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It’s like nutrition to some when Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ offense have a bad game.
The nutrition isn’t in the Jets offense overall struggling, but Rodgers having a bad game.
And to them, when the Jets’ offense looks bad, it’s all on Rodgers.
In the Jets 40-14 loss to Buffalo, Rodgers went 12-18 for 144 yards with two interceptions and a 44 QB rating.
You should have heard FS1’s Nick Wright on his show Monday talking about Rodgers. When Rodgers struggles it’s like manna from heaven for him.
There was a Bills reporter in the press box, who hates Rodgers, telling me how bad the QB is now during the game.
And with people like this, there is no context in their evaluation of the player.
This is what I mean by that:
It doesn’t matter that his offensive line had a horrible game, giving up four sacks and seven QB hits.
All we hear from people like this is he can’t move anymore. Is that what objective observers saw before this game, when he was consistently moving around the pocket, creating time when under pressure, to keep plays alive, and make something out of nothing, with second-play throws?
Is that what you saw in Jacksonville when he led the team in rushing?
As they say in the NFL, “bad lines don’t travel well.”
And that was a bad line the Jets had on the field in Buffalo.
They were starting a third-string left tackle, Max Mitchell, who is not an NFL left tackle. He’s a right tackle or guard, but not a left tackle, and there is nothing wrong with that.
As Bill Parcells always said, “Know who you are.”
He was forced to play because Tyron Smith and Olu Fashanu are out for the year.
Let me ask y’all a question – What offense flourishes with a third-string left tackle protecting the QB’s blindside on the NFL level?
And two of the worst plays this game came from the Bills’ right defensive end ruining a play right off the snap.
The safety and the failed fourth-and-one.
That’s on Rodgers?
They were playing most of the game with a backup right tackle, Carter Warren, because Morgan Moses got hurt early in the game.
Warren is struggling.
The center continues to have issues with high snaps.
When you get bad offensive line play in Buffalo, where you can’t hear yourself think at Highmark Stadium, one of the loudest in the league. you have no chance.
And there were issues on the sidelines:
On 4th-and-5 from the Buffalo 38, the Jets took a delay of game penalty and had to punt – Rodgers said this is what the sideline wanted to do.
That was one of 16 Jets penalties in this game, and one reason this team is so penalty-prone is there is no fear of repercussions (like getting benched or cut). That culture started with the previous coach.
Look, Rodgers didn’t play well in this game, but his supporting cast was horrible, including a receiver who fumbled. Ian Rapoport announced that receiver might not want to play with the QB after this season.
And a star CB, who fashions himself a personnel consultant to free agents who might consider the Jets, committed another pass interference penalty, this time in the end zone.
Here is the bottom line once again – Rodgers is still a good quarterback, but not necessarily vintage Rodgers from his heyday. Earlier in his career, he was so good, he could put a team on his back, and lead them far, even if there were weaknesses on the team.
There is an old saying around the NFL that “Great quarterbacks are like strong deodorants – they can cover up other things on the team that stink.
He can’t do that anymore.
He needs a strong supporting cast and good complimentary football. He doesn’t have much of either right now.
And I don’t blame Jeff Ulbrich for this mess – he inherited this.
But these people that analyze Jets games, like their dumpster fire in Buffalo, and blame Rodgers, with no context, aren’t credible in their analysis of this player, and are perhaps agenda-driven.
January 1, 2025
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