GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Jets are now 3-7 after a 31-6 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. Here are my impressions and thoughts on the game:
1. I’ve covered many coaches and young players who arrived with the Jets talking about turning things around and ending the old Jets story. And at some point you’ll see their appearance change. They look devastated, devastated, confused and miserable at the way the Jets lost.
Aaron Rodgers had that look on Sunday.
On the field, he was screaming and waving his arms in frustration. In the postgame press conference, his answer was short and quiet. There were no more people strutting around.
While I laughed as some coaches and rookies started talking about championships, I actually thought Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, might be able to break through the Jets’ bad vibes. Getting to the Super Bowl is a tall order, but I knew he could lead the team to the playoffs.
But now Rodgers has been swallowed alive and eaten alive by the Same Old Jets. He looks nothing like the old Aaron Rodgers, just the old Aaron Rodgers. On Sunday, he appeared to be facing downfield, afraid to retain the ball, despite decent pass protection. His longest pass was a 15-yard checkdown to Breece Hall.
The Jets traded BFF Davante Adams with the idea of sparking this offense, but the two never connected in the first half Sunday. He had a chance to get back into the game on the goal line early in the third quarter and missed Adams twice.
Rodgers was beaten down hard during the Jets’ five-game losing streak last month, which might explain his struggles. But he is healthy now. He practiced in earnest last week for the first time since early in the season.
This isn’t about your knees barking or grabbing your hamstrings. Looks like Rogers fell off a cliff. Rodgers passed for just 151 yards on 35 pass attempts Sunday. He had never gained so many yards on so many attempts in his career.
The Jets took a gamble on trading Rodgers. They knew he would soon turn 40 and have a down year in 2022. I understand the risk, but it was also a risk. If it didn’t work out, there was a risk that all the decision makers would be fired. Robert Saleh is already watching the Jets game from his couch. Joe Douglas is unlikely to return in 2025. The Jets will face a painful rebuild going forward, and Rodgers will cost $49 million in dead money.
As for Rodgers, people will forget this stint with the Jets because it was so unforgettable. It will be a footnote to his great career, much like the Chargers are to Johnny Unitas and the Rams are to Joe Namath.
Rogers’ experiment failed. The same old Jets win again.
2. Another trend for the Jets over the years has been to let good young players get crushed by losses. You can feel that happening right now with Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner, and Brees Hall. I don’t know if the Jets can do anything. I feel sorry for these players. They are talented and have probably been winning for most of their careers growing up. But now they are facing a third consecutive losing streak. Had Rodgers been healthy, this year would have been different.
Wilson’s frustration was palpable in the locker room after the game. He has had some dynamic moments this season, most notably his catch against the Texans. But Wilson wants to win. He doesn’t have the diva tendencies that many receivers tend to have. But here he was describing another loss, another game in which the Jets couldn’t get to the end zone. This game felt like it could have been ripped off from 2022 or 2023.
But the only difference from those years is that the defenses in 2022 and 2023 generally played well. It wasn’t there on Sunday. Gardner was partly responsible for a huge missed tackle on third down. Gardner seems appalled by this season and you can see his frustration growing.
Jets fans must hope these young stars don’t tire of the Jets and request trades this offseason. It will be tempting for a new GM to deal one of them and acquire enough picks to accelerate the rebuild. The Jets have been down this path many times before, but names like Keyshawn Johnson, John Abraham, Darrelle Revis, Leonard Williams, and Jamal Adams come to mind.
It would be sad for Jets fans to see the Jets move on from Gardner, Wilson, and Hall. However, for the players, it may be a sense of relief after losing so much.
3. What happened to the Jets’ once-mighty defense? That’s not a simple answer. Here’s a list of what I think I did wrong:
A) They are bound to suffer some setbacks this season. The defense has played very well the last two years. It’s tough to maintain that level. Even with some setbacks, the Jets will still be a great defense.
B) Losing Bryce Huff and John Franklin Myers was huge. Both were highly productive players and popular players in the locker room. One player said he always knew that if an opponent ran to his side, Franklin Myers would make the tackle. When JFM existed, they weren’t worried about the Bucks moving up to the second level. I know Huff hasn’t had a good year in Philadelphia, but he was built for this defense. Huff was emerging as a really good player, but the Jets let him walk. Haason Reddick was not seen Sunday.
C) The firing of Robert Saleh clearly affected this defense. I don’t know if it’s because they’re missing his defensive mind from a schematic standpoint, or if Jeff Ulbrich is just overwhelmed with juggling both head coach duties and defensive coordinator duties. . Anyway, the defense has gotten even worse since Saleh was gone.
4. The loss in Sunday’s chaotic game was that left tackle Tyron Smith left with a neck injury and did not play in the second half. This could result in a big change, with 2024 first-round pick Olu Fashanu taking over as left tackle. Smith hasn’t had a good season, so it might not be a huge loss. We should have known Smith was going to get hurt at some point. That was part of the logic in drafting Fashanu No. 11 overall. This will allow the Jets to take a closer look at Fashanu. If the Jets believe Fashanu can protect Rodgers, they should let him play the rest of the season and develop. We’ve gotten to that part of the season and the record is where it is now.
reveal status
Rodgers averaged 4.3 yards per attempt Sunday, but appeared afraid to throw deep. He is averaging 6.4 yards per attempt this season. This is the lowest of his career since becoming a starter in 2008.
Amazing number of snaps
Braylon Allen played just 14 snaps in Sunday’s game. Breece Hall played 47th. I don’t understand why the difference is so big. Allen can carry the ball up the middle. He’s productive when he plays. The Jets need to give him a bigger role.
game ball
The Jets missed a lot of tackles, but Jamian Sherwood made 17 of them. Sherwood plays in place of C.J. Mosley and has continued to make strides this season, being one of the only positives on Sunday.
