There's an old belief around here to run the ball when the weather gets cold.
That's one belief Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers disagrees with.
In Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Rams, the Jets had just 19 designed runs and 44 dropbacks.
But Rodgers bristled at the idea that teams would want to run more when it's 23 degrees.
“I didn't expect it to be a game where we conceded so many goals,” Rodgers said. “So it could be if it's snowing. Even in cold weather, we always throw the ball in cold weather.”
The Jets had some balance in the first half with 12 rushes and 20 passes, but the second half was more of a passer.
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich suggested a few more runs might be called, and Rodgers changed the play to a pass.
“Some of them are called orchids; [Rodgers] You just look at the heavy boxes and it breaks things like trip alerts and RPOs,” Ulbrich said. “If we had done that, we definitely would have conceded more goals. Let's look at it again. I would say that we moved the ball very efficiently, especially in the first half, offensively. As always, we We're going to take a hard look at what we've done and do better.”
But Rodgers said there were only two plays where he switched from the run to the pass.
“I don’t think we really checked the run,” Rodgers said. “I threw two run solutions, one was illegal downfield on a play that would have been a minus-five, and the other one to Davante in the right. Other than that. Didn't check anything.
The Jets entered the game with the fewest rushing attempts in the NFL.
Running back Breece Hall had 14 rushes for 52 yards.
Hall also had five catches for 38 yards.
“It's not that surprising,” Hall said of the pass-run imbalance. “We're more of a passing team. We're also involved in the passing game, so it's not a problem.”
Rookie LT Olu Fashanu left the game in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a serious foot injury.
After the game, Ulbrich declined to say whether he believed it was an Achilles injury.
However, Fashanu needed help from the field and was taken to the locker room on a cart.
After the game, he was on crutches.
CB Sauce Gardner is out with a hamstring injury.
Gardner missed the game against the Dolphins two weeks ago with the same injury.
S. Tony Adams left the game with an ankle injury, but Ulbrich said he could have returned in an emergency.
DT Quinnen Williams (hamstring) did not play.
