Following the Jets 23-17 loss to the Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Jets coach Robert Saleh preached patience to a rabid fan base.
“It’s early, we are five games in,” Saleh said. “Obviously, we would like to be a lot better, but it’s early and we have a long way to go.”
Saleh may want to talk to his own players. After the game, when speaking to SNY, Jets linebacker Quincy Williams expressed frustration after losing another game in which the defense did its job when asked about the team’s comeback attempt falling short.
“I’m going to be honest, people get tired of hearing the same s—,” Williams said. People gotta start taking accountability from the top to the bottom, that’s the main thing.
“People get tired of hearing the same thing every week. I’m tired of saying the same thing every week.”
Stop me if you have heard this story before: The Jets’ defense does enough to win the game after holding Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ offense to just 253 yards and 16 points offensively. But just like their teams of the recent past the Jets offense let the team down.
That exactly what happened in 2022 when the Jets had a top-five defense, but they lost six consecutive games to miss the playoffs after beginning the season 7-4. Last year, the Jets finished in the top three in yards allowed, but poor quarterback play after Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury prevented them from contending.
This year was supposed to be different for Gang Green after Rodgers’ return.
In addition to getting Rodgers back, the Jets shored up their offensive line by bringing in three new starters in Tyron Smith, John Simpson, and Morgan Moses. They also drafted Olu Fashanu 11th overall for extra insurance in case Smith or Moses gets hurt.
Wide receiver Mike Williams also signed a one-year contract, which was supposed to unlock the Jets’ potential for explosive plays down the field. But the 2024 Jets look much like the 2022 and 2023 renditions with Zach Wilson under center.
After five games, Gang Green has zero offensive identity. The Jets can’t run the ball and suffer from dropped passes, lousy route running, and missed blocking assignments.
Last week against the Broncos, it was a potential cadence issue and disconnect between Rodgers and Saleh. This week, it was turnovers and a lack of protection.
Rodgers finished Sunday’s game by completing 29-of-54 passes for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He was also sacked three times and suffered 11 quarterback hits.
It was only the sixth time Rodgers had thrown three interceptions in a game during his 20-year career. His teams are now 0-6 when Rodgers throws three interceptions.
Rodgers’ first interception was a backbreaker — a 63-yard pick-6 by Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The second interception by Rodgers was intended for Allen Lazard, but the pass was overthrown. Rodgers’ final mistake was an underthrown pass to Williams with 44 seconds remaining.
Now at 2-3, Rodgers is less than 100% heading into a critical game against the Bills on Monday night in Week 6. He limped off the field after a third-quarter sack but quickly returned without missing a down.
Rodgers had been dealing with knee soreness, which is probably why the Jets elevated Adrian Martinez from the practice squad.
Although he made it through the entire game, Rodgers was visibly less than 100% and was seen walking to the sideline between plays with a slight limp. Whether it was the knee, the ankle, the three sacks, or the multiple pressures the Vikings defense put on him, Rodgers had one of his worst games in years.
During the previous four weeks, Rodgers and Garrett Wilson‘s chemistry has been off, as demonstrated by several incomplete passes.
On Sunday, Wilson finally had a breakout game with Rodgers under center. He caught 13 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. However, on the game’s final drive, Rodgers missed Wilson wide-open for a potential game-winning touchdown.
“We just gotta keep fighting,” Wilson said. “Keep going and going about our practices the right way and find a way to win.
“At the end of the day, it ain’t about me and him getting on the same page, we gotta win games. It don’t matter. The ultimate goal is winning, whatever it takes.”
The Jets did not record a single touchdown in their loss against the Broncos. A week later, Rodgers took responsibility for his three interceptions and another less-than-stellar performance from the Jets offense.
“Too many mistakes,” Rodgers said. “I think until now, we only had two turnovers, which is good because you give yourself a chance.
“But we are slow starters, too many mental errors and too many mistakes and that’s hard to overcome. For me, I gotta take care of the football. You can’t turn the ball over three times and win in this league.”
With the Jets second consecutive loss, the Davante Adams rumors will likely intensify. On Monday, Adams informed the Raiders that he would prefer to be traded. His preferred destinations are the Jets or the Saints, according to ESPN.
The Raiders would like a second-round draft pick in return for Adams and additional compensation, according to multiple reports. However, Adams has a legitimate hamstring injury that kept him out of the Raiders’ Week 5 game against the Broncos. Adams’ injury could prevent a trade from happening until he’s fully healthy.
Gang Green isn’t one player away from being a Super Bowl contender, but Adams could help. He played with Rodgers in Green Bay for eight seasons and knows Nathaniel Hackett’s offensive system.
The time is now for the Jets because their schedule continues to get tougher from here. They will host the Bills on Monday Night Football before traveling to play the Steelers on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 20. The Jets also have a game against the Texans on Halloween to end the month.
Williams is not likely the only defensive player losing patience in the locker room with inept offensive play. If the struggles on offense continue, the Jets could end October out of the AFC East race.
“We gotta stick together because there will be a lot of people outside the building that won’t be sticking with the Jets,” Rodgers said. “If we stick together, I still have a lot of confidence in this team and I think this is a team that’s going to make a run.
Whether that run starts next week, the following week or whenever it might be, I’m confident in our guys, I’m confident in the leadership and I’m confident we will get it straighten out.”
