the prime of his career, the four-time NFL MVP was able to shred opposing defenses from anywhere on the field. His big arm and deadly-accurate acumen showed he was one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history.
In his last two seasons as a starter (both this season, and his final year in Green Bay), Rodgers has failed to record over seven yards per attempt. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this season in New York, and his last season with the Packers were some of the worst tape he's put on film. Related: Jets' Garrett Wilson Issues Self-Reflection Message To Locker Room Add in the fact that the Jets have done as much as they could to integrate Rodgers' offense into the roster, and it's clear that the future Hall-of-Famer has a major part to play in the team's 3-8 record.
"It wasn’t my best performance," Rodgers said. "I felt like I did a few good things, but unfortunately in this game sometimes you have to make a decision and pick a side and sometimes you pick the right side and sometimes you pick the wrong side. Twice I picked the wrong side.
" Rodgers has been picking the wrong side consistently for the Jets this season. It's left the team with more questions that answers going into the final six games of the season. And it's left the quarterback in limbo with that very team.
Related: Anthony Richardson Shines, Shocks Jets In Closing Seconds In 28-27 Game.
