When the New York Jets traded for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers in April 2023, it was in hopes of making a permanent mark on the franchise by winning its second Super Bowl. The first and only came in Super Bowl III in 1969.
Rodgers and the franchise have added to the Jets history, but not in the way worth celebrating. This past Sunday, Gang Green became the first team in NFL history to score 20 or more points, not committing a turnover, and allowing fewer than 250 yards on defense and lose, falling 25-22 to the New England Patriots on the road.
Before Sunday, including the postseason, such teams were a staggering 750-0. The Jets managed to lose the game despite New England Patriots rookie starting quarterback Drake Maye being removed from the game in the second quarter with a concussion. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who began this season as the starter, rallied the team for the improbable win, leading a 12-play, 70-yard go-ahead touchdown drive with just 22 seconds remaining.
Though the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh after a 23-17 Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on October 6 in London, it didn’t change them for the better. The team looks much worse under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. In three games leading the team, the defense has regressed, giving up 85 points as opposed to 85 total in the prior five games for the now 2-6 Jets, which are tied with the 2-6 Patriots for last place in the AFC East.
Aside from Sunday’s historic loss, a sign of an inexcusable lack of execution was the Jets using all three of their first-half timeouts in the first quarter. The soon to be 41-year-old Rodgers continues to give generic responses for the offense’s ongoing issues. “I thought the energy was great today,” he said after Sunday’s loss.
“I thought guys were engaged. I thought we played with some passion. We just, execution-wise, I didn’t do enough offensively. You know, we set our sights on scoring 30 and it was right there for us.”
The Jets have averaged 18.8 points this season, with a season-high of 24 points scored in each of their two wins. The team lacks identity and a clear direction, even after trading with the Las Vegas Raiders on October 15 for wide receiver Davante Adams, who was longtime teammates with Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers, as well as agreeing to a reworked contract with linebacker Haason Reddick on October 20. Reddick had been holding out since training camp and had not played until the new deal was done.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the Jets five-game losing streak is the team’s ability to have potentially won four of the five games, as they lost to Denver in Week 4 by one point (10-9), the Vikings by six and, and the Buffalo Bills (23-20 in Week 6) and Patriots by a field goal. The team acquired Rodgers to win close games but the opposite has happened. The franchise should consider benching Rodgers and trading veterans to focus on the 2025 NFL Draft and season. The Jets will look to get their first win since a 24-3 September 19 win over the Patriots when they host the 6-2 Houston Texans tonight at MetLife Stadium.
