Are the Jets cursed?
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that might be the case. Rodgers was asked Wednesday if he feels like something bad will always happen to the team because of the Jets' losing history.
Rogers said that may be the case, or it may be something more than that that they are fighting.
“It may be some kind of curse that we have to break,” Rogers said. “One way or another, this team, this organization, will figure out a way to get through this at some point.”
The Jets lost 32-26 in overtime to the Dolphins on Sunday, eliminating them from playoff contention and extending their playoff berth to 14 years, currently the longest streak in a major North American sport.
In Rodgers' first full season as starting QB, the team went 3-10, with the Jets losing seven games decided by six points or less.
The way the Jets have found ways to lose this season raises questions about the organization and locker room culture.
“The culture is built by the players,” Rodgers said. “There's a framework set by the organization, the upper management, the staff, but ultimately it's the players who make it happen. At some point, everyone realizes what the special sauce is that turns a winnable game into a win. You need to understand that.”
How can they do that?
“It takes a conscious effort,” Rogers said. “It takes a deliberate effort to do it. There's nothing special about it other than that, every team can do it. In general, the best players have to be the best people. I think you have to lead the way in public, in your attitude, your practice habits, your leadership, the way you talk to the media, the way you do things. I think that's an important part of setting the standard in the locker room, finding that gel and spending time together and taking work out and spending time with each other at work. It’s a group that needs to enjoy each other enough to hold them accountable and let go of certain egos.”
Rodgers said the more time players spend together away from work, the more they will feel responsible for each other at work.
“They're going to hold themselves to a pretty high standard,” Rogers said. “Until that happens, we'll be on the edge of a special sauce that will give us some really good chemistry in the locker room.”
Rodgers said the 2024 Jets are close, but not there yet in terms of finding chemistry.
“It's right on the brink of that,” Rogers said. “We just haven't figured out how to mix that special sauce. It's close. We've got a lot of great players in the locker room. We've got a good mix of veterans and young players, but we still don't have the whole picture.” It’s not organized.”
