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 go 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 give up.

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

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

Gallows humor.

The day was so unhealthy for Rodgers and the Jets (4-12) that the longer term Corridor of Famer advised 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 form of just like the season — it simply obtained 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 obtained away from us. This sport obtained away from us. We had been shifting the ball properly, after which we simply hit a wall. And that is been form 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 into the fifth participant to succeed in 500 within the season finale towards the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium.

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

He missed an open Kenny Yeboah on a third-and-1 go 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 go to Davante Adams, who had three blockers ready to escort him to the tip zone, however the go was tipped on the line and picked off by defensive deal with Jordan Phillips.

“We’ve got to execute that play,” mentioned Rodgers, who added that he wasn’t interested by 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 all 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 arduous,” 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 offered by the Related Press in 1957. Bert Jones of the Baltimore Colts went 2-13 in 1981.

Afterward, Rodgers selected his phrases rigorously; 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 individuals is likely to 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 communicate on that.”

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

“It comes right 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. We’ve got to get s— going — on offense, on particular groups. You retain having our protection go on the market. Finally, they’ll do one thing good.

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

Huge receiver Garrett Wilson, who scored a landing but in addition misplaced a fumble, mentioned the end result was “embarrassing. … It was as unhealthy as it could actually 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 beneath 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’s going to appear to be it’s going to be a shootout — and it must be — but it surely’s about execution,” Adams mentioned. “It would not matter who you will have 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 will not be enjoying as a workforce,” Gardner mentioned. “We’re in all probability simply people. Final 12 months and the 12 months earlier than, we had a roster that wasn’t as gifted, however we discovered methods to win. So, what’s stopping that now with a extra gifted roster?”