ORCHARD PARK — The Bills defeated the Jets 40-14 on Sunday, dropping the Jets to a dismal 4-12 record. Here are my impressions and thoughts on the game:
1. It was shocking to see how poorly Aaron Rodgers played on Sunday. The Jets' problems run much deeper than just Rodgers, but he's definitely one of them. The Jets traded Rodgers in April 2023 with the hope that he could still be an elite quarterback.
Here's what an elite quarterback does: They hide other problems. The Bills have Josh Allen. Do the Bills have the perfect team? Far from it. But Allen is good enough to make up for his other shortcomings. We see the same thing with Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and now Joe Burrow, who is trying to drag the Bengals into the playoffs himself.
Rodgers is just a mediocre quarterback now. There are days, like the second half in Miami and Jacksonville, when he plays well and makes you wonder if he still has some of the magic he had in Green Bay.
But there are days like Sunday when he looks below average, reminding us that he is 41 years old and always dealing with some sort of illness holding him back.
I still think that if you put Rodgers on a good team like the Vikings or Lions that consistently play in good weather conditions, he can have a good season. But the Jets are playing outdoors, and as I said at the beginning, this team's problems run deeper than just the quarterback.
It's just shocking to see Rodgers play as badly as he did Sunday.
2. The Jets have issues with young stars Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner. Both players are frustrated with the current state of the team. That has been evident with Wilson for a while, and Gardner expressed his frustration after Sunday's loss.
The loss has taken a toll on both players. They have lost 32 games in three seasons. Wilson went to Ohio State, where he might take a decade before losing 32 games. Gardner was instrumental in the rebuilding of Cincinnati, which became a top team.
It's a tough scenario right now because the Jets lack leadership. I don't know who will make them feel better. The current coaching staff has one more week to get their foot in the door. It will be several weeks before the Jets have a new general manager and coach. That just leaves them stewing about the direction of the team now.
No matter who takes over as the new GM and coach, you need to love these two immediately upon hire. These two should be the foundation of the Jets.
The goal should be to have them spend their careers as Jets, but the franchise has failed to do that with many of its star players over the years. Both players will likely seek contract extensions.
The new GM should consider extending both. It's a sign that the franchise recognizes that these two players can be part of the solution here, and you'd be surprised how much money can erase their misfortune. .
Things are very unstable right now with Wilson and Gardner. The Jets need to fix that this offseason.
3. As I drove to the Jets' training center at Florham Park on Friday, I looked at the snow on the field and remembered how long ago training camp was. There was so much optimism about this team that it didn't feel ridiculous. I really felt like this team had the roster to break their playoff drought.
Now they are 4 to 12 years old and can't do anything well. One more loss and this Jets team will join the worst selection group in franchise history.
Only four teams have lost 13 games to the Jets: 1995 (3-13), 1996 (1-15), 2020 (2-14), and 2021 (4-13). . That's a group you don't want to be associated with. The first two are from the Rich Kotite era. The last two times were when Adam Gase's team collapsed and Robert Saleh had a very young team in his first season as coach.
This is the most disappointing Jets team I've ever covered in terms of where the expectations were and how things turned out, especially considering there weren't that many major injuries. The 1999 and 2023 seasons were very disappointing, losing their quarterback in Week 1. Overall bad this time.
4. When looking back at what went wrong with the 2024 Jets, don't overlook this offseason and what they did with the defensive line. The losses of Bryce Huff and John Franklin Myers continue to plague this team.
On Sunday, the Jets' pass rush couldn't reach Josh Allen, forcing him to extend plays and put pressure on defensive backs. The Jets' secondary looked worse than previous plays due to the lack of a pass rush. All of the opposing quarterbacks have been throwing all day long and are pulling away from the Jets.
Haason Reddick is one of the worst acquisitions in team history. There were no consequences for the man. The mistakes of March and April will continue to plague the Jets in November and December.
reveal status
According to ESPN, Aaron Rodgers' QBR of 1.2 was the lowest of any quarterback in the NFL this season. It was also the lowest of his career.
Amazing number of snaps
Michael Clemons played 37 snaps (53 percent). My question is “Why?” Clemons has been at his worst this season, picking up a personal foul in this game as well. It's time to bench him.
game ball
There aren't many options here. Punter Thomas Morstead continues to work. His punt on down 1 in the third quarter had a chance to change the course of the game. The Jets got the ball back at their 45, but Rodgers threw an interception and the Bills scored. Don't blame Morstead.
