Aaron Rodgers teased New York Jets fans again before Monday Night Football, warming up and taking three-step dropbacks as he continues to recover from the Achilles tear that knocked him out four plays into his Big Apple debut. Rodgers has suggested he’s targeting an unprecedented in-season return, but will it already be too late for Gang Green?
Jets Won’t Be Contenders If and When Aaron Rodgers Is Ready
Here’s how poorly Zach Wilson and the Jets’ offense played against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night: New York allowed Justin Herbert and Co. to post just 191 yards of total offense and still lost by three scores.
We set out to find just how rare that type of futile defensive performance was in recent NFL history, using Pro Football Reference’s trusty Stathead database:
- Since 2000, 86 teams have lost a game while giving up 200 or fewer offensive yards. OK, not that rare! That’s roughly three and a half times per season.
- However, only 25 of those 86 losses came by more than one score like the Jets’ did tonight. And that makes sense — if neither team could get anything going on offense, you’d expect final scores to be close.
- Just five of those 86 losses came by 21 points or more, so Gang Green did enter uniquely awful territory on MNF.
The Chargers scored three touchdowns tonight, but it’s debatable if they would’ve found the end zone without ample help from New York’s offensive (and special teams) ineptitude.
Los Angeles’ first TD came on an 87-yard Derius Davis punt return. Later in the first quarter, Joey Bosa strip-sacked Wilson, giving the Chargers’ offense the ball at the 50-yard line; they scored eight plays later.
Late in the fourth quarter, with L.A. already up 20-6, Khalil Mack forced Wilson into another strip sack. Safety Alohi Gilman returned the fumble to the Jets’ 2-yard line, and Austin Ekeler punched in his second touchdown on the next play.
Why Didn’t the Jets Trade for a Quarterback?
Jets general manager Joe Douglas had plenty of time to acquire another quarterback before the NFL’s Oct. 31 trade deadline. The Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins suggested he wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause, but New York could have made the same trade for Joshua Dobbs that the Vikings executed after Cousins joined Rodgers as an Achilles tear victim.
Minnesota only gave up a 2024 sixth-round pick to acquire Dobbs and a 2024 seventh from the Arizona Cardinals. All Dobbs did in Week 9 was total 223 yards and three touchdowns and lead the Vikings to a win despite barely knowing the club’s offensive playbook.
MORE: New York Jets Depth Chart
While head coach Robert Saleh has stood by Wilson as the Jets’ 2023 starter, it’s clear that the former No. 2 overall pick isn’t the answer. At a certain point, Saleh might have to worry about losing the locker room by continuing to start Wilson.
While the NFL world probably knows what New York second and third-string quarterbacks Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian are capable of at this point in their careers, it’s difficult to imagine either veteran being worse than Wilson.
Of course, the Jets’ offensive woes aren’t entirely on Wilson’s shoulders. New York’s offensive line allowed Wilson to be pressured on a whopping 43% of his dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats.
The Jets’ front five also couldn’t open any holes for a rushing attack that averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and posted a 28% success rate. Even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owners of the NFL’s worst running game in 2023, manage a 29.5% success rate.
Wilson has also been plagued by drops throughout the season. Per PFF, no quarterback has had a higher rate of passes dropped than Wilson in 2023 (9.35). Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah couldn’t reel in a TD pass from Wilson late on Monday night, while wideout Allen Lazard dropped three balls.
Maybe Rodgers will be able to come back later this season. But he won’t be able to singlehandedly fix the Jets’ offensive issues, and New York won’t be a realistic AFC contender by the time he could theoretically return.
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