With a blockbuster trade for Adams, the Jets cannot escape their reality.
The New York Jets face serious peril. Even after a galvanizing two-week stretch where team owner Woody Johnson decided to make an impromptu decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh and instill defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim. Even after New York made the blockbuster move to reunite quarterback Aaron Rodgers with his long time receiver in Green Bay, Davante Adams following a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
New York is currently 2-5 and falling quickly behind in a division that the Buffalo Bills own. The Jets made a conscious effort this offseason to capitalize on an already strong defense and invest heavily in their offense as Rodgers was set to come back from his Achilles tear the year prior. Doing so came with the collection of some of Rodgers’ and the Jets’ greatest hits– including a receiver core that included Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard, signing Mike Williams, and trimming some of the loose fat in the room. It also featured a flagship running back set in Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen.
You wouldn’t be mistaken for thinking all this coming together would have made the New York Jets the team to reckon with. Except the 2024 season has shown that the Jets have their own set of problems, cracks that have begun to rear their heads and could turn into gorges if not properly addressed.
Aaron Rodgers’ underperformance as a bona fide hall of fame quarterback cannot be understated to begin the season. In his de facto inaugural season with the Jets, the quarterback continues to make questionable decisions, shows limited mobility, and consistent disregard for team chemistry as Rodgers is statistically ranked one of the worst quarterbacks currently in the league.
For three straight weeks, the Jets have given Rodgers the opportunity to win a game with the ball in his hands. For three straight weeks, Rodgers and the offense has failed to capitalize, ending games in heart-wrenching losses that have continued to dig the Jets into deeper and deeper holes.
MORE ON THE RODGERS’ SAGA: What Can The New York Jets do to Help Aaron Rodgers Out?
“Yeah, it’s frustrating,” Rodgers said. “I’m here to win those games. But we’ve got to be on our details. It’s little things every single time.”
Rodgers’ rankings are some of the worst in his career, ranking 26th in completion percentage (61.8%), 28th in catchable ball percentage (83.1%), and 26th in on-target percentage (71.1%).
When the pressing question of the day becomes who is Rodgers going to blame next, it’s never a good sign that the team is doing well. Following their 37-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s clear that the New York Jets are dominating the headlines but not the box score.
In his first game with the Jets, Adams failed to do much of anything with three catches for 30 yards on nine targets. The Jets have done everything to get Rodgers what he wanted and what owner Woody Johnson has justified as the betterment of the team, yet since Saleh’s firing, the team has been 0-2 with no signs of life on offense.
The bigger worry is with a deteriorating record and a team seemingly drifting in freefall, will Ulbrich begin to lose the team?
The Jets have a long way to go in order to salvage their season, but it must start with a semblance of offensive football. The defense has been one of the best all season, a statistic that has seen a drop-off since Saleh’s departure but still ranks amongst one of the top stalwarts in the league.
