Aaron Rodgers’ Jets honeymoon is on its last legs

FOXBOROUGH, Mass — From nan time he walked into their lives, location wasn’t a psyche among nan Jets, from apical to bottom, who couldn’t extremity telling nan world really Aaron Rodgers raised nan modular of everyone successful nan building, and really he elevated everyone pinch his shot contented and nan benignant of magical correct limb nary of them had ever seen. 

The honeymoon is connected its past legs. 

If Rodgers wants that rarefied New York bequest reserved for legends, he amended commencement building it, and now. 

He has thrown six interceptions crossed his past 3 games and is nan not-so-proud proprietor of a 40-year-old hamstring, a 40-year-old knee and a 40-year-old ankle. 

But it ever has been folly to count him out, moreover if he has ne'er been a 40-year-old Jet, and much thief than anyone anticipated he would request has mercifully arrived. 

Rodgers tried arsenic difficult arsenic he could to alteration nan culture, but successful a matter of days, nan Jets show america that it was Davante Adams, his all-time favourite receiver, who miraculously changed it. 

If that is nan case, we should expect much power and juice and joie de vivre and T-E-A-M from nan Jeff Ulbrich Jets connected Sunday against nan Patriots, and much intelligence toughness successful nan look of adversity. 

And Haason Reddick, for nevertheless agelong he plays successful his long-awaited Jets debut, will beryllium helping Will McDonald and Quinnen Williams hunt Drake Maye if and erstwhile Rodgers tin prehend a lead and support it this time. 

If Rodgers has immoderate “savior” successful him, he should admit he needs to prevention a play successful peril, and prevention it now. 

“I request to beryllium a awesome leader,” Rodgers said this week. “It starts pinch me, and I’m going to group nan reside this week.” 

It really started pinch him from nan start, that time 19 months agone erstwhile he walked into nan Atlantic Health Jets Training Center and noticed nan lonely Super Bowl III Lombardi trophy still hopeless aft each these years for a companion. 

This is nary clip to moreover utter nan words Super Bowl. That tin and should beryllium put to remainder for now — erstwhile moreover Joe Namath mightiness beryllium reticent astir guaranteeing a win, moreover complete these Patriots. 

The Jets person for decade aft decade been a sinkhole for franchise quarterbacks young and old, for seasoned hired guns. No 1 could perchance envision Aaron Rodgers, early first-ballot Hall of Famer, suffering nan Same Old Fate. 

He is 2-5 arsenic nan starting backmost of nan Jets, and nary 1 cares that he would beryllium 4-3 had Greg Zuerlein made nan section goals he is paid to make. 

Rodgers wasn’t brought present to beryllium 4-3, overmuch little 2-5. 

He has had 7 games to sound disconnected nan rust from his mislaid 2023 season. 

He has had 2 games to acclimate himself to interim caput coach Jeff Ulbrich and caller playcaller Todd Downing. 

He has had 1 crippled to renew vows pinch Adams. 

No excuses. 

That won’t beryllium Tom Brady and Bill Belichick connected nan different side. It will beryllium Jerod Mayo, a rookie caput coach, and Maye, a rookie first-round prime making his 3rd NFL start, and Mayo’s soft defense. It was against nan Patriots past month, and only against nan Patriots, that Rodgers resembled MVP Aaron. 

That backmost has gone AWOL. 

The load of impervious is connected him now to raise nan modular of his ain play, and elevate his ain play and those astir him. The load of impervious is connected him to show that property is conscionable a number, 2 months from his 41st birthday. 

Of course, his situation is each nan much daunting because these are nan Woody Johnson Jets, wherever calamity and chaos and turmoil relentlessly rear their disfigured heads. 

The violative statement that was bolstered complete nan offseason to support him upright has excessively often near him battered and sore. 

But blasted nan playcaller and blasted Rodgers, because this is his offense, for relegating nan tally crippled to a veritable afterthought. Whatever happened to nan raging-bull visions of 220-pound Breece Hall and 240-pound rookie Braelon Allen imposing their will connected a defense? 

Against nan Vikings, nan pass-run ratio was 54-14. Against nan Bills, it was 35-21. Against nan Steelers, it was 39-15. 

Run nan damn ball! 

In a different era, Namath (17-for-28, 206 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions) won Super Bowl III leaning heavy connected FB Matt Snell (30-for-121 rushing pinch a touchdown, 4-for-40 receiving). 

And it would beryllium bully if Ulbrich’s beloved defense showed much pridefulness than it did successful nan first half against nan Bills and successful some halves against nan Steelers. 

It is disturbing that nan Jets person resembled a bunch of independent contractors searching for an identity, and a paycheck. Remember nan 2011 Eagles? Who imported marquee names and branded themselves a Dream Team? They mislaid 8 of their first 12 games. 

Ulbrich is learning connected nan fly. It is proceedings by correction for him arsenic interim caput coach. The proprietor has been counting connected Rodgers to beryllium nan deodorant. It is clip for Rodgers to do distant pinch nan stench. 

After each nan hype and each nan hullabaloo and each nan headlines, it is clip for Rodgers to find a measurement to win, and support winning. If that’s excessively overmuch to ask, past he and nan Jets will beryllium retreating backmost together into nan Same Old Darkness.