Aaron Rodgers' best play all day came about 30 minutes into his and the Jets' 23-17 loss to the Vikings on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
That's when Rodgers, like any true leader, took responsibility for his own underachievement and firmly stated his belief in the team and the head coach (at least publicly).
“I have to be honest about my performance every week and hold myself to a standard,” a clearly disappointed Rodgers said after the game. “Obviously I fell short of the standard.”
Of course, Rodgers' accountability was of little consolation to Jets fans. After all, taking the blame won't overcome a 17-0 first-half deficit. Even if you take responsibility, you won't win the game.
So, while Rodgers' accountability after the game was commendable, the reality is that Rodgers didn't have a very positive play in the game.
And now, one week after losing 10-9 at home to Denver, the Jets are in a dangerous situation where they could be in turmoil if they continue to lose.
And Rodgers was at the center of it all, throwing a career-high three interceptions against the Vikings, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Let's mark this as Rodgers' worst non-injury moment in a Jets uniform. And if you're a Jets fan, you're probably hoping that turns out to be what Rodgers likes to call an “outlier.”
Because it's Rodgers' fault that the Jets lost this game, and that's a problem considering he's the best and most accomplished player on the team.
His 63-yard pick-six in the first quarter hit linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel in the chest, creating a backbreaker. This game gave Minnesota an early 10-0 lead and was a damaging points swing as the Jets were in Minnesota territory at the time. They were trailing 3-0 and looked likely to make the game-clinching field goal.
It's sad enough that this season, with such high expectations, the Jets are now 2-3 with difficult upcoming games against the Bills (home) and Steelers (on the road).
But it's even more disturbing that Sunday's game symbolized everything Rodgers was brought to the Jets for. Consider the following scenario tailored to Rodgers on Sunday.
The Jets still had little business left in the game with 3:07 remaining. The Jets were leading by six points, had the ball on their own 30-yard line, and had a chance to steal the game.
Rodgers, who boasts 21 career fourth-quarter comebacks and 32 game-winning drives, was brought to the Jets to thrive in exactly this situation. He wants to carry the team on his shoulders and lead it to victory.
But this time Rodgers was much like the Jets' previous dozen quarterbacks when faced with this scenario in that he couldn't get the job done.
A potential win came when Rodgers underthrew receiver Mike Williams inside the 10 on a third-and-10 from Minnesota's own 26-yard line and cornerback Stephon Gilmore picked off the pass to end the Jets' chance. The sexual possession is over.
It was Rodgers' third interception of the game. On the second, Van Ginkel held the ball after a pick, beat Allen Lazard by about 10 feet, and was picked off by Vikings defensive back Camryn Bynum.
“I just realized I’ve never thrown two picks in the first quarter before, so this is a first for me,” Rodgers said. “One of them apparently cost $7 [points]. In a game where the team lost by six points, such plays suddenly come under close scrutiny. Three turnovers is definitely out of line for me and I'm disappointed in what happened.”
Even Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who usually bends over backwards to praise Rodgers, couldn't muster up an ounce of positivity about his quarterback's performance.
“Obviously, it's up and down,” Saleh said. “Unfortunately, that pick made a huge difference in the game.”
“I have to take care of the football. You can't turn the ball over three times and win in this league,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers then put on the face of a brave leader and did the best he could as a leader after helping break this match.
“The most important positive thing for us is that we stay united, because a lot of people outside the building are not going to stick with the Jets,” he said. “[I] I still have a lot of confidence in this team. I think this is a team that will run strong. Whether that run starts next week, the week after, or whenever, I have confidence in the guys on our team. [our] I am confident that with leadership, we can solve this problem. ”
It's only the fifth game into the 17-game season.
And with Buffalo falling to 3-2 after Sunday's game against Houston and the Patriots and Dolphins becoming compromised teams, there's no one running away from the Jets in the AFC East right now.
But if the Jets' best player doesn't perform as well as his best player should, and that happens quickly, there's no liability in the world at all.
