Aaron Rodgers shares insights on Jets-Four Game Slide
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers warned teammates after the New York Jets improved to 2-1 about being able to “handle the success part” of a grueling season. The Jets subsequently lost four straight games, and team owner Woody Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh after Week 5.
During a Tuesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers touched upon the team’s struggles that continued in this past Sunday’s 37-15 defeat at the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Personally, and as a team, we’re playing with too much anger, not enough enjoyment,” Rodgers explained, as shared by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “It’s fun when you win, of course. But there are ways of taking some of the pressure off. And it’s got to start with me this week. We’ve got to respond to adversity a little bit better.”
As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk noted, Rodgers admitted that he created adversity at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium when he made “a bad decision” that resulted in an interception when the Jets held a 15-6 lead with 1:15 remaining in the first half. The Steelers scored a touchdown before the break and never looked back.
While the Jets clearly hope that acquiring star wide receiver Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders will help Rodgers reclaim his best form, the numbers show the 40-year-old has left plenty to be desired with his play. According to ESPN stats, Rodgers ended Week 7 tied for 23rd in the league with a 48.9 adjusted QBR on the season. He tossed 10 touchdown passes and seven interceptions over seven contests.
Pass-rusher Haason Reddick reporting to the Jets in time to possibly make his season debut in Sunday’s game at the 1-6 New England Patriots could help Gang Green get a needed win, but he alone can’t fix all that has ailed New York over the past month. Rodgers suggested some inside the Jets’ locker room have failed to adequately handle the Super Bowl expectations that hovered over the organization.
“I think you have to get yourself to a point — whether you are 2-5 or 5-2 or wherever you are in between — ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ And take your mind to that spot and deal with it,” Rodgers told the “McAfee Show” crew. “And, ‘What’s the best that can happen?’ And take your mind to that spot and deal with it. But deal with it and then move on and play free.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Jets as seven-point favorites for the matchup against the Patriots. New York should have plenty of opportunities to “play free” at Gillette Stadium while facing what may or may not be a “soft” opponent.
