‘You play to win the game’ … except when you don’t.
It’s been nearly 22 years since former New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards uttered those six memorable words. And, like the current edition following Sunday night’s 37-15 blast furnace meltdown of a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, those Jets were 2-5, their playoff aspirations just a flicker.
However if the 2024 Jets are going to do what the 2002 Jets did – hit the afterburners en route to a rare AFC East crown (or at least a postseason berth) – they’ve got a steep climb ahead to avoid being the same old Jets.
And that must start with the person upon whom all eyes are trained: Aaron Rodgers.
The four-time league MVP, who will not win a fifth this season at age 40, needs to stop looking for outside answers – and what more can he ask for after Tuesday’s acquisition of wide receiver and BFF Davante Adams and Sunday’s news that linebacker Haason Reddick is finally inbound? – and look in the mirror … or at least within if he finds himself on a mini darkness retreat in the coming days. The Jets have lost four in succession – and the common denominator is not fired coach Robert Saleh, or kicker Greg Zuerlein, or a banged-up defense or vilified wideout Mike Williams.
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It’s Rodgers.
“I gotta play better, that’s the key,” he admitted Sunday.
“We just don’t do the little things well enough, consistently enough, myself included.”
To recap:
In Week 4, his legendary arm failed to negate the East Rutherford, N.J., elements on a day when the Jets only needed 11 points to beat the Denver Broncos, who managed all of 186 yards. “The weather sucked, but so did some of my throws,” acknowledged Rodgers.
In Week 5, he matched his career worst with three interceptions – including a killer pick-six – and missed too many open receivers in a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London.
In Week 6, Rodgers threw an INT on his final pass for the second straight week, though shifted blame to Williams’ route running in the Jets’ first game following Saleh’s ouster and removal of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett from play-calling and game-planning duties. In a 23-20 defeat to the injury-racked Buffalo Bills, the Jets were 4-for-12 on third down and 1-for-4 in the red zone – areas where a quarterback of Rodgers’ station is supposed to elevate an offense.
Then the bottom all but dropped out in Western Pennsylvania.
Adams disappeared in the second half of his Jets debut. A M*A*S*H unit defense was incapable of corralling 35-year-old Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson, who was making his first start in nearly a year and behind a patchwork O-line. The NYJ running game was again MIA, posting a meager 54 yards.
Yet the game turned just before halftime with the Jets up 15-6. With little more than a minute left, Rodgers tried to thread a pass deep down the middle to Garrett Wilson, who was seemingly surrounded by half of Pittsburgh’s defense, but instead found undrafted rookie corner Beanie Bishop for the first of two interceptions on the night. Four plays later, Russell Wilson hit George Pickens for a touchdown with 27 seconds remaining in the half to completely alter the game’s complexion and momentum as the Steelers began an unimpeded 31-point blitz.
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“Bad throw,” said Rodgers, who’s on pace for a career-worst 17 interceptions and 82.2 passer rating. ‘Changed the entire energy, changed the game.”
So now what?
The Steelers are sitting pretty at 5-2 atop the AFC North despite the unconventional switch from Justin Fields to Wilson. The Jets have no such card to play – as they did in 2002 when the move from fading veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde to untested Chad Pennington played massive (if belated, after Edwards’ famous rant) dividends.
Rodgers isn’t going to advocate for a headset next to interim coach Jeff Ulbrich so his team can see what backup Tyrod Taylor might do with an offense teeming with playmakers. (And, in fairness, a team implementing so many fundamental changes on the fly probably needs time before it can actually fly.) The four upcoming games (Patriots, Texans, Cardinals, Colts) before a Week 12 bye are certainly winnable – yet it’s a much tougher assignment when they’re virtually must-winnable.
“You’ve got to have culture changers in the midst of the talent to steer things in the right direction,” Rodgers lamented.
Unfortunately, the culture seems essentially status quo for a flight plan careening toward a 56th straight landing short of Super Bowl glory and NFL-worst 14th in a row without a playoff destination at the arrival gate. And that’s a shame, because the ability on New York’s roster is decidedly playoff-caliber – at minimum.
“This season ain’t over,” said Garrett Wilson, whose failure to corral an on-target throw from Rodgers midway through the third quarter led to a deflection that also wound up in Bishop’s hands before a 41-yard return … and then to another Pittsburgh TD one play later.
“We still got everything out in front of us. Feel like we got everything we need here. Time to go play on Sundays, on game days – whatever it may be – and it’s time to go win games. At the end of the day, that’s got to be it.”
But barring a massive course correction – and without a fiery navigator like Edwards to map the way – no one will wear the blame more than the unquestioned pilot in the No. 8 jersey who seems to have all the answers midweek but keeps failing to find them on Sundays and Mondays.
And Rodgers knows there’s no more time to R-E-L-A-X to salvage this J-E-T-S season and only one thing left to say in the face of so many questions.
“Just gotta win,” he said before heading to the bus Sunday night.
“Starting this week.”
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.
