Spoiler alert: the Jets’ painful Aaron Rodgers era isn’t going to get better | Aaron Rodgers

The Aaron Rodgers period, which by no means actually started in New York, is formally over.

Final season after eight video games, the New York Jets have been 4-4 with Zach Wilson at quarterback, and a protection led by head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich that not less than saved the group in video games, till all the pieces fell aside through the second half, and the Jets completed 7-10.

It was mechanically assumed that when Aaron Rodgers, a four-time MVP and future Corridor of Famer, returned from the torn achilles that value him all however 4 snaps in 2023, issues can be significantly better.

Spoiler alert: Issues are usually not significantly better. The truth is, they’re worse than they have been below Wilson, a quarterback who not often regarded like he belonged within the NFL. After their 25-22 Sunday loss to a New England Patriots group whose personal head coach, Jerod Mayo, agreed with the concept his group was taking part in “tender” after a Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets are 2-6, on the very backside of the AFC East.

No matter’s worse than the “tender” descriptor for an NFL group, and there aren’t many extra grievous insults to levy, that’s the place the Jets are actually.

Saleh was fired after a 2-3 begin, which now looks like a lot happier occasions. Ulbrich’s promotion to interim head coach has affected the protection, the group’s energy, in profoundly unfavorable methods. And Rodgers goes to expire of individuals to be offended with sooner quite than later.

The very fact is that Rodgers can be 41 in December, and it’s beginning to present. Even his opponents really feel unhealthy for him. “Hate to see him exit that approach,” stated the Patriots’ Davon Godchaux after Sunday’s recreation. “He positively don’t look the identical. He saved transferring again there – shit, I might run him down and catch him. He don’t look cellular in any respect.”

Godchaux, it must be famous, is not any Noah Lyles. He’s a 330lb defensive sort out who ran a 5.27sec 40-yard sprint on the mix in 2016. He’s in all probability even slower now.

Then once more, Rodgers accomplished 17 of 28 passes for 233 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 111.2 within the Patriots loss, so it wasn’t all on him. However the commerce for Rodgers earlier than the 2023 season, which was imagined to presage a Jets quarterback period that hasn’t existed since Joe Namath’s salad days within the late Nineteen Sixties, has been an entire and utter wash. The final time Rodgers topped 300 passing yards in a recreation was in Week 13 of the 2021 season.

That’s a not-so-subtle reminder that even in his 2022 season, Rodgers was now not the quarterback he as soon as had been.

The Jets took a critical likelihood on a declining quarterback with a capricious thoughts who’s fast responsible others for his issues, they usually caved into his determined want for organizational management, bringing in gamers who have been his pals quite than belongings and a (now former) offensive coordinator who was derided by his friends. Now, they’re paying the worth with a misplaced season, and a few critical inquiries to reply quickly. Rodgers signed a revised three-year, $112.5m contract with the Jets in 2023 that features $75m in ensures. If Rodgers is on the roster in 2025, he carries a wage cap hit of $23.5m, which isn’t the worst factor on the planet. But when Rodgers needs to be on the roster and the Jets disagree, the Jets must eat $49m in lifeless wage cap to soak up his absence.

“I’ve been within the darkness,” stated Rodgers after the sport. “It’s important to go in there and make peace with it.”

The Jets ought to pay attention: it seems to be like they’re going to be in there lengthy after Rodgers has left the constructing.

MVP of the week

Jameis Winston, QB, Cleveland Browns. Let’s begin with this: Winston defending Deshaun Watson as an individual just about tells you all the pieces it’s good to learn about him off the sphere. But it surely’s powerful to argue with the impact he had on the sphere after taking on from Watson. In a 29-24 win over the high-flying Ravens on Sunday, Winston accomplished 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 115.3. Each time Lamar Jackson and the explosive Baltimore offense put factors on the board, Winston was there for one more ridiculous throw to maintain issues in test. His 23-yard landing move to David Njoku within the third quarter was however one instance.

In fact, it wouldn’t be a Winston recreation with out a few ups and downs. On the play earlier than his game-winning landing move to Cedric Tillman, Winston threw a move within the basic path of receiver Elijah Moore that ought to have been intercepted by Ravens super-safety Kyle Hamilton, which might have successfully gained the sport for Baltimore.

All in a day’s work for the one quarterback in professional soccer historical past to throw not less than 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the identical season. However there’s no query that Winston provides the Browns extra at quarterback than Watson ever might.

Video of the week

A quite straightforward determination.

Sunday’s recreation between the Washington Commanders and the Chicago Bears was between the primary two picks within the 2024 draft – Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. When Daniels was capable of go regardless of the rib harm he suffered in Week 7, the hope was that the sport would reside as much as the hype. It did.

Each gamers have proven rather a lot to date, however Daniels has been setting himself aside all season lengthy. The Commanders, who completed their 2023 season with a 4-13 file, have already got extra wins than that in 2024, and their 6-2 file locations them atop the NFC East. Daniels could have already wrapped up the Offensive Rookie of the 12 months award; at this level, it’s extra about whether or not he must be thought of a favourite for MVP. If that have been to occur, Daniels can be the second rookie to seize MVP, becoming a member of Jim Brown in 1957.

As for the Bears? Subsequent time you’re in a Hail Mary state of affairs, guys, it might be good to have any defenders in the long run zone because the ball is available in. Not less than we all know what Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was going as a substitute:

“The sport ain’t over till zeros hit the clock. Can’t take something as a right. Notes taken, enchancment will occur,” Stevenson wrote on X after the sport.

Stat of the week

85 passing yards. From Week 4 by way of Week 7, Jared Goff carried out at a stage that matched a few of the best quarterbacks in historical past. Goff grew to become simply the fourth quarterback in NFL annals with a passer ranking of 140.0 or greater in three consecutive video games (Detroit had a Week 5 bye).

So, what are we to make of Detroit’s 52-14 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, when Goff accomplished 12 of 15 passes for simply 85 yards? Maybe the Lions don’t want their quarterback to be nice or prolific to succeed, which is a daunting thought for the remainder of the NFL. A part of the story was that Goff didn’t throw rather a lot as a result of he didn’t must. The Lions began in Tennessee territory on 5 of their 13 drives.

How usually has a group scored 52 factors in a recreation when their beginning quarterback has thrown for 85 or fewer yards? The reply: By no means. The final time some other group got here shut was … the Lions on 26 September 1954. Detroit beat the Chicago Bears 48-23 regardless of Corridor of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne finishing 4 of 16 passes for 84 yards. Layne had a viral an infection and a temperature of 102 levels, and was changed by Tom Dublinski within the first half.

Elsewhere across the league

— On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers performed a tightly contested recreation for management of the NFC South that ended 31-26 in Atlanta’s favor. However is that the way it ought to have ended?

With 7:27 left within the first half, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a move to Kyle Pitts, who rumbled downfield for what could or could not have been a 49-yard landing. Simply as doubtless, Buccaneers security Antoine WInfield Jr punched the ball out of Pitts’s hand simply earlier than the tight finish reached the top zone. If the ball didn’t break the airplane of the top zone earlier than it was out, it might have been a fumble.

The play was reviewed and upheld as a landing by referee Shawn Hochuli’s crew, and Mission Management in New York Metropolis. However as Fox Sports activities analyst and former NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira defined, there was no true finish zone angle to check, so there was no approach for a conclusive overturn to occur.

It’s shameful {that a} multibillion-dollar trade just like the NFL doesn’t have the know-how in place for immediate and correct evaluations, however that’s the best way the ball bounced for the Bucs.

— In the meantime, the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans battled for bragging rights within the AFC South, and it might be stated that Colts head coach Shane Steichen by no means gave his group a good likelihood in what ended with a 23-20 Texans win.

It’s comprehensible that Steichen selected to start out Anthony Richardson after the quarterback had missed the earlier two video games with harm – you wish to see what your first-round teen has going for him. However when Richardson accomplished solely two of 15 passes for 81 yards and requested for a breather within the third quarter, maybe he ought to have been changed by Joe Flacco for multiple play. It was Flacco, in any case, who lit up opponents when Richardson was out.

Richardson could sometime be an important quarterback, however the outcomes from a pure passing perspective have been lower than stellar for the 2023 fourth general choose who missed all however 4 video games in his rookie season as a result of harm. And Steichen ought to have made the change to maintain his group within the recreation. In case you’re out of hope for a vital division win to imply something, it’s a course of. In case you’re coming into such a recreation at 4-3, with an actual likelihood to win along with your backup quarterback – who’s taking part in much better than your starter – it must be one thing else. We are able to wait and see if this determination hamstrings the Colts’ postseason alternatives down the highway. Particularly because the Texans have already swept them this season in two video games with Richardson at quarterback.

— When the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense was final actually buzzing, it was the 2022 season, and Nick Sirianni’s group went all the best way to the Tremendous Bowl. The distinction in that season, in comparison with each season since? Sirianni, and the aforementioned Steichen, who received his present gig on the energy of that season because the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, used quarterback Jalen Hurts’ dashing means because the bridge between the passing recreation and the operating recreation with out Hurts.

It hasn’t occurred rather a lot since that magical season, however it did in Philly’s 37-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Not solely did Hurts run 10 occasions for 37 yards and three touchdowns, however that amplified the efforts of Saquon Barkley, who gained 108 yards on 22 carries. The 2022 Eagles have been capable of foil defenses with 11 personnel (one tight finish, one operating again, three receivers), which is a lighter personnel, each within the run and move video games, due to the specter of Hurts as a runner. The Eagles rolled with largely 11 personnel on this recreation to Hurts’ profit – he additionally accomplished 16 of 20 passes for 236 yards, one landing, no interceptions, and a passer ranking of 132.5. The Eagles have been extra up-and-down this season than their 5-2 file would point out, however the standings move no judgment, and maybe this is a sign that Philly is again in that schematic saddle.