Rodgers and the Jets: A Season of Disappointment and Reflection
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The New York Jets’ season has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills was no exception. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t achieve his 500th touchdown pass, but he did make history in a way he’d probably rather forget. The Jets suffered a crushing 40-14 loss at Highmark Stadium, a defeat so severe that it left some players questioning the team’s effort.
Rodgers was sacked four times, bringing his career total to 568, surpassing Tom Brady’s record of 565 as the most-sacked quarterback in NFL history. “Yeah, I got Tom on that,” Rodgers quipped with a weak smile, trying to find humor in a grim situation.
The game was a disaster for Rodgers and the Jets, who now stand at 4-12. The future Hall of Famer even suggested to his coaches that they play his backup at the start of the fourth quarter, with the Jets trailing 40-0. Enter Tyrod Taylor for mop-up duty. It was the first time in Rodgers’ career that his team faced a 40-point deficit in a game he started.
This game was a microcosm of a season that began with high hopes and Super Bowl aspirations. “Yeah, I mean, it’s kind of like the season — it just got away from us,” Rodgers reflected. He threw two interceptions and recorded a 1.2 Total QBR, the lowest of his career. “Too many games got away from us. This game got away from us. We were moving the ball well and then we just hit a wall. And that’s been kind of the season, too.”
The Jets’ offense, led by Rodgers, has gone 14 straight possessions without a touchdown. Taylor managed to lead two scoring drives in garbage time, but Rodgers remains stuck at 499 touchdown passes. He will attempt to become the fifth player in history to reach 500 in the season finale against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.
Rodgers had opportunities early in the game, but missed an open Kenny Yeboah on a third-and-1 pass at the 24, and the Jets failed to convert on fourth down. On the next possession, Rodgers threw an interception from the Bills’ 12-yard line. It was a screen pass to Davante Adams, but the pass was tipped and intercepted by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
“We have to execute that play,” Rodgers said, adding that he wasn’t focused on reaching 500 touchdowns. After his second interception, Rodgers (12-for-18, 112 yards) committed the first unnecessary roughness penalty of his career, a late shove on Bills cornerback Christian Benford. It was one of 16 penalties for 120 yards, including five personal fouls, marking the Jets’ most accepted penalties in a game since 2018.
“I don’t think I pushed him very hard,” Rodgers commented.
Rodgers has lost 12 games this year, tied for the second most in a season by a former MVP quarterback since the award’s inception in 1957. Bert Jones of the Baltimore Colts went 2-13 in 1981.
After the game, Rodgers was careful with his words, avoiding questioning the team’s effort. However, other players were more vocal. “You ask me, obviously we’re not going to the playoffs, some people might be checked out,” cornerback Sauce Gardner speculated. Cornerback D.J. Reed refrained from commenting on the effort but pointed to the offense’s lack of production. The Rodgers-led unit has scored only one touchdown in the past two games.
- “It comes down to complementary football, bro,” Reed said. “We’re playing a high-powered offense. Josh Allen is the MVP runner-up, whatever — a great player. We have to get s— going — on offense, on special teams. You keep having our defense go out there. Eventually, they’re going to do something good. … So yes, defense, we need to be better, but we have to play complementary football.”
Garrett Wilson, who scored a touchdown but also lost a fumble, described the outcome as “embarrassing. … It was as bad as it can get.”
When the two teams met in Week 6, Jeff Ulbrich’s first game as the interim coach, the Jets were 2-3 and playing for a share of first place. The Jets lost that game, 23-20. They’re now 2-9 under Ulbrich, who replaced the fired Robert Saleh.
“It’s frustrating. It’s embarrassing. It’s maddening,” Ulbrich said. “Yeah, it’s all that.”
Adams noted that the Jets’ talent compares favorably with that of the Bills (13-3). “On paper, it’ll look like it’ll be a shootout — and it should be — but it’s about execution,” Adams said. “It doesn’t matter who you have on the roster.”
Gardner echoed that sentiment. “We enhanced our roster in all areas, so that just tells me — I don’t know, bro — we can’t be playing as a team,” Gardner said. “We’re probably just individuals. Last year and the year before, we had a roster that wasn’t as talented, but we found ways to win. So what’s stopping that now with a more talented roster?”
Originally Written by: Rich Cimini
