Jets questioning players’ effort as Aaron Rodgers hits new lows

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not get his five hundredth landing move Sunday, however he nonetheless made historical past in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Payments at Highmark Stadium — a defeat so lopsided that it left a few of his teammates questioning if gamers had stop.

Rodgers was sacked 4 occasions to convey his profession whole to 568, passing Tom Brady (565) because the most-sacked quarterback in NFL historical past.

“Yeah, I received Tom on that,” Rodgers mentioned with a weak smile, feigning a touch of pleasure.

Gallows humor.

The day was so dangerous for Rodgers and the Jets (4-12) that the long run Corridor of Famer informed his coaches to play his backup in the beginning of the fourth quarter with the Jets trailing 40-0. In got here Tyrod Taylor for mop-up responsibility.

It was the primary time in Rodgers’ profession that his workforce had confronted a 40-point deficit in a sport he began.

It was an terrible outing in a bitterly disappointing season, one which started with Tremendous Bowl aspirations.

“Yeah, I imply, it is type of just like the season — it simply received away from us,” mentioned Rodgers, who threw two interceptions and recorded a 1.2 Whole QBR, the bottom of his profession. “Too many video games received away from us. This sport received away from us. We have been transferring the ball effectively, after which we simply hit a wall. And that is been type of the season too.”

The Rodgers-led offense has gone 14 straight possessions with out a landing, leaving him caught at 499 landing passes. (Taylor did lead two scoring drives in rubbish time.) Rodgers will attempt to turn out to be the fifth participant to succeed in 500 within the season finale towards the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.

Rodgers received inside hanging distance on his first two drives towards the Payments.

He missed an open Kenny Yeboah on a third-and-1 move at Buffalo’s 24-yard line, and the Jets did not convert on fourth down.

On New York’s subsequent possession, Rodgers threw an interception from the Payments’ 12-yard line. It was a display screen move to Davante Adams, who had three blockers ready to escort him to the top zone, however the move was tipped on the line and picked off by defensive deal with Jordan Phillips.

“Now we have to execute that play,” mentioned Rodgers, who added that he wasn’t excited about 500.

After his second interception, Rodgers (12-for-18, 112 yards) dedicated the primary pointless roughness penalty of his profession with a late shove out of bounds on Payments cornerback Christian Benford. That was one in every of New York’s 16 penalties, together with 5 private fouls, for 120 yards and contributed to the Jets’ most accepted penalties in a sport since 2018.

“I do not suppose I pushed him very exhausting,” Rodgers mentioned.

Rodgers has misplaced 12 video games this season, tied for the second most by a former MVP quarterback because the award was first introduced by the Related Press in 1957. Bert Jones of the Baltimore Colts went 2-13 in 1981.

Afterward, Rodgers selected his phrases fastidiously; he did not query the workforce’s effort. Different Jets gamers did, although.

“You ask me, clearly we’re not going to the playoffs, some folks may be checked out,” cornerback Sauce Gardner mentioned. “That is simply me going off hypothesis.”

Requested if he sensed an absence of effort from anybody, cornerback D.J. Reed mentioned, “I will not converse on that.”

Reed pointed a finger on the offense for its lack of manufacturing. The Rodgers-led unit has scored just one landing previously two contests.

“It comes all the way down to complementary soccer, bro,” Reed mentioned. “We’re enjoying a high-powered offense. Josh Allen is the MVP runner-up, no matter — an important participant. Now we have to get s— going — on offense, on particular groups. You retain having our protection go on the market. Ultimately, they will do one thing good.

“So sure, protection, we have to be higher, however we have now to play complementary soccer.”

Broad receiver Garrett Wilson, who scored a landing but additionally misplaced a fumble, mentioned the end result was “embarrassing. … It was as dangerous as it may possibly get.”

When these groups met in Week 6, Jeff Ulbrich’s first sport as Jets interim coach, New York was 2-3 and enjoying for a share of first place. The Jets misplaced that sport 23-20. They’re now 2-9 underneath Ulbrich, who changed the fired Robert Saleh.

“It is irritating. It is embarrassing. It is maddening,” Ulbrich mentioned. “Yeah, it is all that.”

Adams mentioned the Jets’ expertise compares favorably with that of the Payments (13-3).

“On paper, it will appear like it will be a shootout — and it ought to be — however it’s about execution,” Adams mentioned. “It does not matter who you have got on the roster.”

Gardner echoed that sentiment.

“We enhanced our roster in all areas, in order that simply tells me — I do not know, bro — we won’t be enjoying as a workforce,” Gardner mentioned. “We’re most likely simply people. Final 12 months and the 12 months earlier than, we had a roster that wasn’t as proficient, however we discovered methods to win. So, what’s stopping that now with a extra proficient roster?”